Remote Drum Recording Service | Online Session Drummer
Custom Drum Tracks Delivered in 48 Hours
Perfect for bands, artists & producers worldwide
Trusted by artists worldwide - over 2,500 songs recorded, including Grammy-nominated projects and music featured in TV and film
Remote Drum Recording by Online Session Drummer Chris Barber
Chris Barber - Online Session Drummer for Hire
Looking to hire a remote session drummer online who can deliver studio-quality drum tracks? I’m Chris Barber, a professional session drummer for 15+ years, specialising in remote drum recording services for songwriters, producers, and bands worldwide.
From my acoustically treated studio in the UK, I’ve recorded drums on over 2,500 songs - delivering real, live drums for Grammy-nominated projects, albums, and film soundtracks.
Whether you’re producing rock, pop, or metal, you can hire a real session drummer online to create custom remote drum tracks without the cost of booking a commercial recording studio.
Stop relying on lifeless MIDI loops and samples - get the feel, energy and groove of a real professional session drummer.
“I love producing and recording drums, but in NYC, it gets pretty pricey even with all the studio hookups that I have. So having someone who can track drums on their own and just send me the raw stems is a real game-changer.”
Who Is Remote Drum Recording For?
This service is designed for musicians, producers, and artists who want professional, live drum tracks without the need for a studio session.
Songwriters & Solo Artists
If you’re writing and producing a track, but need live drums to bring your song to life, I can create custom drum parts, whether you have a rough demo or a fully produced track.
Music Producers
I regularly work with producers who want to replace programmed drums on their clients’ tracks. I specialise in replacing MIDI drum parts with real, dynamic performances that add energy, human feel and realism to your productions.
Bands Without Access to a Studio or Session Drummer
If your band can’t get together to record in a studio, I can provide studio-quality drum tracks recorded remotely, with fast turnaround. You can hire a professional remote session drummer online and get high-quality drum recordings delivered straight to your inbox.
Why Hire a Remote Session Drummer?
Hiring a professional remote session drummer adds the human feel, energy and dynamics to your music that MIDI loops can’t match. The age of home studios has revolutionised music production; Grammy-winning albums are now being created in bedrooms rather than traditional, expensive commercial studios.
Online drum recording allows you to collaborate with a professional drummer from anywhere and quickly receive high-quality drum tracks for your song, all at an affordable price.
By working remotely, you gain access to real acoustic drum tracks, quick turnaround times (24–48 hours), cost savings compared to traditional studios, fully custom drum parts for your song, and the freedom from time constraints of a regular studio.
How Remote Drum Recording Works
Remote recording is the process of producing live multi-track recordings and sending them anywhere in the world. Remote drum recording is a service specifically designed for those who may not have the budget, time, or resources to produce high-quality drum tracks, but still need to hire a session drummer to perform live drum parts for their song. By using an online session drummer, you can get exactly that for an affordable price. In just three simple steps, you can add live multi-track drums to your music within hours.
Getting your custom live drum tracks is simple:
Send your track (with or without guide drums)
I record your custom drum tracks
You receive multitrack stems ready to drop into your session
Want more detail? Follow the link below to see the full remote recording process:
Pricing for Custom Drum Tracks
Every track is unique, so pricing varies depending on your song and specific needs for the session.
Remote drum sessions start from £125 per song, but I will always be transparent from the start and aim to keep the project within your budget.
What’s included:
Custom live drum parts for your track
Studio-quality recording
Fully mixed or raw multi-track stems
Revisions to get it exactly right
Turnaround:
Most projects are completed within 24-72 hours, depending on complexity and revisions.
Whether you need a straightforward live drum part for a song or a full album production, you’ll get professional results without the cost of hiring a studio and engineer.
For more details, view the full pricing page here
Drum Processing & Mixing
Not only is the studio equipped with high-end drums, microphones, and preamps, but it also features an extensive selection of professional audio processing software for mixing your drum tracks. With years of experience mixing not only drums but full bands also, Chris is an accomplished audio engineer who has refined the sound and mixing process for drum recording at this studio. You have the opportunity to get your drum tracks fully edited and mixed to suit your song, leaving you with one less thing to worry about and an incredible-sounding, polished track ready to drag and drop straight into your session.
Along with a stereo mix, you will also receive the processed stems and the raw stems.
Drum Performance Video
Want video content for your upcoming release?
I can record a professional multi-cam video of your drum session, which you can use for social media content to promote your release, or even for a music video or drum playthrough.
Ask about adding video to your session.
Check out Chris’ YouTube channel for drum covers and videos of real online drum sessions.
Remote Session Drummer Chris Barber in the studio.
Trusted by Artists Worldwide
2500+ Remote Drum Sessions
“Chris is the real deal: A great drummer, works fast, very responsive to the musical direction of your project, and has a great recording setup. The stems I got for my four-song project were perfect - I could not have asked for more. It’s like he tapped into the drums I was hearing in my head when I wrote the songs and just played that. My biggest worry is that with his talent and work ethic, he’s likely to command prices out of my budget in the future. Get in his Rolodex now, before he stops taking calls from indie acts like us!”
“The awesome thing about having Chris to make the drum tracks is that he does exactly what the song needs, he totally understands the concept of the music and makes it sound so much better. Competitive rates, amazing quality drum tracks, and he does those inspiring beats very quickly. If you don’t know what I’m talking about go watch his youtube channel, high-quality material all the way. Chris Barber is the drummer that we were looking for a long time, and now so glad that I found him to push our music to the next level.”
“A superb drummer, challenges himself to play anything he or the producer thinks are best for the song. Not to mention he’s incredibly fast, has a great-sounding kit and recording space, and his playing shows huge passion and power. Would definitely recommend him for any style.”
