I have a modest computer home recording setup that I use when I have time. Someone asked me the other day what the cost to record a full length CD at a professional recording studio would be. I'm thinking it would be a good chunk of mula, maybe 10k or more, am I right? Anyone have a ballpark figure?
Professional studio recording costs?
- Thread starter Trotter
- Start date
Richard Monroe
Well-known member
What an album costs to produce is quite variable depending on the material. A demo with one guy and his guitar, who can play without singing and sing without playing, who's really ready to play, could do 12 songs in 6 hours or maybe less. With simple mixing and very basic mastering, You've probably got a demo master in your hand for $3000 or less. OK, suppose I'm going to do a remake of "We are the World" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Marine Band. I'm flying in the fluff girls for the lead guitarist. The more tracks you have to lay down, and the more unprepared the musicians are, the more it's going to cost. A folk trio should be easier than Earth, Wind, and Fire, but not if they can't play the material.-Richie
Richard Monroe
Well-known member
No, not at all. The cheaper ones get more like $50. There's quite a few more hours work, though, in producing an album than *tracking* an album. After the tracks are done, even with 2 tracks, it needs to be mixed and panned appropriately, compression and EQ applied, noise reduced. Then it has to be sequenced, with the appropriate amount of time between songs, and normalized, so you don't have to turn your volume up and down with every song, and much more you may not have thought of. Do you think you record an album and it's done? Guess again, grasshopper.
Then some picky little bastard with great ears and buku gear reviews every track and deletes anything that's not part of the presention. Yes, that ambulence you never heard in the background, oh, so faint, is GONE!- seamllessly. My figure was tracked, mixed, and mastered at least to fly by night standards. For a more complex mix, 8-12 tracks, expect good mixing to take 4-6 hours per song, or the mixing engineer probably doesn't care much. My 13 song CD will probably cost $4.000-$6,000 to mix, and another grand or two to master. That's a shoestring budget for a commercial project. Lord, I feel like I'm making "Night of the Living Dead".-Richie
Then some picky little bastard with great ears and buku gear reviews every track and deletes anything that's not part of the presention. Yes, that ambulence you never heard in the background, oh, so faint, is GONE!- seamllessly. My figure was tracked, mixed, and mastered at least to fly by night standards. For a more complex mix, 8-12 tracks, expect good mixing to take 4-6 hours per song, or the mixing engineer probably doesn't care much. My 13 song CD will probably cost $4.000-$6,000 to mix, and another grand or two to master. That's a shoestring budget for a commercial project. Lord, I feel like I'm making "Night of the Living Dead".-Richie
Hi,
Thanks for the info on recording prices. I’m just trying to get a general idea as to how much it would cost to do something that has at least a pro sound. I can record a lot of tracks on my pc. Most of the tunes I’ve done have at least 18-20 tracks when I’m finished. I bet if I did that in a good studio it would cost mucho $$$. It’s hard to figure exactly what it’s going to cost if you don’t know how much time it is going to take. At least I have a general idea of the cost.
Thanks,
Trotter
Thanks for the info on recording prices. I’m just trying to get a general idea as to how much it would cost to do something that has at least a pro sound. I can record a lot of tracks on my pc. Most of the tunes I’ve done have at least 18-20 tracks when I’m finished. I bet if I did that in a good studio it would cost mucho $$$. It’s hard to figure exactly what it’s going to cost if you don’t know how much time it is going to take. At least I have a general idea of the cost.
Thanks,
Trotter
Apples and Oranges
It is hard to give an accurate price, so much depends on it from arrangments to talent to genre of music. Even location plays a big part of pricing.
In my experiance, if you want a wild-ass-guess kind of estimate,
Figure tracking-mixing-editing will take you 1.5 to 2.5 hours per track per song times whatever the rate is. Most commercial studios around the Dallas area are going for $75 /hr to $150/hr.
Mastering is another cost. Ive seen it done for $500 and Ive seen it done for $3000.
If you are talent impaired add 30%-40%.
Again... wild-estimate. too many factors can cut or add.
It is hard to give an accurate price, so much depends on it from arrangments to talent to genre of music. Even location plays a big part of pricing.
