Terms and conditions
This English text is a courtesy translation. Only the Dutch version is legally binding.
Algemene voorwaardenSummary
- A booking is confirmed once you accept a written quote and we receive the 30% deposit.
- You can move or cancel free of charge up to 7 days before the session; after that we charge 50% of the session fee.
- Mixing jobs include 2 revision rounds, and we keep your raw tracks for 12 months.
- Once you have paid in full, the rights in your recordings are yours. Dutch law applies; the Dutch text is binding.
01 Who we are and when these terms apply
These terms cover every quote, booking and job of the recording studio run by:
- Variatesystems B.V., private limited company (B.V.)
- Registered and visiting address: Wibautstraat 164, 1091 GR Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Chamber of Commerce (KvK) number: 88433815
- VAT number: NL880123825B01
- Phone: 020 846 3172 — e-mail: [email protected]
- Managing director: Sanne de Vries
They apply to consumers and business clients alike; where a rule applies to only one group, we say so. Anything that departs from these terms only counts if it is in writing (an e-mail is enough) in the quote or a confirmation. We expressly reject any general terms of a business client.
These terms come with every quote, and you can save or print this page. More about us as a company is in the legal notice.
02 Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Client | The person or business that accepts a quote or books a session. |
| Consumer | A client acting outside their trade or profession. A musician recording for personal enjoyment is usually a consumer; a label, production company or artist releasing commercially through their own business usually is not. |
| Session | Booked studio time with an engineer for vocal, voice or band recording. |
| Job | Work we carry out without you present, such as mixing or mastering. |
| Raw tracks | The unprocessed audio files recorded during a session. |
| Revision round | One combined list of changes to a mix, which we handle in a single pass. |
03 Quotes and how the contract is formed
Sending an enquiry through the contact form, by e-mail or by phone commits you to nothing. Within 2 working days we send a quote stating the date, length, service, price and deposit. A quote stays valid for fourteen days unless it says otherwise. Obvious mistakes or typos in a quote do not bind us.
The contract is formed when you accept the quote in writing and we have received the deposit described in article 5. Until then we do not hold the date for you. The minimum session length is 2 hours.
Not sure which service fits your project? Have a look at our services or the FAQ.
04 Prices and payment
All prices on the website and in quotes are in euros and include 21% VAT unless stated otherwise. Business clients get an invoice showing VAT separately. Current rates include:
- Vocal and voice recording: €75 per hour, or €260 per 4-hour session
- Band and live recording: €495 per 8-hour day, or €275 per 4-hour session
- Mixing: €220 per track, or €950 for an EP of up to 5 tracks
- Mastering: €65 per track, or €540 for an album of up to 12 tracks
Consumers pay the balance at the end of the session or, for mixing and mastering, before we deliver the final files. Business clients pay within 14 days of the invoice date. If a session runs over at your request, we charge each started half hour at the hourly rate in the quote.
If a consumer pays late, we first send a free reminder giving fourteen more days; only after that can statutory interest and the collection costs permitted by law be charged. For business clients, statutory commercial interest applies from the due date.
05 Deposit, rescheduling and cancellation
When you accept the quote you pay a deposit of 30% of the session or job fee. It is deducted in full from the final invoice.
| When | Result |
|---|---|
| More than 7 days before the session | Free rescheduling or cancellation; the deposit is refunded or moves to the new date. |
| 7 days or less before the session | We charge 50% of the booked session fee, offset against the deposit. |
| No-show without notice | Treated as a late cancellation: 50% of the session fee. |
Tell us by e-mail or phone; what counts is the moment we receive your message. If we have to call off a session, for example because the engineer is ill or equipment fails, we offer a new date or refund everything you paid within fourteen days. Your statutory withdrawal right as a consumer is separate from this, see article 6.
06 Right of withdrawal for consumers
If you book as a consumer at a distance (website, e-mail or phone), you generally have fourteen days from the conclusion of the contract to withdraw without giving a reason. Send a clear statement by e-mail to [email protected]; you may use the model withdrawal form but do not have to. We refund what you paid within fourteen days of your notice, using the same payment method.
If your session falls within those fourteen days, we ask you, when you accept the quote, to expressly agree that the service may start before the withdrawal period ends. If you then withdraw anyway, you pay an amount proportionate to the part already performed. Once the service has been fully performed after your express consent and your acknowledgement that you then lose the right of withdrawal, you can no longer withdraw.
Business clients have no right of withdrawal; only article 5 applies to them.
