Mastering Rate, for CD or digital files
We currently charge $75.00 per track/song for most mastering projects. (See “Hourly Rate”, below.) By “track” we mean one song or selection on your release (not to be confused with the tracks in a multi-track recording), whether you are releasing a physical CD or only sound files.
In addition to all the sound enhancements of mastering, our fee includes:
- Basic digital editing: fade-ins, fade-outs, simple crossfades, sequencing, matching volume levels, inserting appropriate spaces between tracks.
- Entering ISRC codes, if desired.
- Delivery of your master to the duplication facility as a DDP file set (the industry standard format), or as a CDR if necessary.
- Grey’s final listen-through to the finished master if it is in the form of a CDR. This is to ensure that your duplication master is free of any flaws in the media itself.
- We’ll be happy to send one reference CDR of the mastered project to you.
- Priority Mail shipping of your master CDR (if the master is not a DDP file set) and your reference CDR.
If we have not worked with you before, we require a deposit before beginning work on your project. This deposit is 50% of the estimated cost of mastering, based upon the number of tracks and the average duration of the tracks. We will compute this deposit amount in consultation with you.
Hourly Rate
Please Note: If the average length of your tracks is over seven minutes, we will bill the project on an hourly basis at $60 per hour.
Other Costs
Be sure to consider the following costs when you are making an estimate or budget:
- Revisions in a project Grey has mastered, and non-routine digital editing:
- $50/hour.
- Overnight shipping of CDRs: contact us for a quote