TLDR (Summary)
The best time tracking software for music producers is Plutio ($19/month).
Music producers tracking studio hours need time tracking that connects to productions, converts tracked time into invoices, and shows how much you earn per artist. Plutio lets you track time against specific productions, see budget vs. actuals, and bill accurately for every hour worked.
Producers tracking time consistently typically 15-25% higher through better scope management.
For additional strategies, read our freelance time tracking guide.
What is time tracking software for music producers?
time tracking software for music producers tracks studio hours against specific productions, provides earnings visibility, and connects tracked time to invoicing.
The distinction matters: basic timers track hours without context, task timers track time per task, and production time tracking connects studio time to artists, productions, and billing. Music producer-focused time tracking handles production-specific patterns.
What music producer time tracking actually does
Core functions include starting and stopping timers for studio work, logging time against specific productions and artists, categorizing time by activity type (tracking, mixing, mastering, admin), showing budget vs. actual hours per production, converting tracked time into invoice line items, and providing reports on time allocation and earnings.
Basic timers vs production-connected tracking
Basic timers show total hours worked but not where time went. Production-connected tracking shows exactly which artists and projects consumed time, supporting earnings analysis and accurate billing.
What makes music producer time tracking different
Music producers face unique patterns: sessions spanning multiple hours, work across different phases (pre-production, recording, mixing, mastering), and billing structures that vary by project type. Time tracking that understands these patterns provides more useful data.
When time tracking connects to projects and invoicing, every hour becomes visible and billable. No more guessing at invoice amounts or losing track of where studio time went.
Why music producers need time tracking software
Music producers without time tracking face compounding problems: underpriced projects, invisible extra work without extra pay, and no data for informed pricing decisions.
According to research, 15-25% more than those who don't. For music producers, this means tracking pays for itself many times over through better pricing and scope control.
The pricing blind spot
Without time tracking, project quotes are based on feeling rather than data. An album production that felt like 40 hours might have actually consumed 80. Without data, the next quote repeats the same underpricing mistake.
The extra work without extra pay invisibility
"Just one more revision" seems minor in the moment but compounds over a production. Without tracking, you can't see how those small requests added up to double the planned hours. Time tracking makes extra work without extra pay visible so you can address it.
The earnings mystery
Which artists are actually worth your time? Without time data connected to billing, understanding earnings requires manual calculation. Some artists might feel great to work with but consume disproportionate hours relative to what they pay.
The invoice accuracy problem
Without tracked time, invoicing is guesswork. You either underbill (losing money) or overbill (damaging trust). Time tracking provides documented basis for accurate, defensible invoices.
Time tracking turns production work from guesswork into data-driven business. Every hour becomes visible, pricing becomes accurate, and how much you make becomes measurable.
Time tracking features music producers need
The essential time-tracking features for music producers connect hours logging and budgets with productions delivery, time tracking, and artists communication while handling the unique patterns that production work requires.
Core time-tracking features
- Custom templates: Add your logo, brand colors, typography, and terms. Create different templates for hourly work, budget tracking, earnings analysis. Set up once and apply with one click.
- Multiple payment methods: Accept credit cards through Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction), bank transfers via ACH (typically 0.8%), or PayPal. Offering multiple options increases completion speed.
- Automated reminders: Configure reminders before due dates, on due dates, and after. Follow-ups send automatically without you drafting messages or remembering to check status.
- Recurring automation: Schedule recurring tasks for retainer artists that send automatically on set dates. Pair with automation to complete without either party taking action.
- Time-to-billing conversion: Select tracked time entries from productions and convert directly to billable items. No copying hours from a time tracker. The description, duration, and rate pull automatically.
- Expense tracking: Log productions expenses with receipts attached. Add to artists billing at cost or with markup (common practice is 10-15%).
Music Producers-specific features
- Deposit collection: Request upfront payment before work begins. Industry standard is 25-50% deposit. Plutio should connect deposits to final billing automatically.
- Milestone billing: Split productions payment across phases. Each milestone triggers its own action when you mark that phase complete.
- Revision tracking: When scope expands beyond contracted revisions, the billing should reflect additional work. Connect revision logs to billing so extra rounds generate accurate charges.
