How much are you charging?

[-Loco-]

How much do you charge your clients typically for say a 3/4 track demo? this question is mainly aimed for guys like Ryan. Or do you guys just charge by hour? I'm wanting to get a rough idea so I can start getting some cash in.

 

[Scissors61]

I personally started off doing a few bands for around £20 per track. Just so I could build up a bit of a portfolio of work.

I've now only moved my charges up to £70 per song. But that's assuming that tracking takes no longer than a day. And if they take more than a day, then it costs them an extra £70. I had a band over who managed to finish 5 songs in 3 days, so I charged them £300 (£60 per song) as they finished pretty quickly.

Not a massive amount of money, but everyone's gotta start out somewhere right?

 

[brianhood]

i did my first band for $50 per song, second for $75 per song, and went up from there. Now i do it for $175 per song, but as soon as i upgrade my gear and move into a new place, i'll be charging per day(not sure of the price yet). Right now i'm mainly recording local bands that dont have alot of money, so i try to keep my prices high enough to where i can make a decent enough living off it, but low enough that i still keep my schedule full. only been doing this for 4 months though

 

[Seizure.]

full lengths i do at about 100 euro's per song..
More if its only 3 songs or less obviously..
I dunno.. probably should be way up..

 

[Cacoph0ny]

This is kinda off-topic but how do you guys find consistent amounts of local bands to record?

 

[Seizure.]

Deliver results, work fast, and show up at shows and talk to people.
+ forums and myspace

 

[brianhood]

Deliver results, work fast, and show up at shows and talk to people.
+ forums and myspace

+1

that or play in a generic metalcore band for 6 years

 

[fade_2_black]

Ive only just started charging seriously and Im currently doing an EP deal - 5 songs recorded, mixed and mastered (pretty much just L2'ed with some compression and EQ ) for $500. Bare in mind, NZD$500 is fuck all haha.. I plan on doing this for a while until I develop a better name, and then will start slamming people for all theyre worth ! haha.

 

[lolzgreg]

Charge by the hour or you ALWAYS get fucked. If you charge by the hour, musicians are more likely to be prepared. If you charge by the hour people take you more seriously. I charge $25 an hour MINIMUM (for friends) and $35 regularly. I'm on my 120th hour of a new full length now.

 

[AStacy2]

Honestly, especially if you're working with bands who are just starting out and haven't had much experience recording, you really want to be charging by the hour. If the band seems uncomfortable about paying you per hour for doing a mix when no ones is there, than charge tracking at an hourly rate and mix at some reasonable fixed rate. You don't want to be tracking guitars for 20-30 hours on a song that you're only making $100 for. If there's no hourly restraint you will eventually get fucked unless you're extremely lucky.

 

[Joematthews]

Damn I charge too little. £20 a day working for 6 hours a day. But I do work from my bedroom and I'm 16 so I can't expect that much. I've been recording bands for over 18 months now so it's time to up my prices.

Joe

 

[Seizure.]

I did it all for free when starting out hahaha
first 3/4 demo's orso...
But those were shitty anyway

 

[Jevil]

This is kinda off-topic but how do you guys find consistent amounts of local bands to record?

Yes, many punk bands and teenagers that have been playing in a band for 6 months and they think they will record a demo or album and will become famous. Ridiculous.

 

[Erik Monsonis]

120€/song mix and mastering.
60€/day tracking at studio.

 

[sirscratch01]

$100 per song and an additional $150 to mix and "master" (make loud lol) the entire project. Luckily most of the bands i record are high school kids so they can't spend 80 hours a day in the studio cuz then mommy starts calling (not hating, we've all been there but it's pretty funny when we have to stop tracking for their guitar player to answer the phone and go "God dad, i told you i'm at a recording studio. I don't know when i'm gonna be done....ok I'll have the car back by 11") The bands I do that aren't in high school usually have their shit together a bit more so they get in and get out.

I had one nightmare experience though, a bunch of 29 year old losers (no jobs, no lives, lame music, no amps, sabian B8 cymbal pack) who were the absolute worst "musicians" anyone can concieve... charged them $750 for a 6 song demo and the diva ass singer wanted to keep coming back and back and back to redo the same terrible whining parts over untill finally i flipped the fuck out on them and said either show up with another $350 next time or don't show up at all. Haven't seen them since and I couldn't be happier lol.

 

[digitaldeath]

...sabian B8 cymbal pack...

 

[punkrockacademyfightsong]

without my own studio 125 euro's per day (tracking)
mixing: 15 euro's per hour
mastering: 125 for an EP, 175 for an album

when I have my own space prices will be higher of course but now the band pays both me and the studio so in total it won't cost the bands more

 

[MarkG]

120€/song mix and mastering.
60€/day tracking at studio.

Was expecting more from you

 

[Erik Monsonis]

I'd happily charge more, specially when I have to do something like sirscratch01 said, but I'm cheaper

 

[Everybody]

shittttt...i thought I was charging to much by asking 15$ a song..