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Band expenses

#21
#'s are total split by all 4 members. I also realize the singer could get signed on her own and there is no guarantee that they will take the whole band
if it helps the band is located in So. Cal.
 
#22
Not sure about YouTube "views" but certainly Facebook "likes" can be bought if you have the money... 300k views is VERY decent though. I would think A&R people would already be scouting them if they have that sort of draw already.
 
#23
it better be a really awesome EP, and the video better have some spaceships and explosions and stuff for that price.
sounds expensive, don't lay down a dime until you see some of the income.
if the singer's mom sent you some spreadsheets, check to see if there is any income at all for this project, and where it went.
 
#25
If the band isn't generating revenue, a video shoot should not be in the cards at all. No money will be made from the video, and the exposure is little different to a homemade clip. They would be better off having a few homemade YouTube videos in this day and age. I would object to this cost, because there is practically no financial or other benefit. It's money burnt.

Let recording companies pay for video shoots when and if gets to that stage. If this option is even on the cards, you need to take a closer look at the decision maker's credentials/qualifications/expertise/know-how.

EPs can generate revenue, so long as there someone out there to buy it. If they have an audience at gigs, no doubt they can sell some EPs. Estimate (honestly and conservatively) how many could be sold at what price, and that's where recording costs should be set, unless the band is happy to lose (your?) money.

In some cases, a well-recorded two song demo that can be used for band competitions, online, and as a 'sampler' can be the cheaper and more beneficial option. The tracks can be used to shop the band around, can be uploaded to online band competitions, can be put on YouTube, iTunes (via CD Baby), steaming services, and generally just shared around without any pressure to sell copies.

It is worth having a couple of professional photos of the band for online and promotional material. Take this with a pinch of salt, but if they are young (and they look their ages), a posed studio shoot rarely produced good results. Outside shoots can be better, as long as they're looking natural. Live shots would be best, because it presents an image of an actual band, rather than some kids playing dress-ups.

In short, there should be very few costs. If this is not the case, and it sounds like it is, you should investigate what financial or other benefits are expected. And remember, 'exposure' is often a myth and you should never pay too much for it. The only thing the band really needs to invest is time; time for rehearsals and time for gigs.

Now, this is the important question: where, when, and how often do they gig?
 
#27
if a band is working, then it should support itself by playing out/selling merch. sure there's a little upfront cost, but just to get the ball rolling. maybe the case is different since they are high school age and i assume there aren't too many venues to play. i applaud you for your support, but i don't know that i would shell out that cash and i certainly wouldn't expect to see a return on it. this may sound harsh, but just trying to be truthful.
 
#28
punkjazzben said:
EPs can generate revenue, so long as there someone out there to buy it. If they have an audience at gigs, no doubt they can sell some EPs. Estimate (honestly and conservatively) how many could be sold at what price, and that's where recording costs should be set, unless the band is happy to lose (your?) money.

In some cases, a well-recorded two song demo that can be used for band competitions, online, and as a 'sampler' can be the cheaper and more beneficial option. The tracks can be used to shop the band around, can be uploaded to online band competitions, can be put on YouTube with some shots of the band as a slideshow, and generally just shared around without any pressure to sell copies.

It is worth having a couple of professional photos of the band for online and promotional material. Take this with a pinch of salt, but if they are young (and they look their ages), a posed studio shoot rarely produced good results. Outside shoots can be better, as long as they're looking natural. Live shots would be best, because it presents an image of an actual band, rather than some kids playing dress-ups.
Click to expand...

Decent quality demo tracks is where I'd be looking to go. 4 or 5 songs that can be used to garner press (sent out to publications and local press, zines), to shop to clubs and venues, and maybe some printed up and physical disks to sell at shows or to friends (pro-printed cardboard sleeved, etc).

I'd seed a couple of the recordings on the band's Facebook, Soundcloud, Reverb Nation.

So many options for cheap recording these days that you could do it for under $1K.

A decent couple pro-shot photos is also well worthy expense. B&W and color for use in a press kit, to hand out to people promoting shows, etc.
 
#30
BurningSkies said:
Decent quality demo tracks is where I'd be looking to go. 4 or 5 songs that can be used to garner press (sent out to publications and local press, zines), to shop to clubs and venues, and maybe some printed up and physical disks to sell at shows or to friends (pro-printed cardboard sleeved, etc).

I'd seed a couple of the recordings on the band's Facebook, Soundcloud, Reverb Nation.

So many options for cheap recording these days that you could do it for under $1K.

A decent couple pro-shot photos is also well worthy expense. B&W and color for use in a press kit, to hand out to people promoting shows, etc.
Click to expand...


+1

When I was in bands as a teenager, cassette tapes were still standard for demos, and maybe CDs as digital home recording started to take off. To enter competitions, you'd have to send your cassette in the mail. To get gigs, you'd have take a recording down to the venue and ask them to listen to it. But nowadays, so much promotional work is done online you really only need the tracks to upload and maybe a handful of nice looking physical copies to hand out to important people or to sell a couple at opportunistic moments.
 
#32
I think the OP is being taken ... to bankroll the crazy dreams of the manager/mom. Her daughter isn't going anywhere without a band, and she can't or won't spend money to build one. IF the daughter gets a contract it's almost a sure thing the label has session musicians and the band get left behind. That's the norm.

At 16 there's only one thing that's important ... chops ... ie, knowledge of music and their instruments. IMO, if you really want to further the kid in his pursuit, get him the best instruction you can afford. Send him to a music camp. Get him involved in his school's music program (assuming they have one).
 
#33
Yes, my first thought is that we are bankrolling her daughters dream that is what makes me leery of this situation. I'm going to monitor the situation closely. Hopefully some of the expenses are tax deductible. Thanks for all the advice
 
#34
punkjazzben said:
+1

When I was in bands as a teenager, cassette tapes were still standard for demos, and maybe CDs as digital home recording started to take off. To enter competitions, you'd have to send your cassette in the mail. To get gigs, you'd have take a recording down to the venue and ask them to listen to it. But nowadays, so much promotional work is done online you really only need the tracks to upload and maybe a handful of nice looking physical copies to hand out to important people or to sell a couple at opportunistic moments.
Click to expand...

My college/post college band was picked up by an NYC label with national & international distribution by Caroline Records and a bunch of other decent distros. When we recorded our album we went into a basement/demo studio and banged out 12 songs for less than a grand. Had it professionally mastered for another 100$ or so, and off it went. It sold something like 5K copies, which for us was fine. Was it the best recording? No. But it was good enough for the label to be happy to put it out.
 
#39
I know if it were your band, and you were making the money, you could deduct the expenses and depreciation. Not sure how it works out when someone else pays expenses towards another person's profit. I'm curious as to how this would work tax-wise.

Personally, I wouldn't put a dime into something like that unless I had legal ownership in the project. I'd much rather take risks and invest in something that is something that I own, than something that belongs to someone else. Otherwise, I'd be taking losses for someone else's profit. If it were me, I'd approach the manager/mom/owner of the band to talk about sharing ownership for the share of costs. It may cause her to realize what she's asking of you, and rethink things. If she balks, you'll know where you stand and how she'll probably approach future business decisions.
 

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