- Proposal-to-project flow: When a artist accepts a proposal, the schedule should generate automatically based on the payment terms defined.
Platform features that multiply value
- White-label branding: Custom domain, logo, colors, and fonts. All artists-facing communications show your brand. artists never see the software vendor's name.
- Unified inbox: All artists messages, productions comments, and notifications arrive in one place. Reply without switching to email. Conversation history stays attached for context.
- Permissions: Control who sees what. Contractors see only their assigned work. artists see their portal, not your internal notes or margins.
- Customizable navigation: Rename menu items to match how you talk about your work. Hide features you don't use to reduce clutter.
- Mobile apps: iOS and Android apps for full functionality on the go. Work from anywhere with the same capabilities as desktop.
- Automations: Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. Set up once, runs continuously.
The deciding factor for music producers is integration depth. Time Tracking software that connects with proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, and artists communication eliminates the duplicate data entry that consumes hours every week.
time tracking software pricing for music producers
Time Tracking software for music producers typically costs $15-60 per month for separate tools, with the actual cost depending on feature depth, team size, and whether you need additional tools for a complete workflow.
What music producers typically pay for stacked tools
You producers piece together multiple subscriptions to cover their needs. A typical stack includes:
- Time Tracking software: time tracking software ($10-20/month), standalone timers ($12-20/month), a time tracker (Free-$12/month)
- Project management: General project client management software ($10.99-24.99/month), Legacy collaboration tools ($15/month), note-taking software ($8-15/month)
- Contract signing: e-signature software ($10-25/month), HelloSign ($15-25/month)
- Scheduling: scheduling software ($10-16/month), a scheduling app ($16-45/month)
- artists communication: Often email + Slack ($12.50/month)
Combined, this stack costs $75-200/month before counting the time lost switching between disconnected tools and the cognitive admin work of maintaining separate logins, data, and workflows.
Plutio pricing (January 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Up to 9 active artists, unlimited productions, proposals, contracts, invoicing, time tracking, artists portal, white-label branding, automations, and mobile apps.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited artists, 30 team contributors, advanced permissions, priority support, API access, and custom integrations.
Both plans include the full suite of features: proposals, contracts, invoicing, projects, time tracking, scheduling, artists portals, and communication. There are no feature gates that lock time-tracking behind higher tiers.
The ROI calculation for music producers
If you currently spend $120/month on separate tools and 10 hours/week on admin that could be automated, the math looks like this:
- Tool savings: $120/month to $19/month = $101/month saved
- Time recovered: 10 hours/week at $75/hour = $750/week in potential billable time
- Monthly impact: $101 direct savings + up to $3,000 in recovered billable capacity
Even if you only convert 2 of those 10 hours into actual billable work, that's $600/month in additional revenue, paid for by a $19 subscription.
Hidden costs to consider
- Payment processing fees: Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. PayPal charges 2.9% + $0.30. Bank transfers via ACH typically cost 0.8%. The time tracking software doesn't change these fees, but integrated platforms make it easier to offer multiple payment options.
- Learning curve: Switching tools has a time cost. Budget 2-4 hours for initial setup and 2-3 weeks to reach full comfort.
- Annual vs monthly: You offer 15-20% discount for annual billing. Plutio's annual plan works out to about $15/month.
When comparing time tracking software, add up what you currently pay for all the tools you'd replace. If stacked subscriptions exceed $50/month and Spending hours on manual data transfer between apps, brought together platforms typically offer both cost savings and time recovery.
Why Plutio is the best time tracking for music producers
Plutio handles time-tracking as part of a complete platform where proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, and artists communication work together rather than as separate tools that need manual connection.
Complete workflow integration
When a artist accepts your proposal, Plutio can automatically create the project, set up the time-tracking schedule based on milestone payments, and prepare the contract for signing. When they sign, setup tasks generate. When you track time on production work, those hours attach to the project. When a milestone completes, the action triggers. Every step connects to the next without copying data between systems.
White-label everything
Use your own domain (artists.yourstudio.com instead of plutio.com/yourusername). Upload your logo, set your brand colors and typography. Every artist-facing touchpoint shows your brand: proposals, contracts, invoices, portals, emails, receipts. artists never see "Plutio" or any indication you're using third-party software. Professional presentation matters for music producers because brand perception affects perceived value and justifies premium pricing.
