Why on earth would you pay him back after you provided a service for him? That is absurd. Charge him for playing the music, charge him for writing the bass lines, and then charge him for playing on his gigs. Holy cow.
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How much per song to record?
- Thread starter mrcbass
- Start date
For the few sessions I've done for local unknowns, I've charged $100 for a 3 hour session with $50 an hour for overtime. Noone has ever complained.
Also, no rehearsals unless I'm paid for those, too. I do expect to get rough demos and chord charts ahead of time, rehearsal or not.
Also, no rehearsals unless I'm paid for those, too. I do expect to get rough demos and chord charts ahead of time, rehearsal or not.
Bassist4Eris
Frat-Pack Sympathizer
To be clear: I don't think there's anything wrong with the OP feeling like some payment is deserved. But I still predict this "gig" will go to someone else.
I’m a little confused as to what your actual goal(s) are with this.
Possible goals might be:
As it stands the only definite thing is he needs a session player for his catalog. In which case you charge an hourly rate and maybe offer a package deal.
Gigging with him is a hope for future greatness that may or may not come to pass. Or even be doable for you if it does. Are you ready and able to quit your regular job to take a chance on a three or six month shoestring promotion tour in order to build some buzz?
Then there‘s the very real possibility that even if your guy does “make it” and gets a record deal somehow that you’ll be replaced as part of that deal.
Whole lotta ifs…
Bottom line, if you want to get paid then just charge an hourly rate for the recording sessions and let it go at that. Don’t get too hung up on all the other possibilities until they present themselves. Because if my own experiences are anything to go by, most of the time those ”down the road” things (gigging, touring, record deals) never happen.
But that’s just my experience. YMMV.
Luck!
Possible goals might be:
- his session player for a recording
- a hired gun for his gigging band
- an actual band member and acknowledged creative collaborator
As it stands the only definite thing is he needs a session player for his catalog. In which case you charge an hourly rate and maybe offer a package deal.
Gigging with him is a hope for future greatness that may or may not come to pass. Or even be doable for you if it does. Are you ready and able to quit your regular job to take a chance on a three or six month shoestring promotion tour in order to build some buzz?
Then there‘s the very real possibility that even if your guy does “make it” and gets a record deal somehow that you’ll be replaced as part of that deal.
Whole lotta ifs…
Bottom line, if you want to get paid then just charge an hourly rate for the recording sessions and let it go at that. Don’t get too hung up on all the other possibilities until they present themselves. Because if my own experiences are anything to go by, most of the time those ”down the road” things (gigging, touring, record deals) never happen.
But that’s just my experience. YMMV.
Luck!
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Hi mrcbass 
Like all the others said, don' t make it a package deal!
Recording is one thing, gigs are another thing!
don' t do that!
I don' t charge per song. One song can take very long to get right or it can be done in 5 minutes!
I ask $X for a session of Y hours. And a set of strings!
When everything is prepared like it should, you can do five songs (with alternate takes!)
in two or three hours! This includes coffee breaks, warm up time, etc. etc. all payed!!!
That' s great!
In that case X = 250, Y = 3 (don' t forget the strings though)
greetings
Wise(b)ass
Like all the others said, don' t make it a package deal!
Recording is one thing, gigs are another thing!
don' t do that!I don' t charge per song. One song can take very long to get right or it can be done in 5 minutes!
I ask $X for a session of Y hours. And a set of strings!
When everything is prepared like it should, you can do five songs (with alternate takes!)
in two or three hours! This includes coffee breaks, warm up time, etc. etc. all payed!!!
That' s great!
In that case X = 250, Y = 3 (don' t forget the strings though)
greetings
Wise(b)ass
I see ads like this all the time. I always assume nothing ever materializes out of them. I just figure there's probably at least 10 or so people who will respond about doing it for the guy for free.
I'd certainly avoid offering to pay any fees back though if this pans out. Just offer your services for the recordings, get paid, and if there are gigs, offer your services for those and get paid.
I'd certainly avoid offering to pay any fees back though if this pans out. Just offer your services for the recordings, get paid, and if there are gigs, offer your services for those and get paid.
Studio work pays by the hour, not by the song. If you've ever been in a session with a perfectionist you learn this lesson real quick! Will you get charts? Scratch recordings? Can you read notation if that's what is provided? Can you sight read if you get the chart at the session? My point being that there may be work that needs to be done before even getting to the studio, and this should factor into your compensation, too. What that compensation should be is up to you. What is your time worth? I wouldn't do a session for any less than I'd do a gig ... so for me that'd amount to about $100 per three hour session (I don't make big money in my band). YMMV.
