Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total project cost
$1,584
Effective cost per song
$198
Base cost before buffer
$1,440
Revision buffer amount
$144
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How to use this
- 1Enter number of songs.
- 2Enter mix rate per song ($).
- 3Enter master rate per song ($).
- 4Enter bundle discount (mix+master same engineer) (%).
- 5Enter extra revision buffer (%).
- 6Read your total project cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Mixing and mastering engineers quote per song, per hour, or as a bundled album rate — and pricing varies enormously by engineer tier, from $50 per song bedroom mixers to $500–$1,500 per song for credited industry engineers. This calculator totals a project's cost from per-song mix and master rates, applies a revision-round buffer (extra passes commonly cost 10–25% more), and shows a bundled discount if mixing and mastering the same songs.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Number of songs: 8
- Mix rate per song: 150 $
- Master rate per song: 50 $
- Bundle discount (mix+master same engineer): 10 %
- Extra revision buffer: 10 %
Results
- Total project cost: $1,584
- Effective cost per song: $198
- Base cost before buffer: $1,440
- Revision buffer amount: $144
What each field means
Inputs
- Number of songs
- The number of songs used in the calculation. Starts at 8 so you have a working example on load.
- Mix rate per song ($)
- The mix rate per song used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Master rate per song ($)
- The master rate per song used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 50 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Bundle discount (mix+master same engineer) (%)
- The bundle discount (mix+master same engineer) used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 10 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- Extra revision buffer (%)
- The extra revision buffer used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 10 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–50 %.
Results
- Total project cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Effective cost per song
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Base cost before buffer
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Revision buffer amount
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How many revision rounds are normal to expect included?
Most engineers include 1–2 revision rounds in their base quote and charge extra past that, often 10–25% of the original fee per additional round. Get this in writing before the project starts so scope creep doesn't blow the budget.
Is it worth using the same engineer for both mixing and mastering?
It's often cheaper due to bundle pricing and avoids translation issues between two different engineers' rooms and monitors, but a second, independent set of ears on mastering can catch mix problems the mixer missed. For a debut release with a modest budget, bundling is usually the practical choice.
What determines whether an engineer charges $50 or $500 per song?
Track record (credits on records you've heard), turnaround time, included stems/revisions, and whether they're mixing in a treated room on calibrated monitors versus a bedroom setup all factor in. Higher price doesn't guarantee better results for every genre — match the engineer's known sound to your material.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Mixing & Mastering Quote Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mixing-mastering-quote
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mixing-mastering-quote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mixing & Mastering Quote Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Mixing & Mastering Quote Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/mixing-mastering-quote) (2026).