How much does it cost to record a Hip Hop CD?

By: Jai Hutcherson

There are many variables when it comes to the cost of recording a hip hop CD. So many, in fact, an entire book could be written on the subject itself. There are costs associated with the music or beat, chorus or hook singers, live musicians if needed, engineer fees, CD copies, and the studio itself. In some locations you even have to consider the cost of parking while using the studio to record your CD. It can be overwhelming and costs can add up quickly if you do not have enough information to make the right decisions. For this reason, this article is going to breakdown the information you need, then give you a rough cost expectation, and end with money saving tips and tricks you can use while recording your hip hop CD.

Information

Before you set out to pick a recording studio you need to first consider exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Start by putting pen to paper and make a list of all the songs you will want to include on your CD. Next, decide for each song whether or not you will use additional singers or rappers on the verses or in the hook/chorus sections. Make sure you break each song into parts of the song like intro, verse 1, verse 2, verse 3, hook/chorus, and outro. Then decide, for each song, whether or not you will want to include a live band or any live music parts like guitar, bass, or drums to accent your producers beat or track. Take a look at the following example to get a better understanding of how to layout your page.

Once you have a completed list you will need to contact any of the singers, rappers, or musicians that will be included on your CD. Let them know you are in the process of gathering all the music and vocalists (rappers and singers) that will perform on you new CD project. Tell them as soon as you have the completed music you will get them a copy so they can start to write and rehearse their part.

Now that you have an idea of what you want to record and who you want involved with the recording, you need to make another list. This is for the preproduction of the music and words of each song you will record. Place your song titles down the left hand side and across the top you will want to make the following categories:

Music – Put an x in this box once you have the music from the beat maker/producer or the band has written the music to your satisfaction. Remember, if you are using a beat maker/producer you will need more than an audio CD copy. You will need a data CD with all the individual tracks separated so when you get ready to mix the CD you will be able to adjust the music to your liking.

My Lyrics – Put an x in this box once you have all your lyrics written and memorized. Never go to a recording studio before you have your lyrics memorized. If you are reading from a piece of paper you can not put the kind of emotion in a song you will need in order to make a hit song.

G. Lyrics – Put an x in this box once any guest rappers or singers have shown you that they have their lyrics completed and memorized.

Hook – Put an x in this box once you have your hook/chorus written, memorized, and have worked out how you will perform it during your recording session.

Instr – Put an x in this box once you have met with any musicians that will add bass, drums, guitar, or other live music to your song and you have worked out what parts they will play during your recording session. It is very wise to work parts out before you reach the recording studio. Once you are in the studio you are on the clock and paying an hourly fee. You do not want to spend two hours for a guitar player to work out a part. Preproduction saves time which equals money.

Rehearsed – Only put an x in this box when all the other boxes are marked with an x and you are 100% sure everyone who will perform on your CD including yourself is ready to record.

Here is an example of how your list should look:
 


Once you have an x for all the songs you will be recording, you will need to contact recording studios and find out pricing information and availability. You will find a wide range of pricing as you make your calls. Prices can vary from $25 per hour for home studios all the way up to $200 per hour for full on pro level facilities. These prices will vary depending on what studio you are calling and what they have to offer as far as space, equipment, and knowledge.

Picking the right studio might get a little tricky. You will need to look at your list and decide if you need a full recording studio with the capability to record a full band at the same time or if you only need a vocal studio where one or two vocalists can record at the same time. There will be a huge price difference between the two types of studios. It is wise, if you are only going to record one or two songs with a full band, to find two separate studios to do your project. Find one studio that has full band capability and another studio that only records vocals. Make sure that each studio you pick offers the same type recording format. You do not want to have your project recorded over different formats. When it comes time to mix your project it will be a nightmare. (More on Mixing Later)

If you plan on recording a full band you will need to make sure you pick a studio that is large enough that the full band can perform at the same time and has the ability to see one another while recording. Bands get a better sound and have a better groove when they can visually que of one another. In addition, make sure the studio has enough, high quality, headphones so each musician can hear the other. Nothing hurts a full band recording worse than a bad headphone mix! You will also want to make sure the studio has enough microphones to record a full drum set, bass, guitar(s), keyboard/piano, etc all at the same time. Make sure you listen to other bands the recording studio has recorded before you make your decision to use the studio. Listen for “radio” quality recording. Do not settle for garage band sound.

If, on the other hand, you will only be recording vocals or single instruments like bass and guitar you should look for a smaller, less expensive, studio. Do not be surprised if the studio you are calling is located in someone’s garage. That is OK as long as when you listen to the demo it does not sound like a garage recording. Equipment and recording techniques have come a long way. It is no longer necessary to go to large expensive studios to get a great sound. Make sure the studio you choose has a good microphone for recording vocals. Two or three is better as it will give you more options in the final sound.