Unified inbox for all artists communication
When a artist messages about a production, responds to a proposal, approves work, or asks about billing, the message appears in one inbox. Reply directly without opening email. The conversation history stays attached to that artist's record, so months later when they return, you have full context.
Granular permissions
Control exactly who sees what at the level that makes sense for your business. Contractors see only their assigned work. artists see their portal and documents. Neither sees your internal notes, profit margins, or other artists data.
No-code automations
Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. Common music producers automations include: send reminders before due dates, notify you when a artist views a proposal, create follow-up tasks when items are overdue, send welcome emails when contracts are signed. Set up once during initial configuration, runs continuously without attention.
Native integrations for music producers workflows
Connect Stripe and PayPal for payments with no additional configuration. Sync Google Calendar or Outlook for scheduling. Add Zoom links to booked calls automatically. Push financial data to accounting software or Leading bookkeeping tools for accounting. Use Zapier to connect 3,000+ other apps. Plutio handles the core workflow while integrating with specialized tools where deeper functionality is needed.
Everything runs from one app with your branding, your terminology, and your workflow logic. Instead of switching between 5-8 different tools to manage one artist, you operate from a single platform designed to handle the complete service business lifecycle.
How to set up time tracking for music producers in Plutio
Setting up time-tracking in Plutio takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, then 5-15 minutes per artist after your templates, rates, and integrations are in place.
Step 1: Configure default settings (30 mins)
Set your default hourly rate, standard payment terms (Net-15, Net-30), preferred currency, and tax settings. These defaults apply automatically unless overridden for specific artists. Consider setting your deposit requirement (25-50% is standard) and late fee policy (1-1.5% monthly is common).
Step 2: Create templates (1-2 hours)
Build 3-5 templates covering your common productions types. For music producers, recommended templates include:
- Full production package: 50% deposit, milestone payments, final on delivery. Includes scope for complete production work.
- Quick production: Simpler structure for smaller engagements.
- Monthly retainer: Automatic monthly billing. Specify included scope and how out-of-scope requests are handled.
- Rush production: Standard templates modified with 25-50% rate increase and expedited timeline.
Step 3: Connect payment processing (20 mins)
Link Stripe and/or PayPal to accept online payments. Both take 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Consider offering ACH bank transfer (typically 0.8%) for larger amounts. Test each payment method before using with artists.
Step 4: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) for scheduling, your accounting software (accounting software or Leading bookkeeping tools) for financial sync. If you have specialized needs, explore Zapier for additional connections.
Step 5: Import existing artists (30 mins)
Upload existing artists data via CSV export from your current system. Plutio maps common fields automatically. For active artists, create their productions records. For historical data, decide how much to migrate vs. archive.
Step 6: Test with one real production
Run through the complete workflow with an actual artist rather than a test account. Create the proposal, convert to production, track time, generate billing, send it, and confirm receipt. Real interaction reveals friction that test scenarios miss.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Over-customizing too early: Start with minimal templates and refine based on actual use rather than imagining every possible scenario upfront.
- Ignoring mobile: Download the mobile apps during setup and test key workflows.
- Skipping automation setup: Reminders and notifications save significant time. Configure these during initial setup.
Build templates for the 80% cases that cover most of your productions. Handle the other 20% by customizing the closest template per situation rather than trying to create templates for every possible scenario.
Time tracking templates for music producers
Different production types benefit from different tracking approaches.
Recommended activity categories
- Pre-production: Planning, arrangement, demo review
- Recording: Tracking sessions, engineering
- Editing: Comping, tuning, cleaning
- Mixing: Mix production, processing, automation
- Mastering: Mastering sessions, format delivery
- Revisions: Revision rounds, adjustments
- Admin: Emails, calls, coordination
- Meetings: Discovery calls, consultations
Tracking approaches by production type
- Album productions: Track by phase with hour budgets per phase
- Mixing projects: Track per song with quick manual entry
- Mastering: Simple per-track or per-album tracking
Reporting templates
- Weekly summary: Total hours by activity and artist
- Production earnings: Hours vs. budget vs. billed
- Artist analysis: Effective hourly rate per artist
Well-organized tracking provides specific data. Consistent categorization supports meaningful analysis.
