how to charge studio time?

Nfinite2006 · 20th July 2008

Hey whats up studio-central.

i started building my home studio in about 2005 when i was 15 as i got older i got a little more serious about my craft(i rap) so i started investing in studio gear. I am now 18 and im as serious as ever with my career but i also know alot of local artist who have been doing it alot longer than i have and are serious artists. i wanted to know how i should start charging studio time, by the hour?,the song? here is my list of gear:
HP 864N Media Center PC
MyBook 500gb External Hardrive
Shure KSM44
KSM44 Standard Shock-Mount
E-MU 1820M
Sony-MDRV-700 monitor headphones
Sony-MDR-7506 Monitor Headpones
Monster Mic Cable
Wharfedale 8.2 pro-active studio monitors
adobe audition/cubase VsT
Monster XLR monitor cables
Klipsch THX refrence speakers
On-Stage studio pop-filter
On-stage Studio Mic Stand
Auralex Studio Foam
Auralex Mo-Pads
Klipsch THX subwoofer
sE Reflection Filter

i will be gettin an Avalon vt 737 this week coming so that will be added to the list..

thanks in advance for the help you guys

termtables · 20th July 2008

charge as much as you think they'll pay. i get 30 an hour and i have a great river pre with a babybottle. even if i get all the gear I want, I'm still probably not going to be able to get more than 30.

NorseHorse · 20th July 2008

Don't charge per song. That can get tricky. Some songs take an hour. Other take two days.

If you don't have any clients right now, try $20. Post on Craigslist with an "AMAZING AWESOME $20 PER HOUR DEAL" or something. I work with a lot of cool students groups and I've got a lot of kickass stuff, but I know they can't afford more than $20-$25.

In your shoes, getting experience is WAY more important than getting money. I know a guy who has one mic with one signal chain and get's $50 an hour for recording people in his closet. Cause his gear is great and he's even better.

chris carter · 20th July 2008

If you are just engineering and providing the studio, then charge by the hour.

If you are producing and your engineering and studio come with the production, then you should charge by the song (but put some limitations on how many hours will go into one song).

Mr. Tom · 21st July 2008

The best thing is to charge by the hour...

Best,
Tom

SoundProofStudio · 21st July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nfinite2006

Hey whats up studio-central.

i started building my home studio in about 2005 when i was 15 as i got older i got a little more serious about my craft(i rap) so i started investing in studio gear. I am now 18 and im as serious as ever with my career but i also know alot of local artist who have been doing it alot longer than i have and are serious artists. i wanted to know how i should start charging studio time, by the hour?,the song? here is my list of gear:
HP 864N Media Center PC
MyBook 500gb External Hardrive
Shure KSM44
KSM44 Standard Shock-Mount
E-MU 1820M
Sony-MDRV-700 monitor headphones
Sony-MDR-7506 Monitor Headpones
Monster Mic Cable
Wharfedale 8.2 pro-active studio monitors
adobe audition/cubase VsT
Monster XLR monitor cables
Klipsch THX refrence speakers
On-Stage studio pop-filter
On-stage Studio Mic Stand
Auralex Studio Foam
Auralex Mo-Pads
Klipsch THX subwoofer
sE Reflection Filter

i will be gettin an Avalon vt 737 this week coming so that will be added to the list..

thanks in advance for the help you guys

See what the competitive project studios in your area are charging and factor in your skill and experience..... If the average project studio in your area is charging $40/HR And Their sound quality is better than yours than it's obvious that you cant compete with them @ their Rate so you'd have to accommodate for that....Just do some research in your area And charge accordingly....

phillysoulman · 21st July 2008

fuuck

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorseHorse

Don't charge per song. That can get tricky. Some songs take an hour. Other take two days.

If you don't have any clients right now, try $20. Post on Craigslist with an "AMAZING AWESOME $20 PER HOUR DEAL" or something. I work with a lot of cool students groups and I've got a lot of kickass stuff, but I know they can't afford more than $20-$25.