“Chris is an amazing person and drummer. I have worked with him on two different projects. Chris knocked them both out of the park. His professionalism and attention to detail are second to none in the industry. I, for one, will be hiring Chris again in the future; he is my online session drummer for life!”
“I needed backing drums for a cover track, and boy did Chris produce the goods!
Great communications, very quick turnaround. I received a quality mixed version along with all of the stems for my DAW. Couldn’t recommend highly enough.”
“The service that Chris offers is like nothing else available out there! Not only is he a fantastic drummer - playing with skill, precision and accuracy - but he is also a brilliant recording and mixing engineer, delivering a thoroughly professional end result of AWESOME sounding drum tracks. I’ve worked with Chris in several projects, and he is unfailing in his attention to detail. His ability to get a part nailed, tracked and sent over in good time has had me returning to him over and over. Plus, his prices are an absolute bargain for the quality of service. Thoroughly recommended!”
“This guy is simply top draw. Competitive rates, fast turnaround and, most importantly, top-quality drum tracks. Chris’ drumming has taken my project to a whole new level.”
“This was my first experience using a remote session drummer, and it was very positive. Chris is a talented, expressive and versatile drummer. He is also a quick worker and a professional and prompt communicator. He made the whole experience very smooth for me, and I would have no hesitation in recommending him to others.”
Studio & Recording Setup
Acoustically-treated recording studio with industry-standard equipment
Equipment List
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DW Collectors Series Maple (10” Rack Tom, 12” Rack Tom, 16” Floor Tom, 22” Kick Drum)
Vintage Ludwig 3 Ply Maple Kit
North Custom Drums African Mahogany Shells (13” Rack Tom, 16” Floor Tom, 22” Kick Drum)
Tama Superstar Hyperdrive Birch Shells (10” Rack Tom, 12” Rack Tom, 16” Floor Tom, 22” Kick Drum)
Ludwig 14x6.5 Supraphonic Snare Drum
Ludwig 14x6.5 Black Beauty
DW 14x6.5 Collectors Black Nickel Over Brass Snare Drum
North Custom Drums 14x6 100% Maple Snare Drum
Tama 13x7 100% Maple Snare Drum
Pearl Chad Smith Signature Snare Drum
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Sabian 14” Paragon Hi-Hats, 14” AAX-Celerator Hi-Hats, 14” AAX Medium Hi-Hats, 14” HHX Complex Hi-Hats
Sabian 18” AA Raw Bell Crash, 19” HHX Complex Crash, 18” HHX Complex Crash, 20” AA Raw Bell Crash, 18” AAX Plosion Crash 19” Artisan Crash
Sabian 21” AA Bash Ride, 21” HHX Groove Ride, HHX Complex Ride
Sabian 19” AA Holy China
Sabian 8” AAX Splash
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Tambourine, Shakers, Meinl Cajon
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Coles 4038 x2
Shure SM57 x3, Beta 52a, PG81 x2, PG56 x3, SM58
AKG C451 x3, D112, C414XL
SE z3300a, 2200a
FET47
UA Sphere DLX
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UA Apollo X8P Heritage
Audient ID44 Audio Interface 20in/24out
Audient ASP880 Preamp
Focusrite Octopre 8 Channel Mic Preamp
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Logic Pro X
UA Plugins
Waves Plugins
Slate Digital
FAQ
How much does a remote session drummer cost per song?
Prices start at around £125 ($165) per track but vary depending on the project and services required. Visit the prices page to find out more or contact to receive your personalised quote.
How long does it take to record and get the files sent over?
Usually, I will start recording your drums within 24 hours of contact, and expect to receive your files within 48 hours.
Do you offer discounts for large projects?
I can certainly offer discounts for bigger projects such as albums, and I'm always open to negotiating a price that works for you.
Why should I hire a session drummer online?
Hiring a session drummer for your song can truly elevate your sound to a professional level. You will benefit from my years of experience recording drum tracks for artists across all genres of music, and the unique sound of my drums and studio.
How many revisions do you offer?
Three revisions are included, with the option to add more for a small fee. It's quite rare to need more than this, but sometimes (especially for those prog-metal songs) it's inevitable and can be arranged.
Can we video call to discuss a project?
I’m more than happy to video call via Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom, or whatever else works for you to discuss your project and will be available throughout the process.
Can you stream the session live?
Yes - Using AudioMovers, I can stream the session directly to your DAW in real-time, allowing you to watch the recording process live.
Are you able to film the session?
Yes - I’m always filming my sessions to add content to social media, so this isn’t a problem! In my studio, I have some basic camera lighting along with a couple of 4K quality cameras which can achieve professional grade shots.
Can I hear some examples of individual stems?
I have plenty of session files I can send over before you decide to go ahead with the recording if required. Usually, I send individual WAV files for each track so that you know what kind of sound to expect, you can also hear the mixed stems alongside the raw stems for you to compare and decide if you want your drums mixing as well.
How shall I send my songs over?
You can send your songs via an online transfer link, websites such as Dropbox and WeTransfer work well for this, and in whichever format you prefer (mp3, WAV etc.).
How many microphones do you use?
My studio features a selection of industry-standard mics as listed above, and I typically use 13 microphones on a recording session which works nicely for my room. If you'd like a comprehensive list of my standard mic setup, send me an email to receive audio examples of past recordings including the individual stems and microphones used.
Ready to Hire an Online Session Drummer and Get Your Custom Live Drum Tracks?
Whether you’re working on a new single or an entire album release, bring your project to life with custom drum tracks played by a real professional session drummer - delivered within 48 hours.