First time composing for a video game, what should I charge?

[chrissobo13]

I just received an offer to write music for an indie game. They're a small company and I really have no idea what would be fair. But they've asked me what my rates are, and I'm hoping some more experienced people here could help get me out.

Thanks!

[Schmidi]

Perhaps a Volvo or two?

[Buleriachk]

Start with minimum wage and work up...

[chrissobo13]

Okay, that definitely sounds reasonable. Thanks for a reply that doesn't involve Volvos! I thought about charging per minute of music, but it seems more fair for both parties to charge per hour.

[swishniak]

there are so many variables in these kind of negotiations; publishing? amount of work? involved in sound design?

ive done a few games, and often i end up doing it based on them paying me a good daily rate, since there are often re-writes and changes as the game is getting close to completion.

also depends on how much you want to get into the industry - but please for all of us out there; dont get low-balled

[chrissobo13]

Okay, thanks. The sound design has already been done for the most part, and I won't be doing any of that. They already have one composer, but wanted to employ a second, apparently. So I was thinking maybe $8/hour. I don't have any information about how much music they would need yet, so I figured that would be a good rate if I work 100 hours, or if I work 10 hours.

[Buleriachk]

Ask them what budget they are thinking about. Get them to make the first offer...
Then you'll have a ballpark picture. (Or ask them what they think would be reasonable..)

Or ask them what they usually pay for such work...

[scientist]

$8 per hour is too low. beyond the time involved, you need to consider that your musical skills took time to develop and you paid for all of the equipment and software you use to make music. veemix published a pdf that does a pretty good job of covering the details. contracts, rights, fees, etc.:
https://www.veemix.com/vmxMus.pdf

i always try to get a more refined set of expectations (number of minutes, style, how much adaptivity, etc) and a ballpark number from the client first, and from that go up or down depending on what would be fair.

[Buleriachk]

For music, like other professions except maybe MacDonald's, it is a crap shoot.. you do your best....

[dewaldo]

20-25/hour

[swishniak]

try to talk to the other composer if you can.

please, dont take 8 bucks an hour.. thats just painful.

and think about when that game becomes a hit and theyre playing your music all over and your kicking yourself..

[Buleriachk]

try to talk to the other composer if you can.

please, dont take 8 bucks an hour.. thats just painful.

and think about when that game becomes a hit and theyre playing your music all over and your kicking yourself..

If you haven't starved by then, and you find out that nobody is playing your music anywhere...

[Tarekith]

Agreed, $8 is WAY too low. Of course, it all depends on the budget too. Like was mentioned, I'd get them to make the first offer if you can, at least then you can see what kind of ball park you're aiming for. Working for cheap can sometimes be a good way to get experience and get your foot in the door, but in this case it sounds like they already want you. So you already have your foot in the door.

Ask yourself what your time is and creative effort is worth to you personally. Set an ideal rate mentally, be it hourly or daily, the kind of thing you'd be really happy if they agreed to pay you. Now think about what's the lowest you'd even consider doing something like this for, the bare minimum you need to live. Or at the very least the minimum you need to make it not suck.

There's your range, negotiate somewhere in there if you can.

[dbfs]

No less then 35 an hour - Bulk deals can work sometimes though too.. meaning, for x amount I will create x amount of songs..

[snakedogman]

I guess it all depends on the situation and freelance rates will vary from country to country (and regions) but 8 dollar per hour is probably way below even minimum wage! Try 35-50 an hour, or a deal-price (based on an estimate of the amount of hours needed and your hourly rate). You could also charge per minute of music if you can consistantly produce a certain amount of music in a certain amount of time. In the end it all comes down to some kind of hourly rate anyway.

If you bill by the hour be sure discuss an estimate of the amount of hours you think you're gonna work, and inform your client if it looks like you're gonna need more time (and this increase their bill). If you agree on a deal-price be sure to discuss how much time you can spend on revisions within the agreed price. If the client keeps coming back with revisions and you have to spend more and more time your hourly rate is quickly going down too.