Getting Paid for Music

[ibi sum]

> So, if you get asked to do music for, say in my case a slideshow/web 
> content/trade booth material, how do you determine your fees?  In the past I've 
> done a couple of projects that I got paid back in say cases of wine or something 
> (e.g. a Norther California winery).  But now I've been asked for some start up 
> company gig and was asked what my rate was, and I had to tell them that I get 
> back to them.  Anyway, for some one who gets paid as a software engineer I 
> couldn't determine how much I should be asking.  DJ gig rates was easier to 
> determine, especially when the hiring club tells you how much they are going to 
> pay, but for specific music projects, I have no idea.  Any suggestions?


My only suggestion (and its just that, don't take this seriously -bar)
is that you charge what you feel comfortable charging - i.e. is it
$40US/Hr. for 10 hours of work, and so on .. the industry has rates and
there are 'standards' for this, but its all baloney as far as I'm
concerned - you're being paid to do something you (presumably) love
doing, and if you feel the rate is fair, do it.  Forget what other
musicians tell you, or what 'the industry' dictates is a going rate and
so on.

Base it on a fixed estimate of time of how long it will take you to do
the project, also.  Really, you have to give your best estimate, plus an
additional %20 extra for 'expansion space' in the quote.  But, don't try
to profit from this - just get paid whats fair.  It *always* works
better if you, in your heart, think the price is valid and fair.  What
would you pay for that kind of music to be made, yourself?


-- 


;
--
ibi sum
::: :::