In short: Mix and mastering for a track at Flightcore runs from 600 PLN up to roughly 1200 PLN, depending on the state of the input material and the depth of intervention into the song’s balance and layers. Mastering alone on a finished mix starts from 400 PLN. We confirm the quote after listening to the demo, within 24 hours. The process takes 3-7 calendar days, with two rounds of revisions included, versions up to V3. At the finish you get a ready WAV (and optionally exported stems and acapella). Our mix works on the energy of the song, not just the technical side. Every project gets discussed and quoted individually.
Mix and mastering are the last stage of work on the audio side of a song. From the first take our goal is a high standard of sound - one that holds up on every playback system and delivers the energy of the song the way it was intended.
Below we lay out concrete price ranges, what drives them, and how the work runs from first contact to a finished file.
How much does mix and mastering cost for a single track?
Mix with mastering for a track at Flightcore starts from 600 PLN. That covers the full scope of work: mixing the vocals and the beat together, plus mastering the whole.
What takes the quote above the starting point is mainly the state of the input material. Beat stems with a clean acapella and no prior vocal processing are the most straightforward starting point. With vocal tracks that already carry effects or initial processing, we first roll back what was added before moving on to the mix itself. Raw vocal tracks that need full processing, tuning, and vocal production from the ground up are the most involved variant.
With some of our engineers, mix with mastering starts from 800 PLN, because they bring their own experience and a distinctive, recognizable sound to the track.
More elaborate projects realistically reach 1000-1200 PLN. Examples from our practice: a track with a beat switch where the second half effectively counts as a different song, a very large number of harmony layers and doubles, intensive AutoTune work, or the need to re-produce parts of the beat that don’t sit right.
When a track already has a finished mix, you can order mastering alone - from 400 PLN. We then work on a single file where the beat and the acapella are already combined, and give it the final polish of loudness, consistency, and clarity.
Our pricing is flexible. Every project gets handled individually and we set the number after listening to the material. We sometimes set a higher number than the starting tier because we see potential in the song and want to work on it with more room to move. We also fit the package to an artist’s budget at times. In practice we always find a workable middle ground.
The full studio price list, hourly rates included, is on our pricing page.
What drives the final quote?
Beyond the state of the input material, the quote depends on the level of intervention into the song’s proportions and layers. The more we rebuild from the ground up, from frequency balance to vocal arrangement, the more involved the project.
Cost is also driven by:
- Track length - a short single is different work from a five-minute track with a longer bridge or a beat switch
- Number of vocal layers - a single lead vocal is different from an arrangement with a duet, doubles, harmonies on the chorus, and adlibs
- Beat complexity - stems for every element give us full control; working from a finished WAV mixdown narrows the arrangement options
It’s worth flagging that full vocal production - proposing new harmonies, arranging adlibs, adding production touches - is part of our standard approach to a mix, not a separate line item. We don’t bill extra for each harmony or each shifted adlib. The quote covers the entire vocal production within the agreed package.
We talk about the quote directly. When a song calls for more attention, we say so already at the demo stage - so the final number matches the one set at the start.
How does the work run step by step?
The process is simple and predictable.
Demo listen and quote. Send the finished mixdown of the track in any form: mp3, a private YouTube link, WeTransfer. At this stage the demo is enough - we don’t need the tracks yet. Within 24 hours we come back with a concrete quote and a process proposal.
Material prep. Once you accept the quote we ask for the tracks in WAV. The sample rate should match the sample rate of the session your vocals were recorded in - converting between 44.1 and 48 kHz sounds the worst, so we steer clear of it (the most common session rate is 48 kHz). Bit depth at minimum 24-bit; if the tracks already carry effects and the headroom may not have been preserved, we ask for 32-bit float. Every file starts at the same point in the song, with silence at the head where the vocal enters later. That way everything drops into the session in sync.
Brief and references. We ask about the feel of the song - what energy you’re chasing, which artists inspire you, what you want to push in the vocal. One or two references (links to tracks that sit close to what you have in your head) are plenty.
Mix V1. Within a few days we prepare the first mix. Our work is creative - beyond cleaning up the sound we layer in automation, effects, and production moves that lift the character of the song. Vocals get tuned and aligned where it matters.
