Most projects start with a 30-minute call — not a formal brief, not a scope document, just a conversation about the spot. We look at the cut (or boards if you’re pre-production), your timeline, and your budget. From there we’ll tell you exactly what audio post will cost and what it’ll deliver. No slick-agency pitch. No fishing for budget.
If the project moves forward, we formalize scope and timeline, get the OMF or AAF from your editor, and schedule the spotting session — the working session where we review the cut together before touching anything. The spotting session is where creative alignment happens. It’s the most important hour of the project.
To get started: email [email protected] or call 415-772-5588.
The two things we need to begin work are a picture-locked cut and an OMF or AAF file exported from your editing application.
Picture lock matters because audio post built to an unlocked cut is work that gets redone when the edit changes. We can begin music search and spotting conversations before lock, but mixing and sound design wait for a locked picture.
The OMF or AAF transfers your edit’s audio tracks — dialogue, temp music, temp SFX — from your editing application (Avid, Premiere, Final Cut) into our Pro Tools session. A clean, well-organized export saves time and cost at every subsequent step. We provide a handoff guide specifying exactly how to export from each major application, including track labeling conventions and sample rate requirements.
For projects that also involve original music composition, we start the music process from the rough cut or even from script/boards — composition doesn’t require picture lock.
A standard 30-second broadcast spot with a clean OMF, no ADR, and licensed music already selected typically takes 3–5 business days from receipt of locked picture to delivery of final mix.
More complex projects take longer. Adding original music composition to the audio post scope extends the timeline by 2–6 weeks depending on how many demo directions are needed and how many revision rounds the music requires. Projects requiring ADR typically add 1–2 weeks for scheduling and recording talent.
Projects requiring broadcast delivery to multiple international markets (with M&E mixes, versioning, and platform-specific deliverables) add 1–3 days depending on the number of versions.
If your timeline is tight, tell us at the outset. Rush availability depends on current booking. We can usually accommodate urgent projects with a rush fee and will give you a straight answer about whether it’s possible.
Revisions work best in real time — meaning you or your creative director is in the session (in person at Airship Labs or remotely via Source-Connect) rather than sending notes on a watermarked MP4.
Real-time sessions eliminate the communication gap between what you hear, what you write in notes, and what an engineer interprets from those notes. “Make it punchier” means something specific when you can hear the change applied instantly and say “more” or “less” or “not that.” It’s faster, it produces better results, and it usually requires fewer total revision rounds.
For clients who prefer async review: we send a watermarked reference file, receive consolidated notes (one round of consolidated notes from all stakeholders, please — not rolling individual comments), and apply them. Custom music packages include up to 5 revision rounds as standard. Mixing and sound design revisions are covered within the project scope for minor adjustments; significant scope changes are discussed before they’re executed.
Yes — depending on current scheduling. Rush availability is real and not guaranteed, so the earlier you flag an urgent timeline, the better.
Rush fees apply for projects requiring delivery faster than our standard turnaround. The fee reflects the actual cost of prioritizing your project over others in the queue and, in some cases, working outside normal hours. Rush fees are quoted honestly upfront — not discovered on the invoice.
For campaigns with firm air dates (Super Bowl, broadcast premiere, product launch), we recommend building in buffer time at the audio post stage rather than betting on rush availability. A project that lands in our queue two weeks before air is much easier to schedule well than one that arrives with three days to delivery.
If your project has an emergency timeline: call us directly at 415-772-5588. Email is not the right channel for urgent coordination.
No. Swell is Bay Area-based but works nationally and internationally via Source-Connect remote session technology.
Since the post-COVID normalization of remote production workflows, geographic proximity to a studio is no longer a meaningful selection criterion for most advertising audio work. We regularly work with agency teams in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and internationally — supervising mix sessions in real time via Source-Connect, the same technology used by professional studios worldwide for remote recording and session collaboration.
The only situations where physical presence matters: voiceover recording or ADR where the talent needs to be in the booth. For those sessions, we can record talent locally via Source-Connect while the creative team directs remotely, or clients can arrange for talent to travel to Airship Labs Studios in Richmond, CA.
Swell delivers in all standard broadcast, streaming, and platform formats. The specific files you receive depend on your distribution channels and what’s specified in the project scope.
Standard deliverables for a broadcast spot include:
For projects requiring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround, or specific broadcast network spec sheets, we deliver to those requirements as standard. If your network or distributor has specific technical requirements, send us the spec sheet and we’ll confirm delivery against it.
Files are delivered via WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Frame.io depending on your preference.
Payment structure varies by project type and relationship history. For new clients, we typically structure projects as 50% upfront and 50% on delivery of final files.
For custom music projects, the deposit confirms the booking and covers the ideation and first demo phase. The balance is due on delivery of the final approved composition with stems.
For established agency clients with ongoing work, we can structure on a monthly invoice cycle. Music licensing fees for tracks sourced through Swell’s supervision work are typically passed through at cost with a supervision fee applied to the overall project.
For specific payment terms or to discuss agency billing structures, contact us at [email protected].
