How much should I charge. {with a catch!??!!}

[ShipwreckSoundWorks]

I was hoping someone could give me some advice on this business aspect of the recording industry. What good/reasonable rates are, and how I can gain a little bit more without driving my clients away. Im only 16 so it makes it hard for people to take me seriously sometimes. Thanks.

 

[SocialNumb]

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

Someone should be along soon to help you with your issue.

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

I foresee that this thread will have longetivity.

 

[AudioPhile777]

Charge as much as people will pay.

/thread

 

[LoftMusicRob]

Step 1) Buy Pro Tools at Toys R Us

Step 2) ???

Step 3) Profit

 

[ShipwreckSoundWorks]

I really just want to know how to successfully run this as a business.

 

[ShipwreckSoundWorks]

Not get mocked. But thanks for the help

 

[Jordon]

How to successfully run a studio as a business and asking how much to charge people are two very, very different questions. Charge what the market will bare for the services your provide.

 

[DanLights]

I understand and usually support the "you're going for so cheap you're only hurting yourself and the whole industry" bashing, but I think he's being honest and open to suggestions, I see no reason not to help with advice.

I think an hourly rate for recording/producing and a per song rate for mixing/mastering is kind of the usual way around here, I don't get 100$ for mixing an album though, are you insane? Or did I get it wrong?

 

[ShipwreckSoundWorks]

Thank you. I appreciate a decent response. And for the 100 mixing concern: That's why I'm here. If 100 is unreasonable I'm glad I know now. Is it too little? Too much? I'm just trying to figure out a way to gain a little bit for what I'm passionate about, but I don't want to drive all my business away either with ridiculous rates. I just wanted some advice on what is and isn't a good idea. Yeah I switched today to an hourly system and I have a few new clients on board with it.. So it will go okay I hope. I was just sketched out about it because I don't really know what I'm doing in the business aspect of this. I'm too soft with people and I like helping my scene out as much as I can, because not everyone can afford too much so I have always been happy to help them out.

 

[Scott Horner]

Listening to the From Undefeated Hands sample, I would say you could easily charge $75-100 per song depending on the market in your area. However, I would charge hourly for tracking and a set rate for the mix/master. I learned this lesson the hard way after a band told me they were well prepared to record and I agreed to a flat-rate per song. Turns out the lead player had almost nothing written and wanted to sit in with me and basically have me help him write the lead parts. Never again.

EDIT: Dan is a wizard and said pretty much exactly what I was thinking. And yes, $100 per album for a mix is ridiculous. Absolute minimum should be $30/song and that is "friend" prices.

 

[ShipwreckSoundWorks]

I learned this lesson the hard way after a band told me they were well prepared to record and I agreed to a flat-rate per song. Turns out the lead player had almost nothing written and wanted to sit in with me and basically have me help him write the lead parts. Never again.

That's exactly why I'm changing to hourly. A band came through and tracked drums for 7 hours and then decided to go somewhere else without telling me. They even wanted to finish a song for free because they felt bad bailing. Forget them. So I have learned my lesson

 

[Jordon]

The way I break down my pricing is like this (I'm using example prices, not what I actually charge)

Typical hourly rate: $35/hr
Per song: $500, tracking-to-mix
If the band wants to be there while I'm mixing, I charge my hourly rate. This is in the studio contract. I do that because it invariably takes 3-4 times as long to mix a song/record with the band present in the room.

For mixing a record that I didn't track, I charge the hourly, or give them block rates, basically because I don't trust 80% of the material I receive if it's a record I didn't engineer. I end up having to do a lot of cleanup work from people who don't realize that tuning vocals is *not* a mix-stage part of the production. For any mix, I give the band 3 free revisions per song. After that, it goes to the hourly rate.

Mastering is a per-song rate, but I try not to do a lot of mastering.

Always get a 50% deposit up front, and have them sign a contract laying out time booked, base price, and cans and can-nots in the studio. Do not release ANY mixes until you are paid in full.


The hard part comes in judging what you are worth. Don't be the kind of guy who under-values himself. I fell into that trap for a while, and now I'm paying for it. Also, don't charge too far above your skillset. It's a fine line to walk, and it's difficult to get right.


NOTE: ALL pre-production is charged hourly.

 

[ShipwreckSoundWorks]

The hard part comes in judging what you are worth. Don't be the kind of guy who under-values himself. I fell into that trap for a while, and now I'm paying for it. Also, don't charge too far above your skillset. It's a fine line to walk, and it's difficult to get right.

As have I in a way. I mean I never cared much for the money anyway, but I always did that and that's how I ended up getting stuck with such a low rate.

 

[colonel kurtz]

I really just want to know how to successfully run this as a business.

don't

go to school for something that will actually pay the bills

 

[mva801]

^^^ Best advice yet! Even if you do make money with this, it will all go to gear. Bah. And it will probably ruin your ears, and leave you with no friends because you're in the studio 14 hours a day 7 days a week.

 

[Plendakor]

Hell yeah, going to school to get a career then make a shitload of money to build a studio in my basement and in the house I'll build was my plan. I just wish I had woke up a few years earlier.

 

[colonel kurtz]

seriously though, very few people make enough money off of this shit to do it as their sole source of income nowadays, and the chances for a 16 year old kid who's just getting into it are pretty slim. for every sturgis out there, there's 1,000 guys with a room full of dusty gear that's still being paid off - and i'm one of them

 

[LeSedna]

Hell yeah, going to school to get a career then make a shitload of money to build a studio in my basement and in the house I'll build was my plan. I just wish I had woke up a few years earlier.

This, your work life is gonna be something like 40 or 50 years. It's better finding a good job that doesn't know crisis, and that pays bills and even more. If you like production you will easily be able to do it in your free time. Instead of buying a new 2nd car you will buy all the gear you want. And then think about doing it seriously in your free time. you would have a job already.

Eventhough I have as a first job a job I love (I mean I didn't do it by need and since I was a kid I wanted to do ot) it's exactly what I'm doing. At 24 I'm technically able to buy a place and be done with paying it in 10 years if not less. This gives me an incredible headroom for everything in life, but it's of course with many sacrifices. There is no secret.

As a short term answer to your question, think about the time you spend on a record, how much in a month it takes, and then think about what money you need in a month to live. About the minimum wage in your country. Then add some % because you should be taxed on that at some point, and there will be social taxes as well to pay.

Here for example, an average wage salary to make it simple would be 10e. So asking for less than 20/25/30 euro per hour is not sustainable because :
- you need to live
- you need to pay your taxes which are more or less lets say 5e
- you need to pay a rent
- you maybe need to pay the rent of the studio you use to track drums if you do
- you need investment in gear for the future and you don't want all te profit to get into this category because of category 1
- and also because it's not a simple job so being paid the minimum wage for it is not diserved not normal

Now you have to convince clients but at least you will attract only serious ones.

But seriously, finish school and by that we mean have a degree in something that gives job. You WILL thank yourself later for having a degree.

 

[LeSedna]

(sorry double post)