Going Rate for Recording High Quality CD?

[MG90]

What is the going rate for a cd recording with a really good producer, including some participation in writing. The location will be a large house, with producer supplying high end recording equipment etc.

Thanks

[Nelson89]

Are you asking as someone trying to open a studio? Or are you looking for someone?

If it's the former, i know for example in Australia, "really good producer" usually means you have quite a lot of references saying that as opposed to a self professed producer, though it would all depend on exactly what you could offer. The going rate around here is around $75/h or around $550 per day. Those prices can vary depending on whether its just a producer or a producer as well as an engineer present, in which case the prices might be more like $750 per day. It comes down to what equipment you actually have in your arsenal.

If it's the latter, i don't understand your question.

In either case, a lot more information is required.

[MG90]

I am asking as an artist in negotiations with a producer who has produced for some big acts and has also written and produced hits.

Equipment will be high end pro tools with what is needed for a world class product.

The price would be for 12 songs recorded mixed and mastered. Musicians not included. The cd would also be shopped to industry contacts.

Project will take about 2 months.

[Nelson89]

Originally Posted by MG90

I am asking as an artist in negotiations with a producer who has produced for some big acts and has also written and produced hits.

Equipment will be high end pro tools with what is needed for a world class product.

The price would be for 12 songs recorded mixed and mastered. Musicians not included. The cd would also be shopped to industry contacts.

Project will take about 2 months.

Well it all depends on how long you actually spend in the studio. The rates down here are usually about $700/day for a good producer, and to do the songs at a commercial quality, you're looking at about 3-5 days of recording for a song. (Depends on what the instrumentation is)

Mastering wise down here its usually around $300/h, for 12 songs you're probably looking at 5 or 6 hours, maybe less, but they DO generally charge by the hour. If it was a good mix sent, mastering will be cheaper.

It's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. But if you have the budget...

[Veritas]

This can routinely cost a lot...particularly if they are a name/big label producer. If you record in his studio space it'll be less...more if he's coming to you. If he thinks you're really good, he might cut you a good deal. Being the producer, mixer, and mastering engineer is a lot of work . If he's a legit, name producer I'd expect at least a grand a song. This can vary depending on his experience and whether he's an in-demand producer right now. I've seen them do this type of work for anywhere from $500 to $5,000 a song. It largely depends on how in-demand they are. If they are routinely getting label gigs that pay them $100,000 for a record...than they won't be cheap

That being said...an extremely motivated, young producer with great producing chops can be found for much less. Just be sure that whoever you're working with really buys into your vision of things. Also...be smart about signing to a production deal...he needs to be awesome for it to be worth it.

[MG90]

Can you guys give me a total package cost estimate?

The producer I am talking with has some very serious experience...

[Nelson89]

Well you're probably looking at say 3-5 days per song at $700/day, multiply that by 12 songs, that's already 25-42k, and that's just tracking and mixing, that doesn't include developing songs or anything.

Mastering is likely to set you back anywhere between 2.5k and 5k.

So your likely package estimate is 30-50k depending on how much time you spend in the studio tracking.

[fisticuffs]

The producer I am talking with has some very serious experience...

This is the first step in a series of events that leaves you disappointed and broke.

[newi123]

Are you financing this yourself & have you been given a price?

I'd also ask why use an industry name that may charge loads more than an up and coming - is it to get a certain sound (his sound?), which someone else may be able to duplicate, or to add his name to make the product more saleable?

Having booked gigs for small but well know names in the UK coming over from the states, I was quite genuinely surprised how few copies of their cd's they expected to sell. Certainly nowhere near enough copies to cover the costs being talked about above..............

You say 'will be shopped to industry contacts' Surely a good industry talent spotter will see a good song / artist whether you've paid 50k or 5k, or indeed done it yourself at home. Just my opinion.

[jmoose]

Originally Posted by MG90

The cd would also be shopped to industry contacts.

Making a disc specifically to be shopped really puts things into a whole other category then an artist who's making a CD and will retain ownership of the masters. Spec and production/development deals really have a different set of rules and fine print attached. You'll likely be at the complete mercy of whomever is putting the contract in front of you...

Personally I don't do spec deals as they're often bad for the artist. I'd rather take less and let them own the masters. That's not to say I haven't shopped projects, because I have... and do... but I want to keep it fair for all involved.

That said its almost impossible to quote a price for a project without knowing specifics of the project. Unlike a "studio" most all legit "producers" are going to quote you for the entire thing soup to nuts... drum heads through mastering and get it all on the table before anything else.

For 10-12 songs it could be anywhere from $5-10k to $500k depending... I'll say this, even at the most extreme any investment above about $50k typically has diminishing returns. And at that level you should own the masters... if not your kinda screwed.

[Bassomatic]

Originally Posted by jmoose

And at that level you should own the masters... if not your kinda screwed.

Either way you're kinda screwed, in the vast majority of cases (unless one finds value in a high dollar vanity project).

That said, owning the masters at least gives one some insurance in the extremely unlikely event that the recordings generate any substantial dough.

[loudboy]

Originally Posted by MG90

Can you guys give me a total package cost estimate?

The producer I am talking with has some very serious experience...

I would think that the producer would tell you how much it's going to cost?

It's then up to you to decide whether it makes sense to use him.

And you're also going to have to give up some writing and publishing to him, if he does that for you.

One more question - why do you want to do a full-length record? If you're going to shop it, I'd say 3-4 songs would be fine, as long as you had decent demos of more strong material to show anyone who's interested.

[MG90]

Originally Posted by loudboy

I would think that the producer would tell you how much it's going to cost?

It's then up to you to decide whether it makes sense to use him.

And you're also going to have to give up some writing and publishing to him, if he does that for you.

One more question - why do you want to do a full-length record? If you're going to shop it, I'd say 3-4 songs would be fine, as long as you had decent demos of more strong material to show anyone who's interested.

We would still want to recoup our costs through direct sales.

[Nelson89]

Originally Posted by MG90

We would still want to recoup our costs through direct sales.

Thats quite a lot of sales...lets say you got it all done for 35k, you gotta factor in the printing to CDs and everything which will probably cost another few hundred dollars depending on how many CDs you wanna make.

$35k divided by $20 comes up to 1750 CDs sold without including what you'll be spending for duplication or marketing. That's just to break even.

[jmoose]

Originally Posted by MG90

We would still want to recoup our costs through direct sales.

If someone is going to be shopping your record typically the artist has zero rights to any sort of sales and recoupment... you can't get your cake and eat it too.