In my experiance, if you want a wild-ass-guess kind of estimate,
Figure tracking-mixing-editing will take you 1.5 to 2.5 hours per track per song times whatever the rate is. Most commercial studios around the Dallas area are going for $75 /hr to $150/hr.
Mastering is another cost. Ive seen it done for $500 and Ive seen it done for $3000.
If you are talent impaired add 30%-40%.
Again... wild-estimate. too many factors can cut or add.
TexRoadkill
Audio Bum
A kick ass band could record and mix a great album in 3-5 days. It just depends on many factors.
About $60 - 150/hour is a good base rate for a fully equipped mid range studio. It depends a lot on the market. The engineer is more important than the gear and an A class engineer costs a lot more than an A class studio. Usually when you get a cheap rate at a good studio you are getting an intern/newbie to do your project.
About $60 - 150/hour is a good base rate for a fully equipped mid range studio. It depends a lot on the market. The engineer is more important than the gear and an A class engineer costs a lot more than an A class studio. Usually when you get a cheap rate at a good studio you are getting an intern/newbie to do your project.
A well prepared band, who can hit the cues in one or two takes and who know exactly what they want the mix to sound like should be able to get songs tracked and mixed in 2-5 hours per song - allowing for limited vocal overdubs, etc (assuming the engineer really knows his gear and can work fast).
However, a less prepared band or a band that wants numerous overdubs, etc can take 5-10 hours per song.
A good rule of thumb is 1-3 hours of studio/mix time for every minute of material.
While some world class studios may be more costly, $50-$200 per hour should be a basic range in most cities (with $200 being the exceptional studio).
As Tex said, you may have to pay extra for a good engineer and there are always extra costs for recording medium, one-offs and other "fees"
However, a less prepared band or a band that wants numerous overdubs, etc can take 5-10 hours per song.
A good rule of thumb is 1-3 hours of studio/mix time for every minute of material.
While some world class studios may be more costly, $50-$200 per hour should be a basic range in most cities (with $200 being the exceptional studio).
As Tex said, you may have to pay extra for a good engineer and there are always extra costs for recording medium, one-offs and other "fees"
Rimshot
New member
Caveat Emptor
I have worked in several "professional studios" in the NY area where they were not really all that professional. Usually they charge their clients $35.00-$50.00 an hour plus mastering and dubbing fees. I usualy have nothing to do with that end of it. I'm being paid for my time as well as other musicians being brought in on a given singer/songwriter's project or demo.
There are a plethora of "professional recording studios" out there where it is just some guy that had been a homerecorder, learned a few things that worked for him and then rented commercial space, treated a few rooms, put in a coffee maker and cooler, a few framed letters and posters on the wall and made up some business cards calling himself a sound engineer. Sometimes the results are okay if the performers are doing the type of music that the "sound engineer" is used to and familiar with, but usually it's less than stellar. Always ask around a lot (not your Aunt Tillie, but professional musicians) and try to listen to some of the work that they've done before you spend your hard earned cash. A good sound engineer is a skilled and trained artist with a reputation that they can back up.
Very often the others are just initiated homerecorders with a bit more experience than you with better gear, a storefront and business cards.
I have worked in several "professional studios" in the NY area where they were not really all that professional. Usually they charge their clients $35.00-$50.00 an hour plus mastering and dubbing fees. I usualy have nothing to do with that end of it. I'm being paid for my time as well as other musicians being brought in on a given singer/songwriter's project or demo.
There are a plethora of "professional recording studios" out there where it is just some guy that had been a homerecorder, learned a few things that worked for him and then rented commercial space, treated a few rooms, put in a coffee maker and cooler, a few framed letters and posters on the wall and made up some business cards calling himself a sound engineer. Sometimes the results are okay if the performers are doing the type of music that the "sound engineer" is used to and familiar with, but usually it's less than stellar. Always ask around a lot (not your Aunt Tillie, but professional musicians) and try to listen to some of the work that they've done before you spend your hard earned cash. A good sound engineer is a skilled and trained artist with a reputation that they can back up.
Very often the others are just initiated homerecorders with a bit more experience than you with better gear, a storefront and business cards.