No, I wouldn't even consider the "payback thing" ... and it's funny that you state right out that you'd ignore advice to leave the potential future gigs out of the equation, because that is exactly what you should do.
No, I wouldn't even consider the "payback thing" ... and it's funny that you state right out that you'd ignore advice to leave the potential future gigs out of the equation, because that is exactly what you should do.
well ive heard some good advice the one thing im having a problem with is the 8 hours per song time frame you have. I don't see that being economical for the artist to hire you unless you are working for min wage. studio time in itself is sometimes in the hundreds an hour. are you doing this prep at home and coming in a knocking out the song in 1 take?
If you are making a Master ...a record you are going to distribute and collect on?
I would charge you $ 150 per song for my work for hire.
If this was a "band situation" that could require a little pre-production to solidify arrangements etc, I would ask $60 for a 3 hour rehearsal.
I would charge you $ 150 per song for my work for hire.
If this was a "band situation" that could require a little pre-production to solidify arrangements etc, I would ask $60 for a 3 hour rehearsal.
Charge $XXX / hour - that way there is incentive for him to move things along. If he can't find a bassist without resorting to CL, there is zero chance that his songs will go anywhere. Don't sweat it, give him your hourly rate and he'll either agree or find someone else.
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As for the getting paid a "per song rate" vs hourly - there's no hard and fast rules there (obviously this doesn't sound like a union gig, 'cause then it would be all cut and dried which is always nice--wish I did more of those these days
I've done both payment approaches for indie artists' album projects as well as major label artists (in that case they were demo and writing sessions for folks I know). I think per song is often easier/simpler. People are generally cool and can have a discussion if a tune starts taking really long. And, alternatively, some songs can go super fast. What about the track that gets nailed on a first take? Anyhow, my 2 cents--I find per song simpler, and that's what I encounter the most out here in LA at least, for non-union work. Goes for remote recording as well.
I've done both payment approaches for indie artists' album projects as well as major label artists (in that case they were demo and writing sessions for folks I know). I think per song is often easier/simpler. People are generally cool and can have a discussion if a tune starts taking really long. And, alternatively, some songs can go super fast. What about the track that gets nailed on a first take? Anyhow, my 2 cents--I find per song simpler, and that's what I encounter the most out here in LA at least, for non-union work. Goes for remote recording as well.
When I'm tracking, it's typically at a starting rate of $100/song. I'll adjust depending on the individual circumstances, but that's the starting point. I'm not in a big market, and I'm not playing on major-label releases, but I do get to enjoy some of my work getting national terrestrial and satellite radio play. One artist I work with has been featured a few times on Steve Ferrone's show on Sirius/XM Tom Petty Radio, which is cool.
I also do some hourly work, but typically in a 3hr block and at a min rate of $100/hr for those sessions. I've done a few multi-day album projects that way, and that's a good way to ensure I'm not loosing money from my regular day job (electronics design consultant) by taking several days off to do an album.
That's what works for me in the market I'm in. At those rates, I could make a full time living if there was full time work, but there isn't, so...
I also do some hourly work, but typically in a 3hr block and at a min rate of $100/hr for those sessions. I've done a few multi-day album projects that way, and that's a good way to ensure I'm not loosing money from my regular day job (electronics design consultant) by taking several days off to do an album.
That's what works for me in the market I'm in. At those rates, I could make a full time living if there was full time work, but there isn't, so...
I usually do a 3 hour recording session for $100 or so. That's pretty normal for the area I'm in.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
I wrote some bass lines for an singer song writing couple ( they wrote Here's to the band recorded by Frank Sinatra ). I was asked to record those bass lines as well. I was paid $75.00 per song, which was agreed upon before the tracks were laid down.
). I was asked to record those bass lines as well. I was paid $75.00 per song, which was agreed upon before the tracks were laid down.
Great advice. Why would anyone want to make it complicated? You show up, you play, you get paid, you go home.
hmm... I think this is where things are going sideways. How much is your time worth?
In my local universe, production work of any kind goes for absolutely no less than USD 60/hr (and that's how much I charge my friends...)
$100/hr is not unreasonable if you are providing gear for the sessions. Contracting your services by the hour is the industry standard here...
