How to Know Exactly What to Charge For Your Sessions, Even If You've Never Been Paid Before

Published: Wed, 10/11/17

Yesterday we talked about the struggle of setting the right rates when you want to start charging for your services.

I struggled with this problem in the past because it was difficult to visualize how long things would truly take, and how much I should charge for each service.

Have you felt the same way?

The thing about recording and mixing sessions is that none of them are the same. The music is different, the skill level of the musicians vary and the amount of tracks you end up recording and mixing can range from a simple five track singer/songwriter project to a 50 track orchestra.

I kept asking myself questions like,

  • Do I charge for any prep work?
  • Do I charge an hourly rate for everything or do I factor in a flat rate at some point?
  • How long will the recording session take?
  • What if they take much longer than I expected?
  • What if I need to revise the rate during the session in case the band decides to record an extra song?

I'm sure you've had similar questions right?

However, those questions were so exhausting, and I got so sick of wasting all this time racking my brain around how much I should charge that I decided to make it easier for me.

So, I ended up creating my own pricing calculator tool that would help me find the right price whenever a band approached me for a session.

And because you're a subscriber and a fan, I'm giving you access to the same calculator tool today!

If you want an easy way to estimate the price of your recording sessions then my brand-new Recording Studio Calculator will help you out.

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Here's how you use it:

  1. Easily input session information such as band name, date of session and number of songs to keep track of your project
  2. Estimate the amount of recording and editing time you will need and you'll automatically see your time multiplied by your desired hourly rate
  3. Add in your flat rate for mixing and mastering and you'll see the total project price, with recording, editing, mixing and mastering work all included in one final price quote at the bottom
  4. Use the discount box as a negotiation tool if you're excited about a project and want to give yourself goodwill by discounting you services
  5. Use the Revision Column throughout the project if you need to re-negotiate session terms, add more time, extra songs or any additional work to the total