FAQs

What are your rates?
Our studio rate is $75 per hour. However, we consider each project to be unique, so rates may be based on hourly, per-song, mini-project or full-project rates, depending on the needs of the client and the extent of the project.
What are your studio hours?
We are generally open Mondays 10 am - 10 pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 7-11 pm; and Saturdays 10 am - 5 pm.
How long does it take to record a song?
It depends on a number of factors, including: how well prepared you or your band are, how involved the production is, how many instruments need to be recorded, whether the instruments are programmed or recorded live, and how busy our studio schedule is. In a typical situation where the artist is well prepared, the production is somewhat involved, an average number of instruments are recorded, and the schedule is fairly open, recording a song would take a total of about 15 hours, which would take between 1 and 2 weeks to complete.
Can I record cover songs?
Yes you can record any song, however if you want to manufacture CDs you must purchase mechanical licenses, and if you want to put them on YouTube or Vimeo you must purchase streaming licenses. We are happy to oversee these processes for any project.
Can you record a full band?
Yes we can record a full band, however due to the limited space in our single recording room, we often need to record in stages - for example, drums and bass first, then guitar and keyboard, then vocal, etc. We always consider that when determining costs for recording a full band, so they are not overcharged due to our size limitations.
I'm a solo artist. Is it better to have you record the tracks for my project via track programming, or to hire musicians to play the tracks?
It's different for every project, however we have found that for most solo artists, it's better to have a combined approach, where we program a good portion of the tracks, and hire some musicians to play certain instruments. These kinds of things need to be determined by meeting together about your project.
Do you offer voiceover recording for radio, events or promotional purposes?
Yes, we do a lot of voiceover recording for a variety of projects, including radio ads, corporate events, promotional campaigns, video productions, etc. This means either we can record you doing your own voiceovers, or we can actually perform the voiceovers ourselves. We also have a fairly extensive library of royalty-free music that can be used as background, or we can produce the music ourselves. Tim has extensive experience in this area.
Do you provide gear for projects, such as instruments, amplifiers, etc?
The only physical gear we have in the studio is a full-sized weighted keyboard controller and some percussion instruments, due to the fact that the studio is in a home and storage is quite limited. We operate with the assumption that most artists and musicians will have their own instruments. However, we are able to rent any piece of gear for a recording project.
Can you produce any genre of music?
We can certainly record and produce any genre of music, however in the case that we are programming tracks for your project, every producer has strengths in certain musical genres, although other genres can certainly be tackled as well!
Can I hear samples of your work?
Some of the artists we have produced have samples of their music on their own websites, so we encourage you to visit those. We really believe that samples should be heard in the context of a personal meeting, so the production process can be discussed. Contact us to schedule a time to come to the studio and meet with us, with no obligations on your part or expectations on ours.
Do you issue contracts for projects?
We prepare project agreements for most projects, especially more lengthy ones such as EPs or full albums. This is discussed and agreed upon fully by both River Music and the artist, and serves the purpose of all parties agreeing to do their part in the project. We believe that operating on the basis of trust and integrity is the only way to go.
Should I get CDs manufactured, or just do online downloads?
This depends on factors such as your budget, how many units you believe you can sell, who your target audience is, how you believe they will purchase your music, etc. We are happy to assist you in making these decisions during your project.