Creating Worship Music on a Budget
“The cost of music production is expensive, and often the returns on investment are negative. We need more economical and sustainable ways to get worship music out to the Church and the World.”
The cost of music production is expensive, and often the return on investments for independent artists is negative. To record and release music, on the cheap side can be thousands of dollars. The cost of recording music often includes paying for studio time, musicians, singers, background vocals, mastering, and mixing, not to mention the additional cost of album art, creating a music video, or marketing and advertising your music. If you’re not a mainstream artist with a label behind you, the money comes out of your own pocket. There is a need for more affordable ways to record and release music—Especially worship music.
Worship music isn’t just any music. It’s music, but it’s also ministry. When ministry is the goal, that should change everything. It’s about collaboration, not competition, and it’s about getting songs in the hands of the Church, not on billboard charts. The music industry may set the standards for music production that independent Christian artists strive to mold our content into, but if it is creating unnecessary barriers of entry due to cost and other factors, maybe we should reconsider what we are striving for.
I wonder what would happen if worship music prioritized ministry standards over industry standards. That’s a conversation for another time, but suffice it to say that we need more economical and sustainable ways to get worship music out to the Church and the World. And just because we are working on a budget, doesn’t mean the music has to sound like it! Working on a budget doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It can force us to be more resourceful, innovative, and collaborative.
I recently reached out to Christian songwriters in a group I’m a part of, and I asked everyone about how they manage the costs of music production. The answers did not disappoint. They were helpful enough that I wanted to share them here more broadly as a resource. I cannot take credit for all of the ideas here. A special thanks to Peter Assaad from Poems of Grace and Brandon Jamison for sharing many of these ideas with me. These are all in my own words, and I draw on my own experiences using some of these methods. Despite what Spotify's CEO said about the cost of creating music being close to zero being far from true, following some of these tips can help get you a little closer to that, or at least trim some zeros off the cost.
Co-write.
Agreeing to split the cost of music production upfront with a co-writer can save you both money. Or consider more than one co-writer and agree to split the production costs evenly; that can reduce costs significantly. Making music more collaborative in this way is not only is budget-friendly, but it is also a great way to learn and grow in the craft of songwriting. Everyone’s method and style are different. You can even take it a step further and agree to make the song you co-write a co-release. As for who to co-write with, consider a friend, someone at your church, or someone in a local or online songwriting community. Consider co-writing with someone who does their own mixing and mastering as well.
Barter.
Bartering doesn’t have to be a thing of the past. It can be a great way to exchange equal quality “music goods” to minimize costs for both parties. For example, consider things like: “I’ll sing on your album if you play guitar on mine.” or “I’ll design your album art if you master and mix my song.” The key thing here is for both parties to agree on an equal exchange of goods. If your normal flat rate for mixing and mastering is $200, perhaps you can use that as a starting point to barter with someone in your network who you can offer a service they need that is valued at that price too.
Create Demos instead of Master Recordings.
Master recordings are radio-ready. What makes them radio-ready is that they are mastered and mixed. The volume levels of each track are balanced and processed in ways that optimize the listening experience. Demos usually aren’t mastered or mixed because they are mostly recorded for the sake of pitching songs to artists or record labels. Mastering and mixing can get very expensive as it is a specialized skill that not every music producer has. It is a service often paid separately on top of recording costs.
When it comes to worship music, if the goal is to get the songs in the hands of churches or your own congregation, then a Demo recording may suffice. To the untrained ear, it can be hard to tell the difference between a Master and a Demo recording anyway. A simple recording to share with your Church might be enough for them to consider adding it to the worship setlist. Recording a Demo instead of a Master may not be suitable for all occasions, but may be an option for some. You can always get a Demo mastered and mixed, and then released later too.
Stripped Down Recordings.
Worship music doesn’t have to be overly complicated, and really shouldn’t be, especially if you can’t afford it. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon the grand vision God has given you for the song or compromise the quality of your music. Minimalist recordings with one voice and instrument can be beautiful and powerful. Not only will simple recordings save you money, they will also save you time. The simpler the recording setup, number of tracks, and production, that help may reduce turnaround time for mastering and mixing and ultimately the release of the song. The first single I recorded (“To Become Human”) took about six months to complete from start to finish, but my most recent simpler acoustic recording (“I Really Love You”) only two weeks and was released shortly afterward. Also, you can always re-record a more complex version of the song later down the road when you have the funds.
Teach Yourself.
If music production were really as easy as teaching oneself, everyone would do it. Honestly, it requires time to learn, and also money at least upfront as an initial investment for equipment. The investment pays off in the long run, but it doesn’t run cheap. A good microphone (I’m thinking the industry standard SM7B mic) can cost $400 or more, an audio interface can run you a couple hundred or more depending on how many inputs you need, plus a computer, monitors, software, headphones, soundproofing, and the list can go on. Youtube can be a helpful place to start for tutorials on setting up your home studio and learning to use your equipment, or you can pay for classes. Consider asking those in your own network first or at your Church if they can help you get started to minimize costs. Or consider volunteering at your church on the media team or worship team to learn more about music production.