In your shoes, getting experience is WAY more important than getting money. I know a guy who has one mic with one signal chain and get's $50 an hour for recording people in his closet. Cause his gear is great and he's even better.

fuuck

Keyflo · 21st July 2008

all my studio has is
Mbox 2
KRK Monitors
Behringer Gear
Furman Power conditioner

and we get paid $20/hour

we should be stocking up on gear real soon, i dont think we gonna charge anymore than that, unitl we in the big leagues and our mixing is on point

Synthy08 · 21st July 2008

dont forget about keeing urself and stuff safe.

phillysoulman · 21st July 2008

Ive seen alot of people get maximum results with minimum gear...so keep learning with what you have and with each new experience you will learn what to do...and what not to do.

tonymission · 21st July 2008

Having one of these on your mixing board usually makes the charging a lot easier

phillysoulman · 21st July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonymission

Having one of these on your mixing board usually makes the charging a lot easier

Mos def !!!!

westward728 · 21st July 2008

Only take into consideration your experience level and your credits. I've been engineering on a professional level for over 10 years and i realized early on that if you have a great discography people will pay good money.

MySpace.com - Westward Productions - New York, New York - www.myspace.com/westwardproductions
www.westwardmusicgroup.com

Traxx · 21st July 2008

Honestly, the studio business is dead, and if someone is willingly to pay you to record with a $500 interface, then go for it. I wouldn't expect a huge income off of this, but hey i could be wrong. I wish you the best of luck, i honestly would start out for free if i was really trying to get into this line of work just to get my name known. People want to pay for sound they can not achieve themselves if they are going to a studio. And if you can give that sound with minimal gear you have a chance at being successful. Other than that, it'll just inspire ppl to do it themselves. In reality, this is a very very tough time to start a studio, so i would seriously take some thought into this investment...Once again, good luck to you..

SoundProofStudio · 21st July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonymission

Having one of these on your mixing board usually makes the charging a lot easier

Agreed.....thumbsup

Docmattic · 21st July 2008

you oculd also do like a 4-5 track ep price. for like $1300-$1400. It depands on the quality of your work. If you know your stuff you can charge a little more. If people arent going to be blown away by it then charge less.

also getyour self some workhorse mics. liek the at4050 and sm7b.

Nfinite2006 · 21st July 2008

thanks yall

Docmattic · 21st July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillysoulman

fuuck
fuuck

close to home i assume?

ryst · 21st July 2008

Fugg that. When peeps roll up to my spot they see this:

And on my console I have this:

KEYBEEETSSS · 21st July 2008

YEAH U DEFINITELY WANNA CHARGE BY THE HOUR...DEPENDING ON UR EXPERIENCE & QUALITY AS WELL AS AREA SORTA DETERMINES WHAT U CAN GET...I DO $55 PER HR. WITHOUT EDITS...(flying/comping vocals, etc)

SoundProofStudio · 21st July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryst

Fugg that. When peeps roll up to my spot they see this:

And on my console I have this:

Damn I need to cop me 1 of each of those......

diggin24seven · 21st July 2008

ain't nobody gonna pay for studio time in this day and age where anybody can get a mic and a mbox and record over a downloaded instrumental and yell "IT'S OFFICIAL!". but anyways, if you gonna go that route, then do a little stuff for free in the beginning and then when ur rep goes up and your demand is high, that's when u start chargin.

and i'm tryin to cop one of these lol

Autotune Prophet · 21st July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoundProofStudio

Damn I need to cop me 1 of each of those......

I wonder how long it will be, before people get tired of machine guns and anti-tank missiles (which you can now find even in some French "ghettos"... real story) and start to keep it real ALL THE WAY:

I'm talking atomic bombs n shit... what ya'll know about that? Not a damn thing.

ps: I'm glad I didn't reply to this thread first... because I would have suggested "0$ / hour"... Why would someone even consider paying a quarter of a dollar when everybody and their mama has better equipments in their bedroom than yours? No offence. That's how it is. Unless you are an extraordinary mixing engineer...

