2026 rates · per song · USD

Mixing and Mastering Prices in 2026

What mix and mastering engineers actually charge per song, by experience level. Built from more than a hundred real rates: marketplace listings, engineers stating their own prices, and published rate cards.

Sourced, not guessed. Every number traces to a public listing, an engineer stating their own rate between 2023 and 2026, or a published rate card. The sources are at the bottom of this page.

Mixing, per song

TierTypicalFull range
Starting out$100–150$50–250
Credited indie$250–300$150–500
Full-time pro$750–1,200$500–2,000 (label work $1,500–2,000)
Name tier$5,000–10,000 + points$2,000–15,000+ (reported, never listed)

Mastering, per song

TierTypicalFull range
Starting out$25–30$20–50
Credited indie$70–80$50–100
Full-time / dedicated mastering engineer$100–150$100–200
Name tier / major house~$300$200–600+

Nashville's working standard is $100 a song including vinyl prep, stated publicly by a Nashville mastering house in 2025. Abbey Road's online service runs €120–300 a track.

Add-ons

ServiceTypicalFull range
Extra revision round (past the included ones)$50$25–200
Vocal tuning, per song$100$20–200 (lead + backing vocals: $300–500)
Stem mastering+30–50%+$25 to +100%
Rush / express turnaround+25–50%up to +100%
Dolby Atmos mix$350–500$350–800

UK quick reference: starting out £40–80, credited £100–200, very good UK mixers £300–350, pro studios £150–1,500. Online mastering £30–100.

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How to read these prices

Find the row that describes you honestly, then quote from the top half of your range. The bottom of each range is where people start. The top is where they end up once they stop apologizing for their rate.

  • Starting out: few or no released credits yet. Building the portfolio.
  • Credited indie: real, released work with your name on it. Clients come to you.
  • Full-time pro: this pays your rent. Steady clients and real turnaround pressure.
  • Name tier: clients hire the name. No A-list engineer publishes a rate card, so these numbers are reported, not listed.

Five pricing rules

  1. Find your row. Quote the top of it. Big sessions are top-of-range work. Let the scope explain the number.
  2. Never send one number. Offer three tiers: a full option, the one you want them to pick, and a bare-bones one. The question becomes which, not whether.
  3. Booked solid means underpriced. If your next open slot is months away, quote new work higher.
  4. Difficult clients pay the difficulty premium. Haggling, 90-track "rough demos" and Friday deadlines cost more than the session. Price them in before you start.
  5. Never negotiate against yourself. You quoted and they went quiet. The next number is theirs, not yours.

Once the price is agreed, put it in writing with the producer agreement template and bill it with the music invoice template.

Sources

  1. Terra Nova Mastering (Jerry Tubb), Gearspace, February 2025: $100 a song including vinyl prep.
  2. Abbey Road online mastering, fetched August 2026: €120–300 a track (EU pricing).
  3. RoEx, "How Much Does It Cost to Mix and Master a Song in 2026" (August 2026), and an r/mixingmastering UK thread (October 2023).
  4. Marketplace listings on SoundBetter and AirGigs, fetched August 2026: 56 listed gig prices and 25+ profile rates.
  5. Working-engineer rate threads on r/audioengineering (May 2023, November 2025), r/mixingmastering (March 2024, October 2023) and Gearspace (February 2025).
  6. Cross-checked against MusicProductionWiki (June 2026), BChill Mix (April 2026), LANDR (September 2024), and Bobby Owsinski's The Music Producer's Handbook.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to mix a song?
Most independent mix engineers charge between $100 and $1,200 per song. Engineers starting out typically charge $100 to $150, credited indie engineers $250 to $300, and full-time professionals $750 to $1,200.
How much does mastering cost per song?
Typically $25 to $30 per song from engineers starting out, $70 to $80 from credited indie engineers, and $100 to $150 from dedicated mastering engineers. Big-name mastering houses charge around $300 a song.
How much do extra mix revisions cost?
About $50 per extra round is typical, with a range of $25 to $200. Most engineers include one or two rounds in the price and charge for rounds after that.
How much should I charge for mixing and mastering?
Find the tier that honestly describes you and quote from the top half of its range. Price the scope in: a session with 60 tracks and five feature vocals is top-of-range work. If you are booked months ahead, raise your rate for new work.
Are these prices per song?
Yes. Every price on this page is per song unless it says otherwise. Projects are usually quoted as the per-song rate times the number of songs.