Mixing & mastering
Mixing and mastering costs: how to compare studio quotes
Compare the work behind a per-song price, check revisions and delivery versions, and prepare a brief a studio can quote clearly.
Compare mixing and mastering quotes by the work included, the versions you need and the conditions that can change the total. Send each studio the same description of your song and materials, then confirm editing, vocal tuning, mastering, revisions, taxes and approval dates in writing. A per-song price becomes useful when those details are clear.
Name the work before comparing the total
Start with the state of the song. Do you have recordings ready to mix, or are you still choosing takes and changing the arrangement? If the stereo mix is already approved, your enquiry may be about mastering alone.
Ask the studio to identify the stages covered by its quote:
- Editing: which tasks, such as take selection, timing work or noise cleanup, are included?
- Vocal work: is pitch or timing correction part of the scope, and which vocal parts does it cover?
- Mixing: which multitracks or stems will the engineer work from?
- Mastering: is it included, quoted separately or being handled elsewhere?
List the tasks you need beside the quoted total. You can review AER’s Mixing and Mastering descriptions if you are deciding which stage to discuss.
Read published prices with their scope attached
Public rate pages give concrete examples of how studios describe their offers. The prices below were checked on 18 October 2026 and retain the providers’ original currencies.
| Provider and advertised service | Published price | Basis to check |
|---|---|---|
| Abbey Road remote mixing, 9–24 tracks | £420 per song | Confirm the tax-inclusive total and the full service scope. |
| Abbey Road remote mixing, 25–48 tracks | £480 per song | The track-count band is part of the offer. |
| Audio Kitchen mixing | ₩500,000 | VAT excluded. |
| Audio Kitchen mastering | ₩100,000 | VAT excluded. |
| Audio Kitchen mixing + mastering | ₩550,000 | VAT excluded; read the combined offer’s terms. |
Sources: Abbey Road remote mixing and Audio Kitchen’s rate page. Abbey Road’s displayed mixing price does not state its tax treatment alongside the figure. Audio Kitchen also asks for consultation on mixes of 40 tracks or more or with a larger arrangement.
These are dated examples of two providers’ services. Use their scope, currency and tax basis when reading them. An international price comparison also needs the current payment and exchange terms. AER’s price is agreed for the individual project; these figures describe the named providers and are not an AER price list or a market average.
Describe the material and the decisions still open
Tell the studio how the files relate to the work you want. Include the song count, duration, available recordings and any material that may change. A track count is useful context; also explain what is on those tracks and what has already been approved.
For illustration, consider two fictional enquiries:
- Project A: a finished stereo instrumental and approved vocal takes, with one main release version requested.
- Project B: separate instrument tracks and layered vocals, with take selection still open and instrumental and clean versions requested.
The useful next step is to agree the work for each project. Ask whether editing, vocal correction or preparing additional versions is included or needs a separate estimate. These examples carry no price or claim about an AER client.
Agree a sharing method before sending confidential or unreleased audio. For an initial enquiry, describe the material and ask what the engineer needs to hear.
Use a quote-comparison worksheet
Copy this worksheet and replace the blanks with each studio’s written answers. Mark an unclear item as “to confirm” so you can resolve it before booking.
| Confirm in writing | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Song count, length and source material covered | — | — |
| Editing and vocal correction included | — | — |
| Mixing and mastering stages included | — | — |
| Revision rounds and the meaning of one round | — | — |
| Final versions and delivery formats | — | — |
| First delivery, feedback window and approval date | — | — |
| Total, currency and tax basis | — | — |
| Additional-work charges and payment stages | — | — |
Compare the totals once you can see the same requested work in both columns. If one studio includes a task and the other leaves it open, ask for clarification or an estimate for that task. You can also reduce the brief to the versions and stages you actually need.
Agree how revisions and new work are handled
Ask what the quoted revision allowance covers, when feedback is due and how comments should be consolidated. Check what happens if you replace a vocal, change the arrangement or return after approving the mix.
For a specific example, Abbey Road’s revision policy includes one mix revision, charges for further revisions and treats a major change of direction as a new job. That is its policy; get the terms of your own quote in writing.
Separate the first-delivery date from the date you need approved audio. Tell the studio about release or distributor deadlines and ask how the feedback window fits. A shorter schedule is a requirement to discuss; confirm availability and any effect on the quote before booking.
List the files and versions you need
Write down each requested output and its purpose. You might need a main release master, an instrumental, a clean version or stems for a later handoff. Ask which outputs the quote covers and what additional versions would involve.
Confirm the recipient’s required formats with the studio. If you also need session files or particular grouped stems, name those explicitly. Keeping the version list in the written brief makes it easier to identify a later change.
Send a brief that can be priced
You can use the following fields for an enquiry:
- Project: number of songs, approximate lengths and intended release or use.
- Current material: what has been recorded, what is approved and what may change.
- Requested work: editing, vocal correction, mixing, mastering or stages still to discuss.
- Direction: a rough mix if available and a few references with a reason for each.
- Delivery: the versions and formats you need, including requirements to confirm.
- Timing: first-delivery needs, feedback availability and final approval deadline.
- Budget: the range you have set aside and the stages it needs to cover.
- Open questions: revision terms, tax basis, payment stages and additional-work charges.
When contacting AER, share your starting point, references, timeline and estimated budget through the studio enquiry below. We agree the scope, feedback stages, revisions and deliverables before production. Completing a brief begins that conversation and does not commit you to a project.
Sources and notes
- Abbey Road: remote mixing — the published mixing-price bands used in the table.
- Abbey Road: mix revisions — that provider’s revision and new-work policy.
- Audio Kitchen: rate page — its listed mixing, mastering and combined prices, VAT basis and larger-project consultation.
Sources checked 18 October 2026. Prices and terms can change; request a current written quote for your project. The worksheet, fictional project descriptions and enquiry checklist are AER editorial guidance.