But if people are willing (and dumb enough to pay): I say: charge whatever you can for that multimedia pc + mic! Good luck.

SoundProofStudio · 21st July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Autotune Prophet

I wonder how long it will be, before people get tired of machine guns and anti-tank missiles (which you can now find even in some French "ghettos"... real story) and start to keep it real ALL THE WAY:

I'm talking atomic bombs n shit... what ya'll know about that? Not a damn thing.

.

Damnit.... Now how the hell am I going to top that.... You need to hook me up with your connect....

SoundProofStudio · 21st July 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by diggin24seven

ain't nobody gonna pay for studio time in this day and age where anybody can get a mic and a mbox and record over a downloaded instrumental and yell "IT'S OFFICIAL!". but anyways, if you gonna go that route, then do a little stuff for free in the beginning and then when ur rep goes up and your demand is high, that's when u start chargin.

and i'm tryin to cop one of these lol

GEEZ.....I wonder if these get better service than my iPhone....

20th July 2008	#1
Nfinite2006 Gear addict Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Reston,VA Posts: 320 Thread Starter	how to charge studio time? Hey whats up studio-central. i started building my home studio in about 2005 when i was 15 as i got older i got a little more serious about my craft(i rap) so i started investing in studio gear. I am now 18 and im as serious as ever with my career but i also know alot of local artist who have been doing it alot longer than i have and are serious artists. i wanted to know how i should start charging studio time, by the hour?,the song? here is my list of gear: HP 864N Media Center PC MyBook 500gb External Hardrive Shure KSM44 KSM44 Standard Shock-Mount E-MU 1820M Sony-MDRV-700 monitor headphones Sony-MDR-7506 Monitor Headpones Monster Mic Cable Wharfedale 8.2 pro-active studio monitors adobe audition/cubase VsT Monster XLR monitor cables Klipsch THX refrence speakers On-Stage studio pop-filter On-stage Studio Mic Stand Auralex Studio Foam Auralex Mo-Pads Klipsch THX subwoofer sE Reflection Filter i will be gettin an Avalon vt 737 this week coming so that will be added to the list.. thanks in advance for the help you guys

20th July 2008	#2
termtables Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 211	charge as much as you think they'll pay. i get 30 an hour and i have a great river pre with a babybottle. even if i get all the gear I want, I'm still probably not going to be able to get more than 30. __________________ http://www.terminillmusic.com

20th July 2008	#3
NorseHorse Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: DC Posts: 2,066 2 Reviews written	Don't charge per song. That can get tricky. Some songs take an hour. Other take two days. If you don't have any clients right now, try $20. Post on Craigslist with an "AMAZING AWESOME $20 PER HOUR DEAL" or something. I work with a lot of cool students groups and I've got a lot of kickass stuff, but I know they can't afford more than $20-$25. In your shoes, getting experience is WAY more important than getting money. I know a guy who has one mic with one signal chain and get's $50 an hour for recording people in his closet. Cause his gear is great and he's even better. __________________ I-95, I-64, I-85 FS: Three sets of headphones ($35)

20th July 2008	#4
chris carter Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,846	If you are just engineering and providing the studio, then charge by the hour. If you are producing and your engineering and studio come with the production, then you should charge by the song (but put some limitations on how many hours will go into one song). __________________ Chris 'Von Pimpenstein' Carter Mixer \| Producer Studio: www.feistychicken.com \| Me: www.vonpimpenstein.com Two #1 hit singles; several top 40s; over 100 tv/film/ad placements Mix Rates: Major Label: $900 Indie / Unsigned: $550 per song Budget / mixtape / beat mixes: $49 - $99

