Without the massive budget of a record label behind them, indie artists face several financial constraints. This makes finding good and affordable deals for each step in the music process a must. And there's no step more critical than the time you spend in in the recording studio.

Booking a recording studio, however, can be notoriously expensive. This leaves indie artists stranded with several amazing songs and no means to produce them. You don't have to go through that anymore.

Five Tips to Get the Best Recording Studio Deals

Unknown to many indie artists, you don't have to spend a huge amount of money to book a good studio. There are ways to get awesome deals for studio booking that will leave you open-mouthed. I won't promise you a studio booking for almost free, but it'll cost much less than you previously thought.

Research the studio

This first tip applies regardless of how big your budget is. You don't want a studio that'll leave you with shabby work. It's important to do a thorough check on the studio you have in mind because pictures don't always tell the full story. Try to get a tour if possible.

You also want to know exactly what services they're offering. Are they only renting out equipment or will they provide you with a sound engineer? How advanced is their technology? The answer to all such questions will help you gauge whether the advertised price is worth it or not. You can also find areas to reduce the price.

For example, if you're going to do your own mixing and mastering, you can chalk off the cost of a sound engineer.

Go for bulk

This one is an old-time market hack. The more you purchase, the less the unit price. Recording studios are no different. If you plan to record only one song, your chances of getting a reduced rate are the only thing that will be low.

Instead, take a set of songs and plan for several hours. Or find a fellow artist who also has some recording to do and partner up. It's much easier to get a good deal when you have more volume of work.

Make sure you visit studios before you book them. You need to check out the vibe just as much as checking out the studio equipment.

Look for day rates

Most recording studios charge per hour. Whether it's $20 or $1,000 per hour, this can add up to become a hefty amount. It doesn't favor you one bit. So why stick to it? Again, we go back to the idea of saving costs by buying more.

Instead of booking with a per-hour rate, ask for a day rate. A day rate simply means you're renting out the studio for an entire day. I know it sounds like you'll spend way more, but I promise you it's better.

A studio that charges $50 per hour will probably end up charging about $250 per day. You can find someone to share the full day with if you don't need all of it. The whole point is to reduce your unit price.

Use booking platforms

Finding a cheap studio is easy, and so is finding a good studio. Finding a good studio that's cheap at the same time is a different ballgame. Enter booking platforms like Peerspace. These websites will help you scour the market for recording studios that provide you with the best value for money.

Of course, I don't advise you to depend solely on these websites, but they can be quite helpful.

Build a home studio

And for my final tip, how about just staying at home? Many indie artists eventually build personal studios to eliminate the cost of music production from the list of things to worry about. You can use software like FL Studio to record, mix, and master your songs to top quality. Building a home studio is not a cheap endeavor, but you will enjoy tremendous value for money.

Building a studio costs money, too, but you can start working towards it now. It'll be one of the best ever investments you'll make as an indie artist. While you search for affordable studios to book, keep in mind that a personal studio is a must-have for an indie artist.

Keep your eye on the studio engineer to make sure they know what they are doing on the boards. If they aren't familiar with your genre of music you might run into trouble.

Tips to Make the Most out of Your Money in a Recording Studio

Time is money, they say, and recording studios took it seriously. Every second you waste in a recording studio is literally money wasted. We've discussed tips to help you get affordable deals, now let's talk about how you can maximize these deals you've now gotten.

Get your songs ready

There's very little funnier than being a producer waiting for an upcoming artist to do something nice. Sometimes they don't even know what song they want to record! As time ticks, the bill rises. To avoid a huge bill, get organized.

Know what songs you'd like to record, and have a picture of what you want for the song. Do you have a sample that should be added? What tone would you like your song to take? Answer all such questions before you get to the studio, instead of fumbling on the spot.

Rehearse everything

This applies mostly to bands. It's one thing to know which songs you'll record, and another thing to know exactly what part you play. Using studio time to decide such things will only cost you extra money. Rehearse and practice as if you were on your way to a live performance gig.

If the entire group knows what to do, how to do it, and when to do it, your studio experience will be seamless.

Work with a skilled engineer

Working with the wrong producer will frustrate and delay you, then cost you extra money as well. You must find a skilled engineer to ensure that your sound is standard, and your studio experience smooth and fast. Anything else will lead to time wastage, and you don't want all that extra cost.

Final Thoughts

Recording studios are at the very heart of your song recording process. Having access to proper studio work can be the difference between a work of art and disturbance. I hope you've learned new things that you will use to get access to better recording production for less cost.

Remember to always keep fighting, that big break you desire so much is right around the corner.

How to Prepare for a Studio Recording Session