Recording Album

[HometownLetdown]

So my band is getting ready to launch a Kickstarter for recording our album. However, we are having a disagreement in one area that I want your guys opinion on.

If you don't know how Kickstarter works, you setup a amount that you need to raise and for each set dollar of a donation the donate gets whatever you guys put for that price point.

My band wants to for $1000 put that persons name as the Executive Producer.

I do not feel comfortable with this at all, but they say its a meaningless title, what do you guys think about this?

[Snarf]

It's not a meaningless title. Producers and executive producers typically get points on the record. The title also implies the person was responsible for booking the studio, hiring the engineers, and shaping the album's sound and arrangement. Most producers act as the "nth" member of the band.

[HometownLetdown]

Originally Posted by Snarf

It's not a meaningless title. Producers and executive producers typically get points on the record. The title also implies the person was responsible for booking the studio, hiring the engineers, and shaping the album's sound and arrangement. Most producers act as the "nth" member of the band.

Thats what I thought, just wanted to get the opinions of ones that have dealt with this before.

Thanks for the info.

[metaball]

Originally Posted by Snarf

The title also implies the person was responsible for booking the studio, hiring the engineers, and shaping the album's sound and arrangement. Most producers act as the "nth" member of the band.

ime, the implication is generally that they are responsible for the idea becoming a product. the level of envolvement required to accomplish that varies wildly from one band/label/genre to another. some sign a check & let the band do whatever they want, others micromanage every note recorded & $ spent.

in the best case scenarios i'd expect they'd be more along the lines of what Snarf talks about above. taking on financial & tactical decisions, so the band can focus on performing the material to the best of their abilities.

[bunkaroo]

I'd offer "Associate Producer". That sounds sufficiently meaningless to me.

[mikerophone]

Originally Posted by bunkaroo

I'd offer "Associate Producer". That sounds sufficiently meaningless to me.

That's a good one!

[Liam Wald]

Executive Producer = $10k
Associate Producer, 4@ $1k

That should pay for a modest product.

[ronaldpdbrandt]

As long as you make it clear that they're only getting a producer's credit in-name-only, it's really nothing more than a shout-out. You could call them whatever you want, like "The Almighty Supreme Ruler of This Album and All That Is Good", as long as they understand that their donation's reward is just an album sleeve credit and does not actually give them the right to tell you what to do.