How much $$$ for a demo production can I take?

abyssofdreams

abyssofdreams

knows what you think.
Sep 30, 2002
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As my mixes are getting better and better I'm getting some requests for demos recently...

I'm thinking about mixing some stuff at weekends, however I have no idea how much I could take.

I don't have a studio, just some outboard stuff and work completely in my DAW.

I want to be fair yet I don't want to waste my time doing it for free.

I tell the bands that they can't expect studio work since I don't have any studio and it's basically just giving the bands tips on tracking, then mix and "master" myself. However, they're fine with what they hear and ask me for prices...

I see a lot of studios charging around $400 (+ engineer/$30 an hour) per day but the results are not what you would expect at that price sometimes.

So for a mix I'm thinking between $150 - $200 per day.
Making up to $25/hour max.

Is that a realistic price for a demo quality production?
 
Charge what you think you are worth.

If $25 is fair compared to your quality vs. other engineers/studios around you, stick to it.

I have studios near me that charge $50 per hour and my demo's at $25 sound much better. But I am still not charging $50 because not to far away there are other studios charging in the $30-37 per hour range that are my level are a slight step above with much more experience than me.

If I continually put out products that stand head to head with my competitors work, then I should be able to charge the same rates or higher knowing I can deliver as good or better work.
 
Our band did a demo back a couple of years before i really got into recording. The sound was poorer than what even the newest guys on hear would put out I think, and we were charged £20-25 per hour. This is three years ago. But its micing the kit up and everything etc in a rented premisis with practice rooms - you know the kind of affair. I think thats a fair price, no? If you are doing the full job and beginning to do it well then begin to push higher i guess!

p.s I started a thread on this a while ago, so a lil searching should turn that up!
 
I've done plenty of recordings for free just to build up my experience but now I generally charge $25-$30/hour for recording and a flat rate of $100/song for mixing. For a while I charged per song for recording/mixing. All it takes is a few bands that are inexperienced to change that way thinking though when sessions blow by and only 2 decent vocal lines are recorded!

It's really all about your confidence that you can give the band the product they want and charging a fair price so that everyone is happy!

Keep in mind I do this on the side and it merely feeds my addiction to buying more gear!!!! LOL
 
wow...if someone told me they wanted 20-30 bucks an hour i would feel butt-rapedo_O

no offense to anyone here of course
 
coneyis said:
All it takes is a few bands that are inexperienced to change that way thinking though when sessions blow by and only 2 decent vocal lines are recorded!
Click to expand...

+1
Bands, however, always want some sort of bundle deal, so I think I'll offer them a couple of free hours after say every 10 hours of recording.
 
$25/ hr is a respectable amount for an engineer to make, at least in these parts. I've got a few friends in a "big" studio, and with the amount of hours they put in vs cash taken home, they only make minimum wage, ~$8/hr.
$25/hr pays for your room, gear, and most of all your experience and ears.
 
Zuranthus said:
wow...if someone told me they wanted 20-30 bucks an hour i would feel butt-rapedo_O

no offense to anyone here of course
Click to expand...

In comparison to what studios are asking here in NY, $20-$30/hr is cheap. The big studios ask for generally $50-$80/hour around here. Not to mention I don't charge for my set up time or use of my gear or the studio rental time. That's my opinion, no charge ;)

Again, it's really all disgressionary. You charge what you feel you are worth and what bands are willing to pay.
 
kev said:
trouble is, how are you going to keep a studio alive without? £20 an hour is sod all really if you consider all the gear involved
Click to expand...
regardless man, little Jimmy from down the block would feel like he's getting shafted

coneyis said:
In comparison to what studios are asking here in NY, $20-$30/hr is cheap. The big studios ask for generally $50-$80/hour around here. Not to mention I don't charge for my set up time or use of my gear or the studio rental time. That's my opinion, no charge ;)

Again, it's really all disgressionary. You charge what you feel you are worth and what bands are willing to pay.
Click to expand...
most bands that head into those expensive studios either have label backing, lots of money or go in to record only one specific thing, like drums. to then take to their home studio

but like i was saying above, little Jimmy there with his three pals who only wanna record a demo to pass around their friends will feel like they are getting ripped
i think one of the major reasons so many home studios have popped up is cause of how expensive a real studio is...i know the gear costs a fortune, and the hours are long, but you have to cut some kind of deal for the little guy...specially when you're starting off & haven't built a reputation.
i bet you've all heard of bands who have recorded late at night cause it's offered cheaper, or some studios have demo pricing & full production pricing...a studio around here charges $20 the first hour & $10 every hour after

you know...it's like; if you're gonna probe me at least have the decency to use some lube ;)
 
Yeah, what´s this talk about paying money? Hell, it should all be for free! ... I feel probed everytime I pay taxes, so based on my feelings, I think taxes should be lowered to 1%.. Yay! Does that make sense?

If businesses were to take everyones feelings into consideration, there would be no economy and there would certainly be no business!
The cold hard facts are: if you can´t make it / do it = you have to buy it. If you´re not willing to pay, you´ll have to accept living without it.
Jimmy can connect a cheap ass mic to his boy room boom box and record his stuff himself... And it´s gonna sound like shite.
Jimmy can buy a pod, soundcard, download a DAW and the Waves platinum bundle.. And it will still probably sound like shite.
If Jimmy believes in his music and is determined to try and make something out of it, why the hell should he leech on some other poor guy because he´s cheap? Don´t you think the guy engineering would feel probed??
In the end, business should all be win / win. Yes, Jimmy has to pay but in return he´ll have his mark in time, an evidence of his creativity.

By the way, 10$ an hour?? Who the hell can make a living out of that? You´ll either have to sell your body or crack cocain on your free time..
 
well F.E.T
humans are cheap by nature & always looking to get a deal...many jobs don't exist for people anymore & it looks like sound engineer might be next

just like most studios don't record on analog tape anymore, you either change with the times or get rolled over. the first people who started experimenting with home recording were of course professional musicians, cause of how expensive they feel it is...& with the advent of computers now even Jimmy can have a decent sounding demo if he puts some time into it.
like i said, this wasn't meant to cause any offense. but it is what it is
 
20-30 bucks an hour is relatively cheap I think....

My bud charges 30 an hour and he does great work, but he's still strapped for cash all the time.

Honestly..
Fuck little Jimmy or Johnny or Jill or whoever.
If you intend on making any sort of money and want to be able to survive you gotta make the coin.

Can't make the scene if you don't got the green ya know?
 
well i'm not telling anybody what to charge...charge whatever the hell you want
i'm just stating facts, & fact is people feel that's a lot of money
 
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