If you’ve ever wondered about the costs of recording an album these days, here’s my projected budget for album #2:
Projected Budget:
Musician Fees: $12,800
Studio Costs: $10,000
Videos: $2,000
Publicity: $2,000
CD Production: $2,000
Ads: $1,000
Total: $29,800
So now the big question: How do I raise $30k?
More to come on that topic!
A Few More Details on the Numbers
As with the first album, musician fees are one of the biggest expenses—and I couldn’t be happier about it. I’m a firm believer in “you get what you pay for.” Every single player and singer on Bridge Across the Years brought something special—often something that completely blew my socks off and elevated the songs far beyond my original vision.
For this new album, I expect to work with around 13 different musicians, including many familiar faces. Some will appear on just one or two tracks, while others—like Joe (bass) and Eliot (drums)—will be part of every song. I’ll be introducing all of them in upcoming posts.
Studio costs are the other major line item. Yes, I have the same recording software on my laptop as all three engineers I worked with on the first album. And yes, I could watch a bunch of YouTube videos and try to record it all at home.
Would it sound the same as working with a professional engineer in a pro-level studio?
That’s what we call a rhetorical question. 😊
I’m sharing the whole journey with my email subscribers—budgeting, recording, releasing, and everything in between. If you’d like to be part of that inner circle, just click below to join the list, “Backstage”.