Hey music makers!
Recording studios charge ~$65+ per hour.
Session musicians cost $90+ per hour with minimums. Mix and master? Another $500-$1000.
Those costs add up fast when you're figuring things out in real time.
Back in 2023, I produced a 3 song project with singer-songwriter Julia Pratt and we had exactly one day to live record the 3 songs with those rates.
One day. Multiple musicians. Professional studio. And a hard deadline for grant submission.
Most artists would panic. But we finished under budget and on time because we did something most creators skip: comprehensive preproduction planning.
In this final part of our preproduction series, here's what that planning looked like and the 10 costly mistakes it helped us avoid.
TOP 10 PREPRODUCTION MISTAKES
Skipping the planning phase altogether: Use a checklist before you record.
Unclear creative direction: Define your sonic identity + goals before starting. I spent weeks creating playlists and studying TSOP, neo soul, and jazz standards to nail our sound.
Vague song arrangements: Professional engineers note that two hours spent in the recording studio going through arrangements are wasted when they can be addressed in a practice room with less pressure. My advice is to workshop structure before booking studio time. I created detailed chord charts using an app and sent demos to every musician a week ahead.
No budget estimates: Research shows unexpected expenses add 25-40% to project costs. Create a budget and track all possible costs as a starting point.
Here’s our detailed budget: $650 studio time, $2,525 musician fees (rehearsal, session work, performance), $700 for mixing, $120 mastering, $100 food.
Total: $4095 (nicely under our $5,000 grant).
Last-minute studio bookings: Reserve dates early. We mapped our entire timeline from May 7th recording to May 31st submission. The reason that we had one day for live recording was because we hired in demand musicians. The guitarist tours a lot for artist like John Legend, Musiq Soulchild, etc.
No timeline or deadlines: Projects without timeboxes sprawl. Our structured schedule kept us on track for grant submission.
Poor communication with collaborators: Industry lawyers report unclear role definitions lead to "months of stress and thousands in legal fees". Write down your creative vision. Two of the session players thanked me for my professionalism and organization pointing that most producers don't do this level of prep.
Skipping rehearsals or test takes: Don't waste studio time finding your groove. Our demos meant everyone knew their parts walking in. To my surprise this gave the musicians a balanced limitation that actually supported massive creativity on their end. They really elevated these tracks.
Let me know if you’d be interested in a newsletter issue or youtube video demonstrating the evolution of the tracks.
Technical gear surprises: Test your setup beforehand. This wasn’t an issue because Todd’s a pro he test his gear regularly and has backup options.
Avoiding legal convos: Without proper agreements, disputes cost $5,000-$50,000+ in legal fees. Handle the business side early. We had clear splits and roles defined upfront. The musicians understood the work for hire arrangement and we shared points with the engineer.
💿 REAL SONGS. REAL PREPRODUCTION INSIGHTS
"Wrath of the Moon" by Melvin Darrell
Key: Ab minor
Progression (B Section): Dbm - Eb7 - Abm - Gm7
Style: Jazz Fusion…I guess 🤷🏾♂️ (Influences: Etta James, Boyz II Men, Carlos Santana)
The B section progression creates a beautiful lift in the music while maintaining the song's mellow foundation. It feels like a brief moment of sunlight breaking through storm clouds providing relief before the intensity builds later.
The progression strategically shifts focus from Abm to Dbm, keeping that contemplative mood while offering harmonic variety.
The root movement here is particularly effective: a whole step up (Dbm to Eb7) gives gentle forward motion, then two descending fifths (Eb7 to Abm to Gm7) create stronger harmonic pull.
This combination of subtle and powerful root movements makes the section feel both restful and purposeful—the perfect bridge before the song's emotional peak.
None of this happened by accident.
I planned this record section by section in my head first, then created a simple demo for Julia to write her vocal parts and sketched out the rhythm section for the final section. We even had a songwriting session with a jazz guitarist to plan the rhythm parts and nail down that B section progression. All of this prep work meant our session guitarist had space to focus his creativity on the solo section, and our drummer/percussionist could add those unique percussive layers without getting bogged down in structural decisions.
The music came alive because the foundation was already solid.
🎯 CREATOR TOOL SPOTLIGHT
Creator's Diagnostic Checklist (Free Tool) The exact checklist I used for the 3 song project, designed to help you:
✅ Save money (we came in $905 under budget)
✅ Avoid creative detours
✅ Streamline your next project
✅ Prevent legal disputes (hopefully)
This system works whether you have a $5,000 grant or $500 from your day job. It's about being intentional with every dollar and every minute.
🛜 WEB STUFF
In Case You Missed It…
The $2000 Studio Mistake Artist Keep Making pt.1 : (Music Maker's Journal)
The Missing Pieces In Your Music Process pt.2 : (Music Maker's Journal)
