Analyzing the market of the USA, Germany and Russia (as well as post-Soviet countries), studios providing mixing and mastering services, we came to the conclusion that they have different models of interaction with the customer. If we do not take the technical side into comparison (the world leaders in the production of musical equipment are present almost everywhere), a significant difference can be seen in the price, the number of edits and the speed of work.
If you take the first TOP 10 studios from a search engine, then the price for mixing starts from $200 for 4-7 tracks, for mastering – from $50 for 1 track. It is probably for this reason that 65% of our customers are foreign clients. We provide decent quality mixing and mastering at affordable prices.
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It should also be noted that recording studios in the US and Germany allow you to make from 1 to 3 revisions (editions) for free, regardless of the cost of the project. In fact, having paid $200 for 4 tracks, the client has the right to correct the material once, and this will complete the registration of wishes. Need more – will have to pay extra. We, in turn, allow you to edit more times, based on the volume (the larger the project, the more times you can correct). If the changes will concern the structure / replacement of the track, then this is paid separately.
As for the lead time, the average (sample of 8 studios) = 7 days. Most studios have a deadline of 10 days from the date of full payment of the cost of the service (regardless of volume). AREFYEV Studio completes projects within 3-4 days for a minimum package (up to 7 tracks) and 4-7 days for a large volume (from 7 or more), while we start work on a 50% prepayment.
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Why such a significant difference?
Recording studios in the US are more in-demand music niches that pay off in a variety of ways (from music producers investing in them to the number of clients and long-term work on a track). It will be customary for an engineer to create, reform and process one track from six months or more. Customers are demanding to the produced material, and accordingly they are ready to pay for the time spent. For them, a track is not an opportunity to shoot and become famous overnight – it’s painstaking work with little things. Young artists from the post-Soviet countries rely more on luck (which is why you can watch performers fleetingly exploding and also quickly disappearing from the stage). Music is the same product that requires investments (from creation, mixing, mastering to marketing and live performances). When working with customers from Germany, the USA, Japan, you can immediately notice the difference in interaction. Clients clearly explain the desired result and the details that should be paid attention to. Our customers rely more on the experience of the engineer, giving him room for maneuverability. This is good and bad. The positive side gives the right to express an idea related to the style or quality of the sources, the negative side, in turn, concerns the number of edits (the engineer’s view of the track will not always coincide with the expected results), which significantly delays the execution time.
With regards to the quality of work, it is difficult to draw a parallel, since it depends on many factors (source materials, style, experience, equipment, and so on). It is also affected by the subsequent corrections of the client (if the finished work is not listened to on professional equipment). In our studio you can try mastering for free, as well as order mixing material at affordable prices!
