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To get the highest quality sounding audio production possible, it is a good idea to mix and master your songs.
Mixing and mastering your work isn’t free. Even if you plan to do it yourself, you will still need to purchase a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software, or other hardware if you want a more traditional setup and experience.
The average cost for professional mixing and mastering services varies from $150 to $700 per song to receive a good quality product. When working with top producers, the pricing can cost thousands of dollars. However, you can still obtain a radio-worthy product with a $200 per song budget.
That being said, many people tend to get mixing and mastering done separately. This allows the audio engineer to achieve a more consistent sound across all tracks on a particular album or mixtape.
In this case, the average cost of expert mixing services would be about $100-$500, and the average price of professional mastering can vary from $50 to $200 per song.
Because it is less delicate work and less time-consuming, you will find that mastering rates tend to be cheaper than mixing prices.
In this article, we’ll shed some light on all the questions circling your mind regarding the average cost of mixing and mastering services. But first, let us briefly dive into what mixing and mastering actually are.
What Is Mixing and Mastering?
Before we dive too deep into pricing factors, we must be all on the same page about mixing and mastering.
When looking at mixing and mastering, you have to look at them as a pair, one cannot be without the other, or the sound of your track will be off. First comes mixing, then comes mastering.
In the mixing stage, the engineer focuses on each instrument in the song. He (or she) will add effects and adjustments where needed. The engineer will ensure that each instrument’s overall volume is proportionate to one another. This ensures that the track will not ‘peak’ in volume compared to the others.
After mixing is complete, the mastering engineer will take over. Instead of focusing on individual instruments and tracks, the engineer will add effects and adjustments to the recording as a whole.
In other words, they simultaneously apply effects to everything in the mix. Mastering ensures that the song matches the other tracks in overall volume and frequency.
You might be asking yourself if mixing and mastering are even that necessary. Should you be spending your hard-earned money on this?
In short, mixing and mastering are both necessary for higher-quality audio production. Check out this article for a more detailed look at why mixing and mastering are both important.
Once the mixing and mastering are finished, the engineers will deliver you a high-clarity, professional, and consistent track ready for any listening platform.
Mixing and Mastering Pricing Factors
When it comes to professional engineers mixing your song, they should be able to get it done within a matter of hours. That being said, a mix can take anywhere from 2 to 8 hours (per song) to be finished and passed on to the mastering engineer.
Let’s take a more detailed look below at some factors that will dictate mixing and mastering price differences.
How Much Does It Cost To Mix and Master A Song?
So, how much does it cost to mix and master a song?
Mixing costs comes down to who (or what service) you want to work with. Often, the bigger the name or more experience, the more you will likely need to pay.
However, this does not mean lower cost necessarily means low quality, so do not just base your decision on cost alone.
Let’s dive into some costs from various options around the web. (Note: This is by no means an exhaustive list, and you should do your own background research for the option that fits you best).
1. Fiverr
First up is Fiverr. Fiverr is an online freelance hub for various services, including mixing and mastering.
A quick search through Fiverr provides a ton of options for mixing and mastering services. Most of the sellers on Fiverr have tiered payment options, usually using “Basic,” “Standard,” and “Premium” package options that provide you will different levels of perks and services.
Many sellers start as low as $5 to $10 for their basic services. On the other hand, many start at over $100 and will go upwards of $500 or higher.
If you choose to use Fiverr, it is important to read the descriptions, as some sellers only mix, some only master, and others do both. Further, some sellers only provide mixing and mastering if you opt for the more expensive packages.
If you are unsure about mixing and mastering, Fiverr is a great place to start because you can select a seller that doesn’t cost much, so you won’t be investing much money.
Another perk of Fiverr is the buyer rating system, so you can be more confident of the quality of the product you will receive regardless of the cost.
2. Upwork
Upwork is similar to Fiverr, providing an online platform where potential employers and employees can interact.
Upwork has a very similar setup to Fiverr, with those providing mixing and mastering services in a tiered system. Upwork also utilizes a buyer ranking system, so you can view who has consistently provided high-quality work.
I have noticed, on average, that mixing and mastering services on Upwork are more expensive, at least for the baseline prices. However, overall the prices are comparable to what you would find on Fiverr.
Again, as on Fiverr, pay attention to the description of the services offered as some only mix or master, while others provide both services.
3. Sage Audio
Sage Audio provides stereo mastering services utilizing top-of-the-line professional equipment.
With platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, you will run into all different types of equipment from those mixing and mastering your songs. This can create a bit of uncertainty on the buyer’s side, as you might not know the quality of equipment being used to mix and master.
With a professional studio like Sage, you can be confident that all their equipment is top-notch.
Sage offers a tiered pricing system. The more songs you want to be mastered, the cheaper the cost per song. For 1 to 3 songs, the price is $54 per song. If you want ten or more songs mastered, the cost drops to $42 per song.
Sage Audio is also Apple Digital Masters Certified, which adds another layer of confidence for the buyer, knowing the quality will be high.
4. Major Mixing
Major Mixing is another online mixing and master service provider with several available service options.
They provide mixing starting at $95, mastering starting at $50, and complete mixing and mastering starting at $99. They also offer more expensive services with various options.
They also provide mastering for specific platforms such as Spotify or radio and even offer editing services to replace different sounds within your track, such as a kick drum or snare sound that might not sound the best in the original audio.
5. Jony Studios
Jony Studios not only provides mixing and mastering services but also produces podcasts, audiobooks, music videos, and more.
They are one of the more expensive options but remember that these are still reasonably priced, and some engineers will charge in the thousands per song.
They provide different pricing tiers with numerous services, but at the basic level, mixing starts at $249 and mastering at $89.
How Much Does It Cost To Mix and Master An Album?
The cost of mastering a full album will again come down to who you choose to do the mastering and how many songs are on your album.
A typical album length is usually between 9 and 12 or 13 songs, but many albums have more than this. Sometimes, new musicians will release an extended play (EP) album, which is much shorter than a full-length album (typically around 2 to 6 tracks).
If you were to use the services provided by Sage Audio, a ten-song album would cost you $420.
This will be pretty standard pricing for many online mastering service providers. Another company, Disc Makers, charges $49 per song for a full album, with the stipulation that the maximum track length is no more than ten minutes.
You can also check out Fiverr and Upwork for full album mastering services that are cheaper than the two options listed above.
Our Mixing and Mastering Prices
At Range Of Sounds, we don’t just write about mixing and mastering (along with a long list of other topics) but we’re a team producers as well.
For an affordable price, you can turn your tracks into radio-worthy hits in no time. We offer three primary services; mastering only, full package, and custom.
Contact us with more information about your project for a free quote!
Our mastering service costs $60 per song. The benefits of this service include analog equipment, HQ audio file, and unlimited revisions. Only one song is available with this package at a time, and mixing is not included with this service.
Our full package deal, which includes mastering and mixing, costs $120 per song. Analog equipment, HQ audio file, and unlimited revisions are also incorporated with this package.
The audio stem file should preferably be in a lossless file format and labeled. If you are unable to send a WAV or AIFF format file, no worries; just send the best sound quality you have, and we will do our best to mix and master it.
We prefer to master your song in stems. Stereo can be much quicker, but the product is not as well finished as it could be, as it is with stems.
Stems are the proffered method of mastering because, although more time-consuming, the results tend to be a better product for the client.
For custom projects, please contact us to get a quote! If you have a project that involves multiple songs or a full album, we will provide a custom deal depending on your needs.
How Much Should I Charge For Mixing and Mastering?
At this point, you might be asking yourself, what if I want to get into the mixing and mastering business? How much should I charge for my services?
While there are no rules on how much you should charge, there are a couple of important factors to consider when setting your prices.
First, do you have formal training and/or a college degree in audio engineering, production, or a related field? If yes, you can likely charge more than the average person.
Having those formal training credentials can assure potential clients that you know important details and have invested a lot of time and money into this field.
Second, how much experience do you have? In general, as you gain more experience, you can begin to increase the cost of your services (provided that you do quality work and have a solid reputation).
At the end of the day, only you can determine what you are willing to work for. The great thing about sites like Fiverr is that you can set various price ranges for your services and adjust as needed as time goes on.
Closing Thoughts
A reminder that this is by no means an exhaustive list. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of options out there, and you need to spend some time figuring out the best options for you.
Although it is highly variable, you should now have a better understanding of how much mixing and mastering services cost
Hi everyone! I have been involved with music most of my life, beginning in grade school with the trumpet. I am a largely self-taught multi-instrumentalist (drums, guitar, bass, and starting the piano and violin). I currently play drums in two bands and write and produce many genres of music in my home recording studio. I am also an avid guitar and drum collector.