Work on a CD...then they delete you from it??

[ADRSean]

Here's the entire story!

About a year ago I began working with this local band on their debut 11 track album (plus 2 b-sides). I don't have good equipment and I am just starting out on my first real album. So needless to say I didn't charge much. However I am not stupid and I am taking college courses to major in Audio Engineering and I am a musician myself.

So the year went by and I recorded it for them. I did the mixing and mastering as well, but I kept having to go back over a million times to fix little mistakes the "singer" would find. I did this out of kindness. He kept hearing a mili-second delay on a snare hit, or a pop in the audio that nobody else can hear. And it was because "his ears are just so much better than everyone elses." But I did it and sometimes I didn't even change the sound and he loved it better.

So now the album is done, all the raw files are still on my external hard drive and I even created the album cover. Then all of a sudden I am taken off their myspace, my name gone. And they announce it is going on Itunes Jan 1st with no credit given to me. I am the stupid one for not getting papers signed so I don't need to hear WELL YOUR FAULT!. I realize that, but what low lives!

The only proof I have that they didn't do it themselves is the fact they have no idea how to do things like I did. None of their drums were lived, they were all midis run through SSD and mixed sampled. Now I don't exist to them and it sucks. Though funny thing, because of the bands demands I HATE the way the album sounds. But now either way my first project is leaving without my name on it.

 

[ahjteam]

Well did you get your money?

 

[ADRSean]

Yeah - I guess that's all that matters.

 

[mick thompson]

send off the files to the equivalent of IMRO (thats the irish musical rights organization) and get them copywriter under your name. IMRO if you were in ireland would then pay you all royalties for every air play, tv play and public play -

unless they have some proof that the songs were theirs before yours example they have a previous recording of the tracks. in ireland their word wouldn't be good enough. now you should think about drawing up contracts before doing work from now on for people. there are a few options (again for ireland) example if you enter into a contract as a session musician with the other musicians they only pay you for the session and dont need to pay you any more or acknowledge you after that. if you work for the band as a musician but you dont agree to session work and they dont pay you when you were recording then you are entitled to all royalties and payments for that cd's income.

i know thats not really much use to you because 1: you were an engineer on the cd and 2: these apply for ireland & IMRO but look into it, they are just examples of the law i deal with every day. get some paperwork and info from the equivalent of IMRO for your country. (where are you from? ill look into it if you tell me)

you need to protect yourself and your work because the music industry is a dirty whore house

 

[ADRSean]

I'm in the United States, I will admit it was stupid of me to not get a contract. Naive beginner on my part I guess. I won't say i'm a "n00b" but I was a bit too trusting in this business I should have known.

 

[Ermz]

The best lessons are learned the hard way. This is a fast track ticket toward ensuring you'll never repeat the same mistake again, so you can think of it as an educational experience.

 

[C_F_H_13]

live and learn man. Chalk it up to a necessary lesson and move on. Unfortunately you have little to no legal recourse, and even less reason to do it. I know it sucks to get uncredited for work, but it happens...ALL THE TIME AT EVERY LEVEL.

I worked on a record for a HUGE BAND for 7 months, doing editing and guitar engineering, and at the end of the day they left me off the album. It sucks, but the people that matter knew I worked on it and it led to many more projects. And I still got paid.

Just know that when people start talking about the album, you can say that you did it, and there's little they can do to say you didn't.

 

[if6was9]

live and learn man. Chalk it up to a necessary lesson and move on. Unfortunately you have little to no legal recourse, and even less reason to do it. I know it sucks to get uncredited for work, but it happens...ALL THE TIME AT EVERY LEVEL.

I worked on a record for a HUGE BAND for 7 months, doing editing and guitar engineering, and at the end of the day they left me off the album. It sucks, but the people that matter knew I worked on it and it led to many more projects. And I still got paid.

Just know that when people start talking about the album, you can say that you did it, and there's little they can do to say you didn't.

Yup- No reason you still can't claim you worked on it and cite it as a reference to find other work. You can still chuck it up on your player(s) to advertise what you can do. All the band can do is claim you didn't do it and you've got the session files to prove to anyone interested in hiring you that you did. Sucks they're not playing game but at least you got paid and there's an upside to it

 

[Nebulous]

From what you're saying it sounds like they have just left you off. So while they're not out there saying "he didn't do it" you shouldn't really expect them to be out there saying "he did all this for us". Yes it would be nice if they did, but at the same time it's your business so you can now use that to gain more business. Bands are trying to advertise themselves, not their engineer.

 

[ADRSean]

I agree. Thanks for the replies. They are the type of band who thinks they will become the next biggest sensation because of myspace plays only. They strive to emulate the band Escapae The Fate. (The singer actually has sung on stage with them from a contest.) They are basically just putting it out and calling it self produced. I don't do production for glory, but all my problem was is not having recognition for bands to see when they see their album. However you are right. I have session files, old raw takes, I have demos of theirs stretching 4 years back. Over 50, before I began engineering - I was also their manager and have known them for 10 years.

 

[Dexter_prog]

I agree. Thanks for the replies. They are the type of band who thinks they will become the next biggest sensation because of myspace plays only. They strive to emulate the band Escapae The Fate. (The singer actually has sung on stage with them from a contest.) They are basically just putting it out and calling it self produced. I don't do production for glory, but all my problem was is not having recognition for bands to see when they see their album. However you are right. I have session files, old raw takes, I have demos of theirs stretching 4 years back. Over 50, before I began engineering - I was also their manager and have known them for 10 years.

But if they paid you for recording the album isn't that "self-production"? I think that when a band is not self-produced is because a label is paying for the studio. Still they should include "recorded at ADRSean studios" or "recorded, mixed and mastered by ADRSean" or something similar in the booklet

 

[ADRSean]

We had agreed to Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Sean Smith. Now it will just say their band name. Eh, who cars I guess.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Bands are cunts, you get used to it.

 

[El_Gato]

You should be glad if it doesn't sound as you like. You can anyway name them in your own clients list on your site. Have you tried to talk to them BTW? If they forgot, they still can name you in their sites, reviews...

 

[Dexter_prog]

We had agreed to Produced, Mixed and Mastered by Sean Smith. Now it will just say their band name. Eh, who cars I guess.

But have you talked with them about this?

 

[ADRSean]

Yeah I talked to them about it, and they are basically saying thanks and were done with you. They didn't forget.

And yes it's not how I liked it. At all, basically I was being dictated to make the CD sound like Escape The Fates this war is ours. I tried to reamp the guitars, but they only wanted a line 6 spider III Tone which is so flat I had to try and EQ it to liven it up and it didnt work. Plus they wanted vocals so damn loud, I couldn't do it the way it should have been. Should I have quit working for them? Probably but i'm too nice.

 

[drew_drummer]

Sounds like you're lucky to not have your name associated with it!?

Seriously though... do a contract for every project.

 

[ADRSean]

http://www.myspace.com/burningthenightsky

Thats the mixes and all I did after they bent it to their will (the re-eqd the whole mix it sounds after I gave it to them too)

 

[dontletmedrown]

Bummer! Or maybe not?

 

[arv_foh]

It doesn't sound that great (no fault of yours) and the band sucks. No loss here I'd say.