In either studio you want to talk with the actual engineer that will record your music. A lot of studios use studio managers or owners themselves to sell the studio and place you with a staff engineer to do the work. You want to make sure you get along with whomever it is you will be spending your time with recording your CD. Do not be afraid to ask questions or ask to listen to demos that your engineer has recorded. Most studios have generic demo CDs that show what has been recorded in the studio, but maybe it was a different engineer. You want to make sure you are getting a good engineer and the only way to know is to use your ears.

When you find a studio or studios you want to work with make sure you talk business. Do not leave anything to question. Ask about hourly rates, parking fees, CD copy fees, and find out if the engineer is included in the studio fee or is that a separate fee. A lot of studios charge $5 - $10 per CD for copies made at the end of your session. Find out if you can bring your own. If you can, go to Wal-mart and get a 50 pack for under $20. This will save you a lot of money.

While you are talking with the studio manager about fees make sure you ask if they offer block rate discounts. Most studios will give you a discount if you book four or more consecutive hours at a time. In addition, find out about the cancellation policy of the studio. Most studios will expect you to pay full price if you do not give at least 48 hours notice. You never know. You might get sick or your band, guest rapper, or musicians might have troubles and not be able to make it to the studio. Get all the information up front.

Once you have found the perfect studio(s) you will need to check availability. Do not book time with the studio until you talk with other people involved with the recording of your CD. You do not want to book time then find out your team is not available and then have to cancel your first session. This will not start things off on the right foot. Get a range of dates the studio has available. Once you get home or away from the studio start making calls and find out who is available and on what dates compared to the availability of the studio. Remember, you do not need everyone at the studio at the same time. This is actually counter productive. You only want to schedule people that are involved with each step or song of the recording process.

It is wise to book several dates instead of trying to book a whole day to record a full CD. Most rappers, singers, and musicians only record about two to three songs in a day. This is so their voice is at top performing ability for each song recorded. You can record as many as you like, just remember, if you are trying to compete on a national level it is best to do what the national artists are doing to achieve their great sound. Once you have mapped out a schedule with everyone involved go ahead and call the studio to book the time. Be warned; most studios will charge a deposit to reserve the time booked.

On the day of your recording session(s) you will need to make sure you take several things with you, the most important being your music. Other comfort items you may want to take along include; tea, lemon, and honey to sooth your throat, a jacket or coat (studios have a tendency of getting cold), CD player with headphones so you can listen to your next song or get warmed up after you complete one song and are waiting on another rapper/musician to record their part, and your lyrics. Yes, you need to take the lyrics even though you should have the song memorized. Studios have a way of making you forget the words of a song you know by memorization.

It is wise to make another chart for the recording portion of your CD project. This chart will be so you can track the progress of each song and know when it is complete. This chart will have the songs on the left side and six categories across the top with these titles; Intro, V1, V2, V3, Hook, and Outro. As you complete each one of these elements to each song you should put an x in the correct category. This way, if you could not complete a verse or hook on this session, you know what needs to be completed at one of the next sessions without having to go through and listen to each song.

Here is an example of a recording chart:

Using your chart, complete each song you want to have on your final CD. Remember, this does not have to be a race. Spend the time that is necessary to record a great CD!

Once you have all your music and lyrics recorded it is time to mix the entire CD. This is the process of blending all the musical instruments, vocal parts, and added effects to make it all sound great. If you recorded in multiple studios this is also the time the mix engineer will make each song sound like it was recorded in the same studio, on the same day, with the same engineer. Be warned; not all engineers are mix engineers or have the ear to properly mix a CD.

Mixing a CD is truly and art form all to itself. It takes an engineer many years to develop the ear and know how to properly mix a CD. In addition it takes a great studio that has been constructed for mixing. You will find studios that have been built to record, built to only mix, and you will find studios that have been designed and built to record and mix all in the same place.

You have been working with your engineer for a while now recording the CD. You have built a relationship that should allow you to have a frank discussion about mixing the project. You need to ask the engineer if s/he can actually mix. If they tell you yes, great, you still need to do a test mix to make sure they are as good as they think and that you like how they are mixing your CD. Have them mix one song for you. Once they are finished listen to the mix. Do not listen in the studio. Take the CD to your car and listen. Many CDs sound great in a poorly designed studio, but once you take them out of the studio they sound horrible. A car’s audio system, no matter how good or bad, is the best place to check your mixes. It’s where most music is consumed.

It might be wise to find several engineers that mix music and give each engineer the files from the same song and have each one mix your song. This way you can get an idea of who offers you the best service for mixing. This might cost a little bit extra as you have to pay sever engineers to mix the same song, however, you might find one engineer is better than the others. Many engineers will do a test mix for free. Be honest. Let the engineer know you are testing mix engineers to mix your full project. If you are up front and honest you will find that more than 75% will be willing to do a test mix for free. Of course, if you select his/her mix to use on your CD you will need to pay them.
Once you find the perfect mix engineer/studio for your project you will need to have several versions of your song mixed. Here is a break down of each version:

Album/Street – This is the full version of your song just how you have recorded it.

