# How far would a band go....



## Francis Fargon (May 31, 2009)

Hi,
I would like to know how far can a band go,in the process of making a album
with 10,000$.Is there a kind of a ratio...like 40% of the budget is on the recording session,10% to the producer..etc.

Thanks

Frank:smile:


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## megadan (Feb 5, 2006)

10K is certainly a respectable budget for an independent band now a days. You can make an absolutely 100% professional sounding recording for this, no problem.


I would go something like this:


35% -40% for recording
45% - 50% for mixing
5% - 10% for production, misc.

5% - 10% for final mastering


Mastering rates are pretty standard, expect to pay a low of $600 to a high of $1000, that is with normal mastering engineers, obviously if you were to take it to the guy who did MJ or Coldplay or whatever you'd pay a lot more.
I know Bob Weston does fantastic work for an extremely reasonable rate.

We personally spent more time and money on mixing than on recording, just due to the nature of our music: the recording was all live off the floor, straight to tape. We spent the money in mixing to get it to sound amazing (which it does).
Our budget was about $3000 and we spent $2000 on mixing, $400 on recording, $600 on mastering. You can hear the results in my sig.

Dan


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## montreal (Mar 25, 2008)

*recording budgets*

10K is a great budget for an indi recording...
But here is my professional 2 cents worth:
You have got to consider the other missing costs, ie those that everyone seems to neglect.
1. artwork and packaging
2. manufacturing
3. marketing
4. food and beer (you cannot record on an empty stomach) for the musicians, production staff and anyone else for every day that you are in the studio. I have seen major label budgets go straight to hell on this point alone.
5. strings, sticks, picks, piano tuning, rentals, hardrives, cdr's and other sundries.
6. gasoline and transportation...cab fees for guests musicians, etc.
7. living expenses for time off of work
8. sales taxes which can add up real fast for on the book expenses...I know, the studio will give you a cash rate without an invoice, but then how can you write-off the expenses at tax time?

My suggestion is to go to factor.ca and download the application for the album grant and use that to design your budget because it covers most of the important bases.


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2009)

montreal said:


> My suggestion is to go to factor.ca and download the application for the album grant and use that to design your budget because it covers most of the important bases.


What a great piece of advice. Plus: save all your receipts and submit the grant application. You never know: the Canadian government might pony up for some of the bill.


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## megadan (Feb 5, 2006)

Absolutely, we wouldn't have been able to make out album with a $1600 grant from Tourism NS. You never know who will poney up the dough, so check everywhere!


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## Francis Fargon (May 31, 2009)

Thanks guy for the inputs!Actually ALL cost would have to fit in the 10,000$
But we got ideas for the cd insert and will probaly do the art work are self.
Its more the printing cost..how many copy? and the distribution and bar code.. if you know what i mean.

Frank:smile:


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