You're Switching from Wave.
Here's Why Music Producers Choose Nexa.

Wave
$19/mo
$228/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 14.7 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from Wave after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified music producer, former Wave customer

The Bottom Line

Music Producers on Wave pay $19/month — $228/year. Over three years, that's $684. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 14.7 months. The median music producer earns $35,000/year, so Wave's annual cost is roughly 0.7% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$35,000
Median music producer income
2.5%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
14.7 mo
Break-even vs Wave
$405
3-year savings switching to Nexa

What Wave Is Costing You

The Damage

Wave monthly $19/mo
Annual drain $228/yr
Year 2 (at today's price) $228
Year 3 $228
3-year total $684

That's $684 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.

Your Wave subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Why Music Producers Leave Wave

✗Higher payment processing fees than competitors
✗Limited features compared to QuickBooks
✗Support limited on free plan
✗No mobile invoicing on free
✗Acquired by H&R Block - future uncertain
✗Wave wins for freelancers who don't need inventory, but payment processing fees are slightly higher.

See the full history of Wave price changes in the SaaS Graveyard →

Music Producers are leaving Wave every week.

You're not the only one who's had enough.

Why This Matters for Music Producers

Most of my work is producing songs for independent artists. A project starts with the artist sending a rough demo, a voice memo and a guitar, and a few reference tracks for the sound they want. From there I'm building the arrangement: drums, bass, chords and the parts that make the chorus lift, then recording vocals, often over several sessions, directing takes until the performance is right. Editing is detailed work, comping the best takes, tuning where it's needed without making it robotic, and tightening the timing. Then the mix: balancing every part, EQ and compression, effects, and making it sound good on headphones, in a car and on a phone. I send versions, the artist sends notes, and we revise. Mastering is sometimes me and sometimes a specialist. Everything is agreed up front: my fee, how many revisions, and who owns what, including any royalty points on the master. I also sell beats and sample packs online. I take a deposit before the session and the balance before I send the final files.

Music Producers face unique challenges: Session rate vs. project rate vs. royalty-based compensation. Studio time costs if renting, or home studio overhead if owned. Plugin and software subscriptions ($50-200/month). Royalty tracking and backend revenue is nearly impossible. On top of all that, Wave charges $19/month ($228/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median music producer earns $35,000/year. Software at $228/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your DAW (Logic, Pro Tools, Ableton) is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.

Your Full Stack Cost

Wave is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?

Want this breakdown emailed to you?

Your exact Wave cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.

"I was paying Wave $19/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $684 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Music producer business owner

What You Get Instead

Feature Wave Nexa
Invoicing ✓ ✓
Scheduling ✗ ✓
CRM ✗ ✓
Time Tracking ✗ ✓
Full Accounting ✓ ✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management ✗ ✓
Works offline ✗ ✓
Price $19/mo forever $279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost $684 $279
Stop paying? Lose everything Keep everything forever

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most music producers are fully switched before the weekend.

1

Export your data

Go to Settings → Data Export. Download customers, invoices, transactions, and accounts.

2

Set up Nexa

15-minute setup. Import your client list and bank transactions from CSV.

3

Parallel run

Run both for 1-2 weeks. Re-create recurring invoices in Nexa and check your bank imports.

4

Cancel Wave

Cancel paid features. Your free account data stays accessible for records.

✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel Wave when you're confident. Zero risk.

What music producers actually deal with

A day in the life of a music producer

Most of my work is producing songs for independent artists. A project starts with the artist sending a rough demo, a voice memo and a guitar, and a few reference tracks for the sound they want. From there I'm building the arrangement: drums, bass, chords and the parts that make the chorus lift, then recording vocals, often over several sessions, directing takes until the performance is right. Editing is detailed work, comping the best takes, tuning where it's needed without making it robotic, and tightening the timing. Then the mix: balancing every part, EQ and compression, effects, and making it sound good on headphones, in a car and on a phone. I send versions, the artist sends notes, and we revise. Mastering is sometimes me and sometimes a specialist. Everything is agreed up front: my fee, how many revisions, and who owns what, including any royalty points on the master. I also sell beats and sample packs online. I take a deposit before the session and the balance before I send the final files.

The tools a working music producer actually owns

Why music producers leave the big platforms

Where music producers actually talk shop

Local music producers on Nexa

Real music producers near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a music producer? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every music producer on Nexa →

FAQ

Is Nexa really a Wave replacement for music producers?

For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. Wave may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

$279 seems like a lot.

It's $7.75/month over 3 years. Wave is $19/month — that's $684 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.

What if I don't like it?

30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.

Can I import my Wave data?

Export your data from Wave as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.

Music Producers in Orem

The average solo operator there spends about $2,352/year on software — and music producer face their own version of that math. UT state licensing requirements apply.

Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Orem metro. Your situation will vary.

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Music Producers run into with Wave, and what Nexa does instead.

✗
Wave gapScheduling
✓
NexaBuilt-in scheduling and booking — no separate tier.
✗
Wave gapCRM
✓
NexaFull CRM module included in $279.
✗
Wave gapTime tracking
✓
NexaBuilt into Nexa’s $279 once purchase — no separate add-on.

Where Music Producers Talk Shop

If you want to compare notes or see how other music producers are running their tools, here's where the conversation happens.

Reddit
r/WeAreTheMusicMakers, r/musicproduction, r/audioengineering
Forums
GearSpace (formerly Gearslutz), VI-Control
YouTube
Andrew Huang, Produce Like A Pro, Recording Revolution
Podcasts
URM Podcast, The Mastering Show
"Wave raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Music producer, switched from Wave

Stop Losing $228/Year to Wave

$684 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee — save $500 or full refund

Still want Wave?

We think Nexa is the better deal at $279 once vs $19/mo. But if you've decided on Wave, here's the link. No hard feelings.

Wave — $19/mo →

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