Sharing time data with artists through client portals
A client portal gives your music producers artists one branded location to view productions status, access documents, approve the work, pay invoices, and communicate without emailing you for every update.
What artists see in their portal
The portal displays everything relevant to that artist's engagement: active productions with current status, pending proposals waiting for approval, contracts requiring signature, outstanding invoices with payment buttons, completed invoices and payment receipts, shared files and the work, and message history with your team. artists log in with their email address and see only their own data, never other artists' information.
Why portals matter for music producers workflows
Music Producers typically manage 8-20 active productions simultaneously. Without a portal, each artist emails when they have questions: "Where's the document I need to sign?", "Can you resend the invoice?", "What's the production status?", "Did you receive my payment?". These questions interrupt your production work and add up across many artists.
With a portal, artists answer these questions themselves. You send the portal link once during setup, and they access everything from there. Self-service access typically reduces "where is it?" emails by 70-80%, freeing you to focus on billable production work instead of administrative responses.
White-label portal branding
The portal displays your brand, not the software vendor's. Use your own domain (artists.yourstudio.com), upload your logo, apply your brand colors and typography. artists experience a direct extension of your business rather than logging into third-party software. Professional presentation matters for music producers because brand perception directly affects perceived value and willingness to pay premium rates.
Controlling artists visibility
Configure exactly what artists can see at the global, production, or individual level:
- Full transparency: Show everything including production tasks, time tracking, all documents, complete message history
- Document-focused: Show contracts, invoices, and the work. Hide internal tasks and time tracking
- Minimal: Show only invoices and payment options. Keep production details private
Different productions types may warrant different visibility settings. A retainer artist might see more detail about ongoing work, while a one-off production might only need invoice access.
The portal transforms artists communication from reactive (responding to requests) to proactive (providing access). artists get what they need instantly, and you reclaim the time previously spent on administrative email responses.
How to migrate time tracking to Plutio
Migration from another time tracking software typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend, with the best time to switch being between productions rather than mid-delivery when you have active artists commitments.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
You tracking software provides CSV export for artists data and document archives. Here's what to export from common tools:
- time tracking software: Export artists and productions data from Settings or Reports. Download important documents manually.
- standalone timers: Export contacts and history from Reports section. Download transaction history for reference.
- a time tracker: Export artists list and productions data. Use the data export feature for complete records.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Use your exported content as reference to create new templates. Start with the production type you use most frequently. Recreate 2-3 core templates initially rather than trying to migrate every document you've ever created. Focus on forward-looking workflows, not historical archives.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), calendar sync (Google Calendar, Outlook), and accounting software (accounting software, Leading bookkeeping tools). Test each integration with a sample transaction to make sure data flows correctly before relying on it for real artists work.
Step 4: Import artists data (30 mins)
Upload your artists CSV to Plutio. Map fields appropriately (name, email, company, phone, address). For active artists with ongoing productions, create their records. For historical artists you may never work with again, consider whether import is necessary.
Step 5: Run parallel for new work
Use Plutio for all new artists engagements while keeping the old system active for productions already in progress. Running parallel avoids the complexity of migrating mid-production work and gives you time to learn the new system on fresh productions. As active productions on the old system complete, those artists transition to Plutio for future work.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all active productions on your old system complete (typically 30-60 days), cancel that subscription. Maintain read-only access to historical records if the tool allows, or export final archives before cancellation.
Common migration pitfalls to avoid
- Trying to migrate everything: Focus on active artists and forward-looking workflows. Historical data can remain in archives.
- Switching mid-production: Finish in-progress work on the old system. Start new artists on Plutio.
- Not testing integrations: Verify payment processing works with a real (small) transaction before relying on it.
- Skipping the learning curve: Use the first 2-3 productions as deliberate learning opportunities.
The investment in migration pays back in time saved on every future production, proposal, and artists interaction. Plan for a weekend of setup and a few weeks of adjustment, then benefit from simplified workflows going forward.