Revision list. We send V1 your way. In response we ask for a concrete list of points: “vocal too quiet in verse 2,” “bass too heavy on the chorus,” “duck the hi-hat in the first 30 seconds.” Short, direct notes work best.
Mix V2 and sign-off. We apply the notes and come back with the next version. We work in two rounds of revisions in the package by default, which means versions up to V3, so there’s room to chase down the details. From the fourth version each export costs 100 PLN gross.
Mastering. After the mix is signed off we move to mastering - the final polish of loudness, consistency, and clarity. Separate stage, included in the package price.
Final file. You get a ready WAV that can go straight to distribution.
We stay in touch throughout. If something needs a fast call, we reach out right away.
How to prepare the material
A few simple rules that make the start easier:
- WAV - sample rate identical to the sample rate of the session your vocals were recorded in (most often 48 kHz). Bit depth at minimum 24-bit, and 32-bit float when the tracks already carry effects.
- Tracks aligned in sync - every file starts at the same point in the song, with silence at the head where the vocal enters later.
- Beat stems, not a finished mixdown, when possible - stems give us full control of the instrumental and the best end result. Working from a beat WAV is fully workable too, the room for adjustment around the vocal is just narrower.
- A brief in bullet points - inspirations, feel, links to two or three reference tracks.
How long does mix and mastering take?
Standard turnaround is 3-7 calendar days from receiving the full set of tracks. Bigger projects can need more time, but rarely cross two calendar weeks. We move briskly and like to wrap things up at a reasonable pace - hitting deadlines is the baseline.
What drives turnaround the most is track length and complexity, not the raw track count. A live band session is a tougher project but still fits inside that frame, provided communication during revisions is on point.
What do you get at the end?
The standard package covers:
- The final mixmaster as a WAV, ready for distribution
- Communication and revisions throughout the process (two rounds included, up to V3)
On request we additionally export:
- Mastering stems from the session - handy for collaborating with someone else or for the archive
- The acapella - clean lead vocal, useful for remixes
A live version of the track (backing track without the lead vocal, with extra adlibs and choirs in the back) is a separate item at 50 PLN. A different mix from the standard instrumental, tailored for live performance.
Why record and mix at the same studio?
If you’re planning a fresh recording from scratch, it pays to think about doing the whole thing with us - from the recording session through to mastering.
We know the material from the recordings, so we know exactly where everything sits in the session. We track the vocal with the mix already in mind - levels, distance from the mic, number of doubles, adlibs, all aligned to a specific direction.
The engineer running the session often suggests new harmonies and tracks them with the artist on the spot. That’s already vocal production - layers we then simply mix later, instead of building them artificially after the fact. Same thing with adlibs: we track them on session with intent, then clean them up and refine them in the mix.
A full Flightcore single - recording, mix, and mastering - runs as one consistent process, with the same team from start to finish.
We’ve pulled artists out of post-production limbo more than once - cases where the previous engineer either didn’t deliver or communication with them was a struggle. Sometimes we hear about situations where artists, several months after the work is done, still don’t have their finished files and can’t release their track.
In the music business, especially among people starting out, there’s an arms race over who’ll do the job for the lowest money. For me what matters most is that the artist is happy with the collaboration. That everything gets delivered, the files stay safe, and going back to the session - say, for a radio edit - is possible even after the song takes off.
I’m confident that my clients can count on me keeping their session intact, even when we worked together ten years ago. I care more about long relationships than volume - to them I’m the go-to for special tasks. Reliability, being reachable, and delivering have brought me better results than any new plugin.
Sami, audio engineer and Flightcore development architect
How to book mix and mastering at Flightcore
First step is sending us a demo of the track - mp3, link, WeTransfer, whatever’s convenient. We quote the material within 24 hours and come back with a concrete process proposal.
We work with a dopamine-driven approach to tracks - the mix should build energy, pull you in, and feel good to listen to. Professionalism and hitting deadlines are the floor, not the value-add.
We’re at Mickiewicza 9, Warsaw, 600 meters from the Dworzec Gdański station. We pick up the phone, answer email, and reply on Messenger. Talk soon!
