Uneasy re: talking money with bands

[fitzrangerhoodngarb]

If you don't value your skills, how can you expect others to? I'm not talking philosphical namby pamby, I'm talking literally,intrinsically and immediately.

Price is what they pay, value is what they get.

Most people always say they value their skills philosophically, but at the first sign of a commercial transaction start getting weird and uncomfortable.

If you want to be a true professional then dealing with cash is a reality. It's also a skill that needs to be addressed and practiced, for many people before all the other bullshit like squashing the fuck out of edited to death and sample replaced drums, but around the same time as working fast.

Getting some serious overheads is a sure way to speed the learning curve up!

 

[jipchen]

I think I feel similiar, Ermz.
I let them pay 50% (of the estimated amount) upfront or on the first day and the rest before I send any mixes. That doesn't completely solve it, though.. because if they want to pay "on arrival" I'll have to say "uuhm, so... You brought the money,huh?" and I hate that. Luckily until now 3 of 4 (lol, noob) bands immediately gave me the money before I could even say something

PS: I agree to what has been said about your work: You do a great job and you deserve to be paid accordingly! You are the least to hate the where's my money topic.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Generally I have no trouble talking about money. I know the band might feel awkward (though most of them really don't, as they know my fees before the session and they know I'm not sitting in the control room because I have nothing better to do), so I usually just put on a half-joking attitude when I bring the subject up during the session. I usually just ask them "Ok, so which one of you guys would like the pleasure of dealing with the money side of things" when we're on a break, after which I repeat (or calculate, if we aren't working on a set budget) the total sum, ask for his billing address and promise I won't use the information for anything sexual or creepy. If the band doesn't seem comfortable, I might also call myself a capitalist pig but carefully explain them I really need a new Ferrari and swimming pool.

If I give them the impression it's not all that serious, but something that just needs to be done anyway, they usually don't get all bitchy about it.

 

[26]

I talk/explain in a very quite way and pet either my collection of weapons or my white cat once in a while.

 

[brianhood]

ive never really had an issue with it. I do all the money talk over email before the band even gets here. 40% is paid in advance, and the bands know ahead of time to bring the rest with them to pay on the first day of tracking. Around lunch time on the first day, i get the rest of the payment owed, and move on. It's never brought up again.
As long as there are no surprises for the band, i don't see how it would be a problem.

 

[iHate]

Grow some bawls.

Or drink some