Recording Studio Rates

At Heartsong the successful completion of your project is key.

Hourly Rate $40
Daily Rate $275

Please Call 363.5643 To Discuss Your Project and A Block Time Arrangement

We also offer project based quotes. We prefer to book for a full or half day because it's very difficult to deal with several bookings for a few hours. It's funny how two hour sessions become five, making it impossible to book sessions in a row. Occasionally we will do hourly bookings for special projects, but frequently these will be bumped for full day projects. Please call to take advantage of our reasonable block time rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the $40 studio rental rate include an engineer?
Yes, the engineer's fee is included in the cost of the studio rental.

What are the hidden costs?
There are no hidden costs besides, CD-R, or DVD-R. There are no instruments or gear that you will be charged extra to use at Heartsong!

Can we break up a day rate over two days?
No, that's why it is called a day rate. (We get asked this a lot!)

Can we get a tour of the studio?
Of course. Scheduling via Email is easiest, or call and leave a message (919.363.5643). Sometimes we can do the tour that day, sometimes a week or so away. It depends on the sessions that are scheduled.

Do you work weekends?
Of course. In fact, weekends are busiest and usually booked up in advance.

Can we come in early or the night before to set up?
No. Sessions begin at the scheduled time. Much of the engineering work begins as you start setting up (setting up mics and, "Where do the drums go? Where should I put my amp?") so we have to charge for this time.

What's a producer?
In general terms: A producer is like a director, they have complete responsibility for the project, generally they attend rehearsals, work on arrangements, check out your equipment, recommend outside musicians, and decide what songs to record. They own the project and negotiate with the record label. They see the project through completion. A producer doesn't have to be an engineer, and you may see sessions where a producer and engineer work together. One would hire a producer based on the quality of the previous work this producer has done, familiarity with their style and an understanding that they will be calling the shots and raising the quality of the recording project.

What's a co-producer?
In general terms: A co-producer is generally someone who will engineer your album and make suggestions and subjective comments in order for you to make the best recording possible. They will be active in assessing takes and suggesting sounds, arrangements, etc. Usually they will jump into the session cold on the first day. Generally they will be the sole engineer as well. One would hire a co-producer based on work they've done before and their familiarity with the studio being used.

What's an engineer?
In general terms: An engineer is someone that knows how to operate the recording equipment in the studio, get sounds and accommodate the requests of the artist or producer. One would hire an engineer based on a recommendation from the studio, work they've done before and their familiarity with the studio being used.

Do you do voiceovers, video editing, music for film or radio spots?
Yes Heartsong is best known and geared towards recording performance-based music sessions. For much of this post-production work we are affiliated with DigitalPMedia (919.412.7995).

Do you have beats?
We have a large selections of drum tracks, samples, etc. but remember that building up tracks is gonna take a lot of time and creativity. There are no "walk in and sing and walk out with a CD" services available.

Are you currently accepting interns?
No. There are no plans to be taking on interns in the future. Please don't email or call about being our intern or asking what other studios accept them. We don't know!

Can we all play live in the studio?
We like to do basic tracks live with bands. We can isolate the drums, guitars and bass or run them live in the same room. Doing live tracks with acoustic guitars is possible, but remember that if you are singing a foot away from your guitar that the mic on the guitar will pick up your voice as well and that recording acoustic guitar in the same room as a loud drum set is difficult!

How long will it take to record my album?
We don't know. A well-rehearsed band can lay down most of the basic tracks for an album in two days. Overdubs can take anywhere from one to seven days depending on the amount of work and pickiness. For mixing, budget three hours per song or so at least. A guitarist-singer who has their tunes down can track hours of live stuff in one day, mix it all the same day and have a decent live demo. It really depends what you are looking for. Many of our better songwriter/band projects have taken ten to fourteen days. Some projects go faster. Always add time to your estimates! We've made albums in one day and one month. Just don't try to make Dark Side of the Moon in three days!