Payment- how do you deal with it?

[if6was9]

Do you take payment at the end of every day, at the end of tracking, or when the product is delivered?

I've no standard with this but want to start doing it the same with every project cause the last few have gotten messy with half days and mix revision days and such.

How do you guys do it?

Obviously the final product doesn't leave the studio until payment is complete

 

[::XeS::]

Little deposit before the start and payment when the product is delivered....but no money in my hand, no cd delivered

 

[Force666]

I prefer 50% upfront, 50% at completion

 

[Erik Monsonis]

I prefer 50% upfront, 50% at completion

I don't offer tracking services, so for each mix project I require that.

It's fair for everybody and I've never received a single complaint so far

My associated recording studio asks for the 100% at completion though (for tracking only)

 

[joeymusicguy]

payed in advance, if not in full, then at least half before production begins

if no payment, then no roughs, no stems, no nothing.

 

[kaomao]

Little deposit before the start and payment when the product is delivered....but no money in my hand, no cd delivered

and what if they ask you some samples?

 

[Jordon]

50% upfront. I ask for it at least 2 weeks before tracking begins if it's gonna be a big project or if they are paying with check (which I rarely accept). The other 50% before any rough mixes leave my hands, no exceptions. I've gotten burned (I'm sure everyone has) with people running off with rough mixes and disappearing off the face of the earth. Totally my fault, but something I'm definitely not going to let happen again.

 

[Zombietakeover]

and what if they ask you some samples?

http://www.voxengo.com/product/beeper/

 

[LeSedna]

you can do blanks easily with automated volume on the master track, too

 

[joeymusicguy]

you can do blanks easily with automated volume on the master track, too

blanks are impossible to fix

beeps are fixable, unless the beeper mutes the input signal

 

[LeSedna]

That's why I prefer doing blanks. I also cut some parts, unfixable, to prevent somebody more intelligent than others who would cut/paste the good parts to have the actual real song.

 

[beyond dead]

i charge by the hour for recording, and then per song for mixing. i ask for payment at the end of each recording session. then, I ask for payment for mixing when i give the band a finished copy of all their mixes when they are 100% happy with the how it sounds.

it seemed like the fairest way to do it. if a band is recording with me, then they have a good idea of how my mixes sound, so they are usually happy with the way they turn out. I have a certain mixing style, and I will not compromise what i think works best. I usually meet with the band, and try to get an idea of whether they would have the qualities i need to make a good album. If i think there may be troubles down the line, I steer clear of the deal.

 

[::XeS::]

And anyway I can send only some song parts instead the whole song.

 

[beyond dead]

I usually just send them shitty mp3s to listen to, if they want to not pay me and release that shit, let them. I usually trust the bands im working with. what goes around comes aroundt

most musicians i work with really care about getting the best product possible, and would rather pay for a finished, perfect product

 

[nwright]

Depends on the project size for me (I charge by project). For demos, 100% up front. For bigger full album projects, 75% up front, 25% when master is delivered.

 

[AudioPhile777]

50% to start, 25% once tracking is complete and final 25% when they get the final mix.

If I'm not tracking, 50% to start and 50% when complete.

 

[arv_foh]

100% before they get any sort of rough mixes or anything in their hands that they could run with, unless I know the band/person personally and know that I'm not going to be dicked over

 

[C_F_H_13]

50% upfront and 50% before any roughs.

I've also started dealing in cash as much as possible with some bands too, cause of the number of bouncing checks......

 

[Seizure.]

Everytime i even gave friends a break and delivered masters before payment i got to the point were i had to call for my money 3 months after and got it piece by piece because all the bandmembers didn't all have the money at one time, so it came to the point were i would have to call bandmembers individually for my money :S

So now i do 50% upfront + 50 after, after the last payment they get their master.

I couldn't care less if the master has to go to poland but they don't have money ready yet It makes sure they have to stress to get the money, not me.

 

[beyond dead]

yeah, i try not to record bands im too personal with, cuz you will get stuck calling individual members for money, or one guy wont show up to record, and you have to explain to the rest of the band that he fucked it up for all of them...


I had a singer who was off on a 2 week coke binge, pushed the band i was recording back so far that i had to choose between finishing the coke head band, or starting another responsible bands recording.
I took the guitarists peavey windsor and told them to fuck off hahahaha cash at the end of each session FTW

he sold me a brand new windsor for 300 canadian $ and went and bought a peavy vypyr hahaha