Radio – This version needs to be edited length and profanity. If you have used profanity you will need to mute those words or record additional words to go in place of the profanity. It is more common to simply mute the words in question. You will also need to edit the song for length.  Radio stations will only want to play songs that are four minutes or less in duration.

Accapella – This is a version with no music, only your words or lyrics.

Instrumental – This version has only music with no lyrics.

Performance – This version will only have the music and the hook/chorus. This version will be used when you perform.

You will need to make one final list for tracking your CDs progress through the mix, master, and final copy stage of production. Like before, on the left side you need to place the song titles. Across the top you will make seven categories named; street, radio, acca, Instr, perf, mastered, and final CD.  As the mix engineer completes each version you should put an x in the appropriate category letting you know it is complete. Here is an example:

You will want your mix engineer to prepare a data disc with your final mixes being in data format as follows; wav, aiff, or SDII files at 44.1k sampling rate and 24 bit resolution. The data CD will be used by the mastering engineer to complete your project. This might sound technical to most, however, an engineer will know exactly what you are requesting. This CD will not play in your CD player. You will need to request an audio CD as well as the data CD.

It is time to master your project. You will need to find a reputable mastering studio to complete the work. Do not let the same engineer that mixed your project master it. No matter how much he begs you or tells you he can do it. Mastering does many things, however, it is really just another set of ears on your project that corrects any level, equalization, or compression issues. If your mix engineer masters your project s/he will not heat any additional issues. s/he will feel it is as good as it is going to be, they mixed it to sound like that. You will need to go to your mastering session prepared with a final track order for your songs.

Mastering is the step that puts the song into your desired order, corrects volume issues from song to song, and basically makes the song flow without having huge differences in sound and quality from song to song as the CD is played from start to finish. Expect a full CD with 12 tracks to take about 6 – 8 hours to complete.

Budgeting

Expect to pay more than you budget! Really. More than 90% of all recording projects go over budget more that 15% of the expected cost. It is not the studio or engineer trying to get over on you. Rather it is mistakes, extra time for hard lyrics, and not being 100% prepared that tacks on the extra costs.

You can find good, high quality, studios in every major market that will cost $50 - $85 per hour. If you talk with the studio and let them know you will be doing a full project you may be able to get a block discount that will lower your per hour cost to $35 - $70 per hour. And, in some cases you may be able to negotiate a full project rate that will allow you so many hours to record and so many hours to mix. It all comes down to your ability to negotiate.

Every project and artist is different and therefore is impossible to pinpoint exact costs. The following list details the time an average hip hop artist and engineer take to complete a project that has minimal live music instruments, an artist that has prepared, and sessions that do not have guests or unwanted distractions:

Recording Vocals – First song 1hour, 30 minutes a song thereafter

Mixing – 2 – 8 hours per song depending on complexities of song

Mastering – 6 – 10 hours depending on how good a mix engineer you used

If you record a 10 song hip hop CD you should expect to spend 50 – 60 hours completing the project. Average studio rates are $50 per hour. To complete your project at these assumed rates you would pay $2750.00. If your negotiating skills are in order you should expect to walk away only paying about $2500. Be warned; A good mastering engineer’s fee will most likely be double the cost of your studio recording and mixing engineer’s fee.

Tips and tricks to save money in the recording studio:

-    Be prepared. Do not go to the studio until your songs are memorized
-    Practice with your band or live musicians before getting to the studio
-    Take your own blank CDs to the studio for session copies
-    Do not do drugs or drink “to get in the vibe.” It only slows you down.
-    Get plenty of rest the night before your session.
-    Do not take anyone to the session other than people performing.
-    Absolutely no girlfriends or boyfriends. In the studio their opinion does not count.
-    No milk or dairy products – they cause thick snot!
-    Treat your engineer as a friend and s/he will work much faster
-    Show up to your session 10 min. early. You are billed from scheduled time.
-    Take food and snacks with you. Vending machines are expensive in studios.
-    Listen to constructive suggestions.
-    If you get frustrated take a break.
-    Stay positive.
-    Be polite and clean up after yourself. Engineers slow down for pigs!
-    Do not watch the clock and continuously ask the engineer what time it is.
-    Turn the studio TV off when it’s time to begin recording.
-    Ask the engineer not to surf the Internet while you are recording.
-    Schedule your guest rappers, singers, and musicians an hour apart.
-    Tip your engineer a $20 on your second session. Your third will go much faster.
-    Find a spot in the studio to get centered and have alone time if needed.
-    Don’t talk too much about other things than the work at hand.


Peace,
Jai