How Much Studio Time You Need
The amount of studio time required for a project depends on some basic factors:
- the complexity of your project
- your project's stage of completion
- the duration and number of songs or pieces
- the number of instruments and voices
- how prepared you are to perform
- your desired level of production quality
- your budget
For a well-rehearsed band, a single song can take around 4-8 hours to setup and record, and an additional 4-8 hours to mix. If a band is recording multiple songs using the same setup, the time-requirement per song will be less, since setup time is not needed for each song. If you're working on an album, you might need a few days to a week. Always overestimate your time to avoid rushing, as capturing the best performance is more important than sticking to a tight schedule.
We have an audio production project planner to help you estimate your specific needs.
If you book studio time or services with us and find that you need more time than expected, you can let us know anytime. If you end up needing less time, we'll either credit or refund your overpayment.
Schedule More Time Than You Think You Need
If you only need a few hours, schedule an extra hour to take the pressure off. And if you need more than one day, schedule one extra day to review and fix any errors. Consider the following when planning how much time to schedule:
- It's better to fix things when all the gear is setup for your project, than to come back in the future and try to match the original setups.
- If you're taking the creative approach, give yourself enough time to get into a creative mindset and avoid interruption of your creative process.
- If you prefer to have every note and nuance ready in advance of your recording session, be realistic about your ability and how many takes will be required to achieve perfection.
- Consider the affect of fatigue in longer sessions. You may get better performances with multiple 3-hour days than with one 8 hour day.
- If you're unsure how much time you need, discuss your project in detail with your engineer or producer.
