What are you charging for studio time?

[MixingStick]

Hi All,
I wasn't sure where to post this, but it is sort of a gear thing....

I was curious what you guys are charging for studio time versus what your
room(s)/gear is? I have a small personal studio that I have been building for about a year and have been considering doing a little outside work. I would not be getting in to the business to make money.....I am an electrical engineering by "trade" so that takes care of finances. But I figure If I could make enough cash to help pay for my SLUTTY GEAR HABIT...

My current setup is:
DIGI 002 rack
Mac G5 dual 2.0 with 1Gb Ram--180Gb drive plus 300GB maxtor external drive and 23" widescreen cinema screen.
Eventide H3000 d/sx
Lexicon pcm-41 Focusrite TwinTrak
UA LA-610
Neumann TLM-103
Groove Tubes GT-55
(2) sm-57s
(3) AKG D1000
AKG D112
E/V RE-38
KRK Rokit 8 monitors (soon to be replaced)

I also have a very nice selection of guitars/amps and etc. including 2-PRS customs/Fender strat/Gibson v /Ovation/Hofner/Warwick/Ibanez/Mesa t-verb/1976 50w Marshall/62' Magnatone/Korg X3 keys....blah...blah

My "studio" is a single room about 15' by 15' by 8' with a basic Auralex treatment.

I really just put this together for my own recreational purposes, but I have spent so much on gear it would be nice to make a couple buck back. Plus it couldn't hurt to get some good recording "practice" in.

BTW I also spent 10 years as a FOH engineer for a large regional sound company.....stadiums/outdoor~1k to 10k seats. So I am NOT a newbie at sound.......... just recording.

So if you would please post you basic setup/gear/room and what you charge for your services.

Thanks in advance,
Don

[Jules]

I have seen some totally SICK studio prices in the USA, that completely go against all financial logic.. (meaning they are far too cheap)

[joelpatterson]

Some studios are even paying bands to come in and make their records, so I've heard...

[xist]

Originally Posted by Jules

I have seen some totally SICK studio prices in the USA, that completely go against all financial logic.. (meaning they are far too cheap)

cheap like?

[Jules]

I dunno there was an updstate NY studio with an API and a ton of gear for something like $300 per day.. (+ engineer) that kinda stuck in my mind..

[Bob Olhsson]

A lot of folks here are charging their day rate but throwing their home studio in for free.

[PhilE]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

A lot of folks here are charging their day rate but throwing their home studio in for free.

Yeah- I don't charge for my studio as such just me... it's mine- when I'm working I like to use that gear- thats why I have it!!
If someone else wanted to work there I would charge- but probably just my rate -thats not what it's there for.

I did set it up as a full studio for a while and it went out for £300 a day but I didn't like that vibe and it was only there about 4-5 months!
The gear in there was the same as now + etra amps, drums and guitars etc.
DDA Profile 56ch (uptown)
Blakeyboy neve mic amps
Neve Kelso
2 1081
2 Pye comps
2 AD comps
2 Gain Brains
3 2254s
AKG Springs
Space Echo
various less interesting bits and mics

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by MixingStick

Hi All,
I wasn't sure where to post this, but it is sort of a gear thing....

I was curious what you guys are charging for studio time versus what your
room(s)/gear is? I have a small personal studio that I have been building for about a year and have been considering doing a little outside work. I would not be getting in to the business to make money.....I am an electrical engineering by "trade" so that takes care of finances. But I figure If I could make enough cash to help pay for my SLUTTY GEAR HABIT...

My current setup is:
DIGI 002 rack
Mac G5 dual 2.0 with 1Gb Ram--180Gb drive plus 300GB maxtor external drive and 23" widescreen cinema screen.
Eventide H3000 d/sx
Lexicon pcm-41 Focusrite TwinTrak
UA LA-610
Neumann TLM-103
Groove Tubes GT-55
(2) sm-57s
(3) AKG D1000
AKG D112
E/V RE-38
KRK Rokit 8 monitors (soon to be replaced)

I also have a very nice selection of guitars/amps and etc. including 2-PRS customs/Fender strat/Gibson v /Ovation/Hofner/Warwick/Ibanez/Mesa t-verb/1976 50w Marshall/62' Magnatone/Korg X3 keys....blah...blah

My "studio" is a single room about 15' by 15' by 8' with a basic Auralex treatment.

I really just put this together for my own recreational purposes, but I have spent so much on gear it would be nice to make a couple buck back. Plus it couldn't hurt to get some good recording "practice" in.

BTW I also spent 10 years as a FOH engineer for a large regional sound company.....stadiums/outdoor~1k to 10k seats. So I am NOT a newbie at sound.......... just recording.

So if you would please post you basic setup/gear/room and what you charge for your services.

Thanks in advance,
Don

For a place like this here in the NYC you could get for $15-$20prhr.

[Rockman]

Hi guys. While we're on the topic... where and how do you guys advertise your studio? How do you go about finding clients? What are some good advertising venues? Any thoughts?

