Getting Paid for Music

[Andrew Tarpinian]

Random thoughts:

I think the big thing is what do you want out of it? 1) If you want to do it because you think it will be a fun project and you want to do it for the experience. 2) If you seriously want to develop this opportunity as a viable way to make money and grow it into maybe a business.

If you are going route 2 you really want the job so you need to be aware of the market and not price yourself out of it, and you don't want to be so cheap that you have no foundation to build your reputation on. Depending on the client, money is an important factor, like Kai says a lot of time people have no clue what things like this cost, someone at the company at some point just thought "hey let's get a custom track made, cool!" Also now a days people can just go to Getty or iStock and license tracks that fit what they need for fairly cheap.

Look at what the music is for, how much it will be used, and most important how custom is it going to be? Are you going to have to make changes based on specific feedback or are they just asking for a cool track that fits a certain style. If it's not super duper custom you might want to look at charging a flat fee per track.

Also besides the custom aspect, look at your skills(and equipment) for creating a track like this in a timely fashion on a deadline, and also to not treat every project like it's the Mona Lisa. Do you have the ability to switch your hats back and forth from creative artist to professional producer? 

I agree with what was said you need to look at what it is worth to you and how much time you think it will take, 40/h sounds ok I think, but you want to look at the flat rate also. They will deff ask what you think the average cost of a basic track will be. So you may want to come up with a number (take that 40/h and just do the math how long you think it will take you*) and then tell them it will be such and such an hour for changes. Go with that to the company, but let them know that you are willing to work with them and their budget, it will make the relationship feel more collaborative and you might get a better peak it to what they have to spend, and you can adjust accordingly

*How long you think it SHOULD take you, it's ok to learn on the job and get paid for doing it but you don't want to charge clients for lots of extra learning time on your end. Remember people are paying you actual money to just fuck around on the computer :) love it.  

On Sep 18, 2010, at 7:11 AM, K9 Kai Niggemann <canine at waf80.de> wrote:

> 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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