07 Sessions and house rules
The studio works by appointment: Monday to Friday 10:00–22:00, Saturday 11:00–18:00, closed on Sunday. Sessions by appointment only. Your session starts at the booked time, even if you arrive late. Setting up and packing away your own instruments is part of the booked time.
- The minimum age for an unaccompanied session is 16. Younger musicians are welcome with a parent or guardian, who also enters into the contract.
- Up to 6 musicians can play in the live room at once.
- Studio equipment is operated by our engineer or with their agreement.
- Smoking, drugs and drinking alcohol during the session are not allowed. In case of unsafe behaviour or deliberate damage we may end the session; the booked fee remains due.
- Damage to studio equipment caused deliberately or through gross carelessness is at your expense.
For preparation tips, read how to prepare a vocal session and budgeting a band recording.
08 Mixing, mastering and revision rounds
For a mixing or mastering job, deliver your files as described in delivering tracks for mixing. We start once the files are complete and the deposit has arrived; the expected turnaround is in the quote.
Every mixing job includes 2 revision rounds. A revision round is one combined list of notes. Extra rounds, or changes that amount to a new mix (new recordings or a different arrangement, for instance), are charged at the hourly rate after we agree on it with you. For mastering we deliver one master per format; technical targets for streaming are explained in mastering for streaming.
Taste is personal: we commit to careful work against the references we agreed, not to a particular commercial result, number of streams or acceptance by a platform or label.
09 Files, delivery and archive
We deliver the agreed files through a download link once payment is complete. As a courtesy we keep raw tracks and project files for 12 months after the session or the last delivery, then delete them without further notice.
Always keep your own copy of what you receive. If you want files kept longer or copied to your own drive, ask when you book. Files you send us are used only for your job.
10 Copyright and neighbouring rights
You (or the rights holders you represent) keep ownership of the compositions, lyrics and performances. Once you have paid in full, you also acquire the phonogram producer's rights in the masters and mixes we make for you; to the extent needed, we transfer those rights to you at that point. Until full payment, you may not release or exploit the delivered work.
You confirm that you are entitled to use the material you bring or send (such as samples, beats or lyrics by others). If Variatesystems is held liable because that turns out not to be the case, you indemnify us, unless you are a consumer and not at fault.
We only mention your project in our own communication, for example as a reference, with your prior permission. Credits as engineer or mixer are appreciated but not required.
11 Conformity and complaints
We carry out every session and job with the care you can expect from a skilled professional. As a consumer you also have the statutory rights that apply when a service does not conform to the contract; these terms do not limit them.
If you are unhappy with something, tell us as soon as possible, preferably within two months of noticing the problem, by e-mail to [email protected] with a short description. We reply within 2 working days and work towards a solution with you, such as a free correction or a replacement session. Technical errors on our side, like a corrupt or incomplete export, are always fixed free of charge.
12 Liability
Our liability for damage caused by a failure on our part is limited to the amount you paid for the session or job concerned. For business clients we are not liable for indirect loss, such as lost income or a missed release date.
These limits do not apply in case of intent or deliberate recklessness by us or our management, nor to death or personal injury. You remain responsible for instruments and belongings you bring to the studio, unless damage is our fault.
13 Force majeure
If we cannot carry out a session or job because of circumstances beyond our control, such as a power cut in the building, government measures, fire or water damage, that is force majeure. We let you know as soon as possible and offer a new date. If that does not suit you, we refund what you paid for the part not performed. The same applies the other way round if force majeure keeps you from coming, provided you tell us before the session starts.
14 Personal data
We process your data to handle your booking and payment and to meet our legal bookkeeping obligations. How we do that, who we share data with and your rights under the GDPR are set out in our privacy policy. Where we process personal data on your behalf as a business service provider, for instance recordings of voice actors you supply, our data processing agreement also applies.
15 Governing law and disputes
Dutch law governs every contract with Variatesystems. If you are a consumer living in another EU country, you keep the protection of the mandatory rules of your own country.
If we cannot resolve a dispute together, it can be brought before the competent court. For business clients that is exclusively the District Court of Amsterdam. Consumers may choose the court of their own place of residence. Variatesystems is not affiliated with a disputes committee or any other out-of-court dispute resolution scheme.
16 Changes and version
We may update these terms. For a quote you have already accepted, the version that applied at that time remains in force. This version applies from 5 October 2026 and was last updated on 5 October 2026.
The Dutch text is legally binding; this English version is a translation for information. Questions? Get in touch.