[MixingStick]

Originally Posted by Rockman

Hi guys. While we're on the topic... where and how do you guys advertise your studio? How do you go about finding clients? What are some good advertising venues? Any thoughts?

HIJACKER!!!>.......just kidding, this definitely goes with the topic......prog on.

[magellan]

my studio's been in business now 3 years, and over that time period the hourly rate for recording & mixing has gone from $15 to $60/hour. most of my time is now spent on full production projects, which is quoted at a fixed per-song rate.

re the other question...the only advertising we do is the website, and (of course) we have a myspace account. i'd say 90% of all my clients are repeat or referrals, so 'word of mouth' is still the best ad

[Rick Sutton]

No Neve or SSL board here but good room, great mics and the rest of the usual suspects. Mainly selling experience at $75 per hour.

[adrianex]

I work in a small Audiovisual company. but we deal with alot of bands and artists:

G4 Protool mix
Reason and Recycle
DP4

Avalon 737, Sytek, Lexicon MPX-1, Rosetta (soon SCA N72)

Mics: TLM 103, CAD-200, MD421 e835,e602,e604, SM58,SM57,Earthworks SR-71, AKG D112 and C-418, EV RE-16.

Ridgewood Babygrand Piano.

Amp: Fender, Marshall, Roland. Drums: Tama Rockstar (one of the last one)

Anything else we rent or borrow.

And our rate goes from $30 to $45.

We have ads on local magazines, plus for a while we put a bench ad and man, it worked nice, we got some really good clients out of that. Plus myspace, but referrals (word of mouth) still the best you can get.

[Axiomhead]

Originally Posted by Rick Sutton

No Neve or SSL board here but good room, great mics and the rest of the usual suspects. Mainly selling experience at $75 per hour.

Same here... As for advertising 90% of our buisness is referrals... keeps us buisier than we can handle sometimes. I guess I need to finish that 2nd room.

[joelpatterson]

Originally Posted by Jules

I dunno there was an updstate NY studio with an API and a ton of gear for something like $300 per day.. (+ engineer) that kinda stuck in my mind..

Naw, not "API" but "Sytek"s and "Grace 101"s... otherwise it's all true!

[Seamus TM]

The going rate for our place, right now, is $40 per hour.

16x4 Neotek Series 1E
12x4 Quad Eight MM310 sidecar
Neumann, Lucas, Lawson, AEA, RCA etc mics
API pres
Urei 1178
OC Limiter
Lavry A/D
600 square foot tracking room
Oh yeah, and 15,100btu of raw cooling power.... finally.

Not much, but it gets the job done in capable hands.


Seamus
.

[contempo]

Originally Posted by MixingStick

Plus it couldn't hurt to get some good recording "practice" in.

BTW I also spent 10 years as a FOH engineer for a large regional sound company.....stadiums/outdoor~1k to 10k seats. So I am NOT a newbie at sound.......... just recording.

would you be into taking your car to a mechanic who needed "practice" no matter how inexpenisve he was?

you charge for the experience, not for the toolz

[cap217]

Originally Posted by Mumblesound

The going rate for our place, right now, is $30 per hour.

Custom Discrete 24X6 Console (Quad Eight, Siemens, UA, Neumann, Sphere)
Typical Mics
API pres
Urei 1178
OC Limiter
Gates SA39B
Lavry A/D
Custom Neve personal cue system
600 square foot tracking room
Oh yeah, and 15,100btu of raw cooling power.... finally.

Not much, but it gets the job done in capable hands.


Seamus
Collar City Recording
Mumblesound.

With engineer? WOW.... I think I should sell my gear and charge $65+ there and work as a freelance... time to move!

[Seamus TM]

Yeah, w/ engineer. Come on down... or up.. or where ever you are.

Around here, we feel a lot of the pain that local bands do....
because we are in local bands...
Local clubs not wanting to put in the $$$ to make their venues SOUND GOOD
so people might GO THERE....

It's VERY frustrating. We're just trying to create an avenue where the talented people around here can do what they want and not feel dirty or cheated along the way.

Seamus
.

[themaidsroom]

Originally Posted by magellan

. i'd say 90% of all my clients are repeat or referrals, so 'word of mouth' is still the best ad

the only way........


i don't know anyone who would pay if there was not a great room with a great vibe, a real mixing console, and
usually, a well maintained, excellent 2" tape recorder..........


be well



- jack

[Dot]

When people with smaller, private studios get to the point that they ask, "What should I charge?", I'd generally say start out at around $15-$20/hr. Cruise along at that price until you're really rolling along and booked solid. Then revisit your pricing.

You're much better off to work for less and make your studio more accessible when you're just starting out. More people will come through your doors. You'll get more experience with a wider range of acts. And - if you're good - word will get around.

[TML]

You should charge as much as you can get.... and never put the cart before the horse no bands care that much about neve or api. They want to know what your stuff sounds like...period. Can you make a record. Do a bunch of freebies and market the tunes..... my 2 cts.
peace
tim

"Local clubs not wanting to put in the $$$ to make their venues SOUND GOOD
so people might GO THERE..."

I hear revolution hall sounds great these day's.

