These are the questions that arrive most often before a commission starts, answered briefly and without sales language. If yours is not here, the commission request form is the fastest way to get a real answer.
How do I start a commission?
Send a brief through the form. Describe the song in your own words: who it is for, what it should make a listener feel, roughly how long it should run, and any words or details that must appear. You do not need musical vocabulary. If you have a reference track, mention it; if you do not, say so and we will propose a direction.
How much does a song cost?
Commissions start at $450 for an instrumental bed and rise with scope. A full custom song with original lyrics and a session vocal starts at $1,600, and a full transfer of the composition and master starts at $3,200. The services page sets out exactly what each option includes. Every project is quoted in writing before any work begins.
How long will it take?
An instrumental bed is typically one to two weeks. A full custom song with a vocal is usually two to four weeks depending on how many rounds the melody needs and when a session singer is available. The schedule is agreed before we start and we tell you immediately if anything threatens it.
Can you use words I have written?
Yes. If you supply lyrics we treat them as fixed text and shape the melody around them, because your own language is usually more honest than a rewrite. If a line does not sit well against the tune we will tell you and suggest a small change rather than overwriting your words.
Can I sing it myself?
Absolutely. The studio supplies the instrumental, a guide vocal showing the melody and phrasing, and a clear brief on recording. You return takes and we shape them in the mix. Your voice does not need to be trained to carry a song; it needs to be honest, and we make an honest take sound its best.
Who owns the song afterwards?
By default the studio keeps authorship and grants you a written licence to use the song exactly as the summary describes. If you need to own the composition and the master outright, we offer a full transfer. The licensing and ownership page explains both routes, and the choice is confirmed before work begins.
What files do I receive?
A delivery bundle: the full mix, an instrumental version where relevant, and the separated elements we can practically provide, all in standard audio formats that open in any editor. Each file is described in writing so you know which is which. We do not deliver project files tied to one application.
How many revisions are included?
Every commission includes revision rounds at the melody and arrangement stages, and a final check after the mix. Because you hear the melody before the arrangement and the arrangement before the mix, most adjustments happen while they are cheap. Extra rounds beyond those included are quoted per item rather than bundled.
What if I do not like the first melody?
Tell us what is wrong rather than what is right — too busy, too sad, wrong pace, wrong mood — and we rewrite it. The direction note stage exists precisely to catch a mismatch before writing begins, and the melody stage gives you a second chance to steer. We would rather replace a melody than deliver a song that misses.
Do you only work with certain kinds of music?
We work across most popular and functional styles — pop, folk, acoustic, ambient, cinematic beds and simple dance forms. Where a brief calls for a genre far outside our strengths, we say so and, where we can, suggest who can help instead. Turning down a commission we cannot do well is part of how the studio keeps its word.
What if my project does not fit your options?
Then it gets quoted separately and in writing. Longer pieces, band sessions, multi-language versions and live recordings all fall outside the standard shapes, and each is priced on its own before any work starts. Describe it on the commission request form and the reply will say plainly what it would take.