21st July 2008	#8
Keyflo Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,674	all my studio has is Mbox 2 KRK Monitors Behringer Gear Furman Power conditioner and we get paid $20/hour we should be stocking up on gear real soon, i dont think we gonna charge anymore than that, unitl we in the big leagues and our mixing is on point __________________ SOUNDS ACOUSTIC BLENDS 2 NOW AVAILABLE Mobile:Asus Laptop,Focusrite Saffire 6, Cubase 6 Beats by Dre, NI Maschine, M-Audio Axiom 61. Home: Mac desktop, Studio Logic SL-990XP, Ensoniq ASR10 Maxed Out, Pioneer Monitor 10s NI Maschine, Cubase 6, Mackie mr5, Presonus Firebox, Peavy Millineum BXP Bass, Fender Squier. Danja, Pharrell, Timbaland. http://www.soundcloud.com/keyflo http://www.captainkeyz.tumblr.com

21st July 2008	#5
Mr. Tom Gear addict Join Date: May 2006 Location: Stockholm,Sweden Posts: 420	The best thing is to charge by the hour... Best, Tom

21st July 2008	#9
Synthy08 Lives for gear Join Date: May 2008 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,323	dont forget about keeing urself and stuff safe.

21st July 2008	#10
phillysoulman Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: The City Of Brotherly Love And Sisterly Affection Posts: 8,141	Ive seen alot of people get maximum results with minimum gear...so keep learning with what you have and with each new experience you will learn what to do...and what not to do. __________________ *More Bass In All Frequencies*

21st July 2008	#11
tonymission Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: ATL / Zone 3 / West End Posts: 1,173	Having one of these on your mixing board usually makes the charging a lot easier __________________ The Royalty - "Kings of the Keys" @tonymission

21st July 2008	#13
westward728 Gear Head Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 55	Only take into consideration your experience level and your credits. I've been engineering on a professional level for over 10 years and i realized early on that if you have a great discography people will pay good money. MySpace.com - Westward Productions - New York, New York - www.myspace.com/westwardproductions www.westwardmusicgroup.com

21st July 2008	#14
Traxx Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 542	Honestly, the studio business is dead, and if someone is willingly to pay you to record with a $500 interface, then go for it. I wouldn't expect a huge income off of this, but hey i could be wrong. I wish you the best of luck, i honestly would start out for free if i was really trying to get into this line of work just to get my name known. People want to pay for sound they can not achieve themselves if they are going to a studio. And if you can give that sound with minimal gear you have a chance at being successful. Other than that, it'll just inspire ppl to do it themselves. In reality, this is a very very tough time to start a studio, so i would seriously take some thought into this investment...Once again, good luck to you..

21st July 2008	#16
Docmattic Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canberra Posts: 846	you oculd also do like a 4-5 track ep price. for like $1300-$1400. It depands on the quality of your work. If you know your stuff you can charge a little more. If people arent going to be blown away by it then charge less. also getyour self some workhorse mics. liek the at4050 and sm7b.

21st July 2008	#19
ryst Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hollywood, California Posts: 2,576	Fugg that. When peeps roll up to my spot they see this: And on my console I have this: __________________ Nathan Schreier - Producer, Engineer, Sound Designer, Artist Blog/Audio Reel - Genetically Modified Music My Band - Ryst

21st July 2008	#20
KEYBEEETSSS Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 2,044	YEAH U DEFINITELY WANNA CHARGE BY THE HOUR...DEPENDING ON UR EXPERIENCE & QUALITY AS WELL AS AREA SORTA DETERMINES WHAT U CAN GET...I DO $55 PER HR. WITHOUT EDITS...(flying/comping vocals, etc) __________________ LAUTEN MICS & ME MYSPACE ON'EIM KEYBEEETSSS...."u HeaR dAt"...... *"IS TAMARA HOME?"*

21st July 2008	#22
diggin24seven Gear Head Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 69	ain't nobody gonna pay for studio time in this day and age where anybody can get a mic and a mbox and record over a downloaded instrumental and yell "IT'S OFFICIAL!". but anyways, if you gonna go that route, then do a little stuff for free in the beginning and then when ur rep goes up and your demand is high, that's when u start chargin. and i'm tryin to cop one of these lol

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