Guide · Budget
Planning a recording budget: what an EP really costs in Vienna
A five-track EP is the project we see most often. Here we work through it line by line: which costs arise, what they come to in Vienna and where you can trim the bill without trimming the sound.
Four cost blocks every production has
Whether you are a singer-songwriter duo or an eight-piece band, an EP budget breaks down into recording, mixing, mastering and extras. For bands, recording is the largest block because it is billed by time. Mixing and mastering are billed per track or as a package, so they can be fixed before the first studio day. Every price on this page is a gross price incl. 20 % VAT, exactly as it will appear on the invoice.
Estimating recording days realistically
A half day of band recording covers 5 hours with an engineer and costs €520 incl. 20 % VAT; a full day of 9 hours is €890 incl. 20 % VAT. Each additional hour on the recording day is €105 incl. 20 % VAT. In our experience since 2016, a well-rehearsed band with five tracks needs one day for drums, bass and rhythm guitar and a second for overdubs. We prefer to record vocals on a separate day while the voice is fresh: a full vocal day of 8 hours costs €580 incl. 20 % VAT.
- One day: A tight band recorded live, few overdubs, vocals done on the same day.
- Two days: Basic tracks on day one; guitars, keys and backing vocals on day two.
- Three days: As above, plus a dedicated vocal day in the booth.
- Half days: For fixes or individual overdubs when 5 hours are enough.
Worked example: a five-track EP
This is the calculation for a band booking two full recording days, one vocal day, the EP mix package and EP mastering:
| Item | Qty | Unit price incl. 20 % VAT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band recording, full day (9 hours) | 2 | €890.00 | €1,780.00 |
| Vocal recording, full day (8 hours) | 1 | €580.00 | €580.00 |
| Mixing, EP package (5 tracks, up to 32 tracks each) | 1 | €1,290.00 | €1,290.00 |
| Mastering, EP (up to 6 tracks) incl. DDP | 1 | €480.00 | €480.00 |
| Total gross incl. 20 % VAT | €4,130.00 | ||
| VAT contained (20 %) | €688.33 | ||
| Deposit, 30 % on booking | €1,239.00 |
Net, that is €3,441.67. Businesses with a VAT number can generally reclaim the VAT as input tax; for private customers the gross figure is the final price. Spread across the five tracks, the mix package works out at €258 per track instead of €290 incl. 20 % VAT billed individually.
What often gets added
The worked example is deliberately lean. These items turn up frequently in practice, and it is worth thinking about them before you book:
- Grand piano: Our 1979 grand is tuned before the session, €60 incl. 20 % VAT per session.
- Vocal comping and tuning: €70 incl. 20 % VAT per track if we assemble the takes rather than you.
- Stems or instrumental/TV version: €60 incl. 20 % VAT per track, useful for live backing tracks, remixes and sync requests.
- Large sessions: Tracks with 33 to 64 channels cost €390 instead of €290 incl. 20 % VAT to mix.
- Vinyl pre-master: Side split and levels for the pressing plant, €45 incl. 20 % VAT per track.
- Extra hours: If the day runs long, €105 incl. 20 % VAT per hour on the recording day.
For the EP in the example, adding the grand piano, comping on all five tracks and stems comes to a further €710 incl. 20 % VAT (60 + 350 + 300), so €4,840 incl. 20 % VAT in all.
Deposit, invoice and cancellation
With the booking confirmation we invoice a deposit of 30 %; the balance falls due after the work is done, within 7 days for private customers and within 14 days of invoicing for businesses. Up to 5 working days before the date you can move or cancel free of charge; with less than 48 hours' notice we charge a cancellation fee of 50 %. The exact rules are in our terms under cancellation and prices and payment. Rights in the master pass to you only once payment is complete; the guide Rights to your master explains the detail.
The schedule is part of the budget
Time is the second currency of any production. Raw files are delivered within 2 working days of the recording. For the mix we plan 7 working days per five tracks with two revision rounds; mastering takes 3 working days with one revision round. If you have a release date, count backwards: the distributor needs lead time, the master must be ready before that, the mix approved before that, the recording before that. An EP tracked in January can generally be out in spring, provided the revision rounds are answered promptly. Session data stays archived for 12 months, so fixes within that period do not require a new recording.
Saving money without saving on sound
The biggest lever is preparation: a band that has rehearsed to a click and turns up with fresh strings often needs half a day less. Our session preparation checklist lists everything. Other levers:
- Packages rather than single items: the EP mix package and EP mastering cost less than five tracks billed one by one.
- Bundle vocals and overdubs into half days instead of booking a new slot for every part.
- If you are mixing yourself, take the raw files away cleanly named; see File formats and delivery.
- Order stems and alternate versions with the mix; later on, the session has to be reopened.
Ask for a quote
Send us the number of tracks, the line-up and your preferred dates through the contact form and you will have a written quote within 1 working day, every item gross incl. 20 % VAT. We take bookings from the age of 18. If you are unsure how many days you need, drop by Burggasse 95 beforehand: a short conversation in the control room usually settles more than ten e-mails.
Request a date — we reply within 1 working day
Tell us what you want to record and when. You will receive a written quote with every price shown incl. 20 % VAT.