How high are metal cd budgets these days?...

[The-Zeronaut]

I was just watching Sound City and they were talking about the 80´s where they had recording with 400/500k budgets...
and i wondered how much do the "big names" (lets say kse, lamb of god, kreator, arch enemy...not something like iron maiden or metallica who can clean their asses with money)
Im talking just about recording/mixing/mastering...nothing about promotion, etc...

 

[Melb_shredder]

My guess was about 50k. At least that's what I've been lead to believe after chatting to some people from 'bigger' bands :/

 

[JeffTD]

It varies a LOT. I can say that average Rise Records bands have a $15-30k budget for the most part and I know of at least one band on CM that hit right around $23k for their 4th album with the label.

 

[Ermz]

The range Jeff described seems most common, in my experience.

 

[The-Zeronaut]

For what i have seen in facebook..it seems that Joey Sturgis charges 1000$ per song mix...
so for recording/editing/mixing/mastering i would assume that it´ll be at least twice that amount

 

[egan.]

Some of the bigger bands I know have spent $30-50K but most are in the $10-30k range. Also, alot of labels bundle the band's advance with the budget so even if the label hands them $150k they stil try to keep production cost (relatively) low so they can live on the advance.

 

[The-Zeronaut]

I recall reading somewhere that CLA charges 7500$ per song (mix)

 

[crillemannen]

I actually recorded a couple of bands that are great friends with the Sonic Syndicate guys and they had a huge budget on their last album. Was about 250k if i remember correctly. I didnt think those budget existed these days.

But for recording (promotion etc not included) i think its around what some of you guys mentioned, around 15-35k.

 

[mva801]

Last time I heard something of As I Lay Dying's budget it was close to 100k. That was for the Powerless Rise, which included money for Adam D, Colin Richardson, Studio, their other engineer Daniel, Ted Jensen, etc. But they're one of the biggest, if not best selling band on metal blade, so they get a lot of support. That record dropped at #10 on the charts or something.

I know of another band on Metal Blade that got one of their 'starter deals' and they got a paltry $5,000 to record a full length. Most other decent sized bands in this genre would be getting between 10 and 30k, depending, like Jeff said.

 

[Nuno Filipe]

Last album of Guano Apes was mixed by Arne Neurand, Randy Staub, Terry Date, Tom Lord-Alge. Man I cant even imagine how big was their budget

 

[Sloan]

Last album of Guano Apes was mixed by Arne Neurand, Randy Staub, Terry Date, Tom Lord-Alge. Man I cant even imagine how big was their budget

I have no idea how the fucking Guano Apes get funding like that. hlysht.

 

[smy1]

I have no idea how the fucking Guano Apes get funding like that. hlysht.

Their album went straight to number one in Germany (which is still a relevant market) and had 4 singles, so it must have sold for a while.

Don't ask me why anyone would buy that crap though ...

 

[anotherpaul]

Don't ask me why anyone would buy that crap though ...

Same reason why Australia buys Parkway Drive I guess.

 

[DeclanWhite]

hmm ive heard of rise bands having a ~30k budget, and i know that some of the biggish producers - john feldman, machine, dan korneff all charge somewhere around 70k. hope this helps

 

[DeclanWhite]

Same reason why Australia buys Parkway Drive I guess.

australians like parkway because they had two solid generic metalcore albums produced by adam D, and nobody had heard that style at the time here... ever since horizons they accumulated a HUGE following. a lot of their followers now are just people that like the band because their friends do. last 2 albums suck

 

[The-Zeronaut]

bump

 

[The StabbinCabin]

Colby Wedgeworth from Sacramento is currently at $3000 a song and he's all PodFarm/Superior Drummer with intense vocal production. Uses a Rode NT-1 into a MP20 into a Digi003 in a 9x9 room that has blankets in the corner as a vocal booth. I have no idea how he does it and envy bit of work the guy gets.

 

[Melb_shredder]

:O $3000.... a song? ... I don't even!

 

[Ermz]

A bit irrelevant, but that Merchants song has one of the worst breakdowns I've ever heard. It's like someone randomly clicked kicks on the drum roll and then played some chords to follow it.

 

[Mago]

Colby Wedgeworth from Sacramento is currently at $3000 a song and he's all PodFarm/Superior Drummer with intense vocal production. Uses a Rode NT-1 into a MP20 into a Digi003 in a 9x9 room that has blankets in the corner as a vocal booth. I have no idea how he does it and envy bit of work the guy gets.

Funny that the copycat charges 3x the amount joey charges, according to this thread at least