and that's how they trick and trap artists. They will buy big blocks of studio time on discount for the amount of time they are purchasing, and THEN charge the artist the regular rate making a profit. For example, if a studio charges $200 an hour, the label can get it for the entire month and at that rate it will be about $75-100 on a discount. They will then charge the artist the $200 rate therefore making a profit on the time bought that the artist must recoup at crazy royalty rate.
You can definitely get high quality recordings from a home studio in 2024. A simply $5k investment can get you all that is needed and then you just pay to get it mixed and mastered. Billie Eillish and her brother recorded her first album in his bedroom on Logic and a UA interface. You don't need to be in a million dollar studio to get quality anymore. That's bullshyt.