Film crew hire/Manchester/Sound recordist
Hire a sound recordist in Manchester. Clean dialogue, every word, whatever the room sounds like.
Sound recordists for interviews, documentaries, brand films and events across Greater Manchester and the North, booked from our office in Ancoats. They mic everyone who speaks, hold the boom, fight the air conditioning and hand over sound the edit doesn’t have to rescue. £550 a day, paid to the recordist in full.
- 54 five-star Google reviews
- 48 hrs from enquiry to confirmed crew, on most Manchester bookings
- £10m employers’ liability on every crew member we book
- 2,800+ freelance crew on our books
Photos: Here Now Films, Keagan Henman, Hassan OUAJBIR and Adil Mukhi
The role
What a sound recordist does on your shoot
A sound recordist, or sound mixer, records everything you hear in the film: the interviews, the dialogue, the room. They place radio mics on the people speaking, boom from above, mix and record it all, and listen to every take in headphones so a rustle or a plane gets caught on the day, not in the edit.
Picture problems can often be fixed in the grade. Bad sound usually means doing it again, or living with it. That’s why a recordist is the first person we add to a camera operator.
- Every voice clean. Radio mics hidden on clothes, and a boom for the natural sound of the room.
- Noise dealt with. Air conditioning off, fridges unplugged, doors closed, takes held for planes.
- Backed up twice. Recorded on two cards, with timecode matched to the cameras.
- Mics fitted with care. Explained to contributors before they’re fitted, and fitted by someone they’re comfortable with.
What’s included
What the day rate covers
In the day rate
- An 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch
- Radio mics on everyone speaking
- Boom for the room and for movement
- Mixing, recording and monitoring every take
- Timecode synced to the cameras
- Sound files and the sound report at wrap
On top, each on its own line
- Our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance, on the whole quote
- Their sound kit, at a day rate on its own line
- A boom operator, for drama or a big cast
- Travel outside Greater Manchester, at cost
How our rates work, and the two ways to book: crew rates in Manchester.
Two ways to book
Crew hire or full production: who’s the producer of record?
One question sets the price: who’s the producer of record? Book a recordist for your own shoot, or have us take the production on.
Crew hire
You run the shoot.
10% + 2% booking fee and insurance, on everything we book for you: crew, kit and travel.
We do
- Find, book and brief the crew, and pay them
- Book kit, travel and hotels too, if you want them
- Send the full price before anything is booked
- One person to call all day
- Employers’ liability for the crew we book, and insurance on kit we hire in
You do
- Run the shoot, or your producer does
- The plan, the schedule and the call sheet
- The location, its permission and its public liability
- Responsibility for the production: you’re the producer of record
What the 2% insures: employers’ liability for every crew member we book, and the kit we hire in for you. Nothing else on the shoot. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
Full production
We’re the producer of record.
15% + 5% production fee, plus insurance and contingency, on the whole production budget. Quoted as a production.
We do
- Our producer plans it with you and runs the day
- Locations, permits, kit, studio, travel and hotels, booked and paid in our name
- Insurance for the whole shoot, public liability included, plus the risk assessment and the call sheet
- One contract and one invoice, so overseas teams need no UK company
You do
- The creative calls
- Signing off the plan and the budget
What the 5% pays for: our production insurance across the whole shoot, £10m public liability included, and the contingency.
Not sure which you need? If your own producer or director will run the day, it’s crew hire. If you want us to take the production on, it’s a full production quote.
On the day
A day with a sound recordist, call to wrap
Interviews with four people in an office at MediaCityUK, then B-roll. Times are an example; the call sheet sets the real ones.
- 08:00 Listen to the room Air conditioning, the lift, the coffee machine, the window onto the tram line: what can be switched off, and what can’t.
- 08:30 Set up Recorder and receivers on the cart, timecode jammed to both cameras.
- 09:30 First contributor A radio mic fitted under a collar, a boom just out of shot, a sound check while the producer chats.
- 10:15 A hold A delivery van reversing outside. Two answers asked again.
- 13:00 Lunch Batteries changed, files backed up.
- 14:00 B-roll and atmos Room tone recorded for the edit, and the sound of the place for the B-roll.
- 18:00 Wrap Mics collected, files and the sound report handed over.
Which kind
Which sound set-up do you need?
The kit and the crew change with the number of voices and how much they move.
Interview kit Two radio mics and a boom £550 a day + kit
A recorder, two or three radio mics, a boom and headphones. Enough for most interviews and corporate films.
Best for interviews, testimonials and talking heads.
Multi-voice and panels Four to eight radio mics £550 a day + kit
More channels, more radio mics, and often a feed from the venue’s desk.
Best for panels, round tables and conferences.
Documentary and run-and-gun Light, mobile, on the move £550 a day + kit
A bag rig with radio mics and a boom, following the action and the conversation.
Best for branded documentaries and observational filming.
Sound mixer and boom operator Drama and adverts Quoted on the brief
A mixer at the cart and a boom operator on the floor, for dialogue scenes with movement.
Best for drama, adverts and anything with a script.
Sound to camera No recordist Not recommended
Mics plugged straight into the camera, with nobody listening. It works until it doesn’t.
