How many hours do you need to record one song?
For most people, two to three hours. Here's how to know yours.
For most people, two to three hours. Vocals over a beat take about two. A singer with a guitar takes about three. A full band needs six to eight, when every instrument is recorded separately. Those numbers already include settling in, getting a sound you like, and doing takes over until one feels right. If it is your first time recording anywhere, add an hour. You will use it getting familiar with the space, and you will be glad you did.
- Getting set 20 to 30 min
- Takes Most of the time
- Finishing 15 to 20 min
How long, by what you’re recording
| What you’re recording | Plan for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vocals over a beat | 2 hours | One source, and the beat is already made |
| Rap or hip hop | 2 hours | Usually vocals over a beat, plus doubles and ad libs |
| Singer with a guitar or keys | 3 hours | Two things to record, and they have to sit together |
| Small group | 5 hours | More sources, more takes, more listening back |
| Full band | 6 to 8 hours | Every instrument recorded separately, then checked together |
Recording a second song in the same session is always faster than the first. You are already set up and you already know how everything works. Two songs in one visit is a common and sensible plan.
Where the time actually goes
People expect recording to be the slow part. It usually is not.
Getting set takes 20 to 30 minutes. Finding your level, getting comfortable, working out how loud you want to hear yourself. First time, closer to 45.
Takes are most of the hour. Not because any one take is long, but because you will do it again. And again. That repetition is the work. It is also the part that makes the difference between a recording that sounds fine and one you actually want people to hear.
Finishing takes 15 to 20 minutes. Listening back, picking the take you want, exporting it.
What makes it faster
Have your beat in the app before you arrive. Upload it to your Audio Library in the Audio House app before you come in. Here is how to bring your own beat.
Know the song. Not perfectly. But if you are still deciding on the second verse when the clock starts, that decision costs $20 an hour instead of nothing.
Warm up before you get there. Your voice takes a while to arrive. Doing that in the car is free.
Bring your own headphones if you have a pair you know. Everything you need is already in the room, but hearing yourself through something familiar helps you settle faster.
Book a little more than you think
The rate drops the more hours you book, so a bit of extra room is often cheaper than another session on a different day. Four hours works out at $80. Five hours is $90, because booking five moves you onto the lower rate for the whole block.
Running out of time with one take left is the worst way for a session to end. Ten dollars is a cheap way to avoid it.
Work out your own number
If you know roughly what you are recording, the time and cost calculator will turn it into hours and a price. Tell it how many songs and what kind of recording, and it does the rest.
And if you are not sure yet, book two hours. Your first one is free, so you will find out what your pace is for only $20.