[Dopamine]

Start off low and raise your rates as you build up clientele. I have just a bit more gear than you (check my site) and I charge $50/hr.

[recky]

I'd be interested in learning about continental European studio pricing and how you guys arrive at your hourly/daily rates.

I'm a producer/engineer building a small but fairly well-equipped studio - mainly personal, not commercial, gear choices as I do mainly my own stuff, but get occasionally called upon to produce/engineer and/or mix other people's albums, and I've had stuff in the charts. I'm not going commercial, but I'd like to know how others determine their prices here in Europe - the whole studio circuit is very different from the US indeed!
Those of you booked for their chops or "sound": How do you charge? Personal hourly rate and your studio is thrown in for free?

Cheers,

Recky

[farside]

I've been "open" for just over a year. I'm still at $15/hr but I could probably get more. Every month I can hear improvment in my mixes and the phone has been riniging with word of mouth business.

If I'm booked next year as much as I am right now, and my product results continue to improve, I'm going to bump it to $20-$25/hr

[smilinjames]

Originally Posted by Dot

When people with smaller, private studios get to the point that they ask, "What should I charge?", I'd generally say start out at around $15-$20/hr. Cruise along at that price until you're really rolling along and booked solid. Then revisit your pricing.

You're much better off to work for less and make your studio more accessible when you're just starting out. More people will come through your doors. You'll get more experience with a wider range of acts. And - if you're good - word will get around.

The more happy clients you generate the more word of mouth you'll generate, and the experience is key, too.

[Dopamine]

The only problem with charging such low rates is that you will get the "bottom of the barrel" clients which often means crappy music.

In addition, it can devalue your work AND can hurt other smaller studio that are charging nominal rates.

Of course, if you are just starting out then that could be your only option.

[NesNeedsGear]

starting off I charge $20/hr to record...the trick is to charge for the mix.

Once you can put out great sounding recordings, the gear doesn't matter. You'll have more work than you can handle.

[mrface2112]

Originally Posted by Dopamine

The only problem with charging such low rates is that you will get the "bottom of the barrel" clients which often means crappy music.

bingo

and it largely depends on whether you want to do this full time or as a side venture. i do IT as a full time day job and record folks on the side. typically i record more singer/songwriter type stuff than anything.

the benefit of it not being my full time job is that i can pick and choose my projects (and therefore clients) and i don't have to take anyone and everyone who comes through the door simply to keep afloat. if i don't like the client or the music, i can easily refer them to someone else or quote them a price that is out of their budget.

keeping rates slightly higher than the other "low budget studios" around here also allows me to pass right over the crap i don't want to record in the first place b/c they go elsewhere first b/c they're cheaper. and again, since i don't HAVE to have their business, this is perfectly fine by me.

a nice byproduct is that i get a higher caliber musician and product IN the door simply b/c my rates are a little higher. part of it is psychology--the "it's more expensive than _studioX_ so it MUST be better". i'm certainly not going to dispel that! and part of it's word of mouth--people who've heard what i turn out for the money they pay have ALWAYS been impressed (and nothing short of thrilled).

regardless, while i would LOVE to do this full time.......i'm largely glad that i don't have to--the flexibility of not having to deal with crappy music and shitty musicians is VERY nice.

good luck!


cheers,
wade

[Tibbon]

At the moment? Nothing. I just have my home studio. Not really trying to make money from it at the moment.

I was working at a new pro studio in Boston a while back however. We had a Protools HD1, JH-24, apogee convertors, DAC-1, Otari console, about 20 mics of various types and qualities, a few pieces of quality outboard, about 20 boutique guitars, and handful of handwired amps, every cool guitar pedal you'd ever want, two drumkits, a hammond w/leslie, massive amounts of isolation, a separate mix/live room, a vocal booth, NHT A20/B20 monitors, a Procontrol, a Minimoog, etc...

We were charging between 35/hr-45/hr. Hip hop sessions and other quick Protools only stuff that were basically just one mic and then you go, were 35/hr, but a rock band on the 2" was closer to 45/hr. I thought it was too cheap, but I wasn't the one to set all the prices. I think they are charing around 45/hr now all the time. The sound isolation in the place was pretty good. The downside being that it was in a band practice facility. Didn't both us much due to our isolation, but you couldn't track quiet acoustic guitar at 9pm without doing a massive highpass filter, due to the bass shaking the floors. For a loud drumkit it was fine however most of the time.




My advice? Start off charging what you "need" to. What are your business expenses? What's your time worth? 15/hr is what people make that have a highschool dipolma and are just admin assistants at any given company. Are you worth more than that? Don't start low, but start higher and make yourself worth it. Don't sell yourself on price or you'll ALWAYS loose, because someone will do it cheaper. Sell yourself on quality, and push yourself for the highest quality possible. When i'm listening to old recordings of mine, I don't hear bad/cheap gear... i hear poor decisions that I should have made better. I almost never think "If I had just had a 1000 dollars more of mics on that recording, or some cool preamp". Never. It's about you, your decisions, and your comminication with the artists.