How much does it cost to record a Hip Hop CD?
By: Jai Hutcherson
Before you set out to pick a recording studio to record your hip hop CD 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 hip hop 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 hip hop CD. Let them know
you are in the process of gathering all the music and vocalists
(rappers and singers) that will perform on your new hip hop 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
pre-production 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 to record your hip hop CD 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 of
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 off 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 the music for your hip hop CD. 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 hip hop 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 hip hop 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 an art form all in
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 he/she 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 several
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:
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 he/she will not have any additional issues. He/she 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; therefore, it's 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. 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 he/she 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 $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.