Fine for a quick vox pop; risky for anything you can’t do again.
What it’s for
What people book a sound recordist for in Manchester
Interviews and customer stories
Offices from Spinningfields to MediaCityUK, with air conditioning that never quite switches off.
Conferences and panels
Several mics, a feed from the venue’s desk, and a backup of both.
Documentaries
Following real people at work: factories, hospitals, kitchens.
Sport
Interviews at training grounds and clubs, with wind and crowds to deal with.
Brand films
Dialogue and the sound of the place, recorded for the mix.
Recent work
Sound on our jobs, in and around Manchester
Crew hire · Alderley Edge, Cheshire · NYT Studios
Sound for The Athletic
A sound recordist on the pilot of The Athletic’s Truth or Padel, in a back garden in Alderley Edge: radio mics on both players through the match, and a boom for the sit-down.
Crew hire · Manchester, Bolton, London · 2024
Radio mics and boom for Davies Group
Sound for a leadership conference in Manchester and interviews in Bolton and London: radio mics and boom for sit-down interviews, vox pops and stage talks.
Before you book
Things to know
The day
- 11 hours, including an hour for lunch.
- Overtime at card rates, agreed with you before it happens.
The location
- Tell us what’s nearby: trains, building work, air conditioning, a busy road.
- We’ll ask the location to switch off what can be switched off, before the day.
Paying and changes
- Nothing to pay until you confirm the recordist.
- 50% by card when you book, 50% on receipt of the final rushes.
- Every line on the quote: day rate, booking fee, kit, travel.
- Cancellation terms are on every quote.
What our insurance covers
- Employers’ liability for the recordist we book: £10m.
- Kit we hire in for you is insured. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote.
- Nothing else on a crew hire. Public liability, the location and your own kit stay with you, and your venue will want your certificate. When we’re the producer of record, our policy covers the shoot.
£550 a day
APA/Bectu card benchmark (sound mixer): £541–668 a day.
| Day rate, 11 hours | £550 |
| Booking fee, 10% | £55 |
| Insurance, 2% | £11 |
| One day, before kit and travel | £616 + VAT |
The 2% is employers’ liability for the recordist we book, and cover on kit we hire in. What it covers
You won’t pay anything until you confirm the recordist.
- Most Manchester bookings confirmed within 48 hours
- 50% by card at booking, 50% on the final rushes
- Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours
Or call us on 07412 543822.
Reviews
What clients say about our crews
Straight from our Google Business Profile.
Book a sound recordist in Manchester.
Tell us how many people are speaking, where, and what the place sounds like. Our team reads every brief within 2 working hours. Or call us on 07412 543822.
Check availability
The whole crew
Every role in Manchester, booked the same way
One brief, one quote, every role on its own line. Our day rates in Manchester, paid to the crew member in full:
Production 05
- Producer From £450
- Production manager £504–627
- 2nd AD £355–448
- Production assistant £400
- Runner £245
Camera 07
- DOP From £850
- Camera operator £529–656
- Focus puller £461–575
- Clapper loader £355–448
- Steadicam operator From £950
- Gimbal operator £529–656
- Drone operator From £750
Data and playback 02
- DIT £527
- Video playback £334–518
Sound 01
- Sound recordist This page £550
Hair, make-up and costume 02
- Hair and make-up £398
- Costume £519–694
Art department 02
- Art director £675–878
- Set builders £341–512
Post-production 01
- Editor From £350
How our rates work: crew rates in Manchester. Or start from a set-up: interview crews and units in Manchester.
Production support
Everything around the crew
Sound starts with the location. Here are the guides for everything around the crew, each item its own line on the quote.
Questions
Hiring a sound recordist in Manchester: questions
How much does a sound recordist cost in Manchester?
Our sound recordists are £550 for an 11-hour day, including an hour for lunch, paid to the recordist in full; the APA/Bectu card for a sound mixer sets £541–668. On top go our 10% booking fee and 2% insurance: £616 + VAT for the day. Their sound kit goes on its own line.
What does the insurance on a crew booking cover?
Two things. Employers’ liability for every crew member we book, up to £10m, and insurance on the kit we hire in for you. That’s what the 2% pays for. A large kit rental may need extra insurance, as its own line on the quote. The 2% doesn’t insure the rest of the shoot: public liability, the location, your own kit and anything you book yourself stay with you, because you’re the producer of record. If you’d rather we were, it’s quoted as a full production, and our insurance covers the whole shoot, public liability included.
Do I need a sound recordist for an interview?
Yes, if you care about the sound. A recordist listens to every take, fixes problems while the contributor is still in the chair, and gives the edit clean, backed-up audio.
Do your recordists bring their own kit?
Yes: a recorder, radio mics, a boom and headphones, priced at a day rate on its own line.
How many radio mics do I need?
One for each person speaking at the same time, and a spare. For a panel of four and a host, that’s six.
Can you deal with a noisy location?
Mostly. We ask for air conditioning and machines to be switched off, choose the quietest room, and hold takes for planes and trains. Tell us what’s nearby when you book.
How far ahead should I book a sound recordist in Manchester?
Most Manchester bookings are confirmed within 48 hours. Good recordists get booked first, so the earlier the better.