Getting Paid for Music

[K9 Kai Niggemann]

Interesting and valid question. I get paid for making music often, but mainly within a project, say a theater production -- and there the fee varies greatly, depending on the funding of the production.

When I am asked to write for web, video etc, I am facing the same problem.

I think Jay's suggestion is fair. How many hours at 40USD are you putting into it? does it work for you if you end up charging the client between 500 USD an 8000 USD?  don't charge too much the first time or there will be no second (or first time, for that matter). charge too little and it will be difficult to ever increase the rate for that client...

The problem is that most clients have a general understanding what it costs to program software, but they have no idea why it should cost them more than buying a CD to get a song custom taylored...

Check out the rates of foundations for composers, divide them by three and you might get close to something reasonable...

Best,
Kai



On 18.09.2010, at 10:49, ibi sum wrote:

>> 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
> ::: :::
> 
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