O/T Freelance Rate$$$

[cosmosuave]

From time to time some freelance audio work will come my way from friends in the ad business... I'm sure others on this board do this sort of thing as well... I'll cut to the chase here... Just curious on how you go about charging for your services? Flat rate hourly rate?

Usually I am asked to come up with some original loops for a website.

Thanks...

[LTJX]

Hey Cosmo!
i did some freelance audio a while back here in TO, and freelance is $80-$100/hour, or just flat fee no less then $500. Whatever works out better for you.
...are your friends's initials P.G. ('')
and especially for those ad companies (':twisted:') , they will charge the client $300/hour.
...and never give anything away for free!
Peace!

From time to time some freelance audio work will come my way from friends in the ad business... I'm sure others on this board do this sort of thing as well... I'll cut to the chase here... Just curious on how you go about charging for your services? Flat rate hourly rate?

Usually I am asked to come up with some original loops for a website.

Thanks...

[cosmosuave]

Hey Cosmo!
i did some freelance audio a while back here in TO, and freelance is $80-$100/hour, or just flat fee no less then $500. Whatever works out better for you.
...are your friends's initials P.G. (':wink:')
and especially for those ad companies (':twisted:') , they will charge the client $300/hour.
...and never give anything away for free!
Peace!

P.G. yep... I was thinking more around the $45-$55 /hr mark... I don't know $80-$100 sounds high... Hey are you not living in TO anymore?

[underhill]

I do some freelance jobs and $60 an Hour is so easy to calculate. 2 hour min.

"Every minute counts"

[RiotNrrd]

It only sounds high to you because you are thinking that *you* wouldn't pay that much. It's a mistake to think that way.

Ask $100/hour. You very well might get it. And if they blink, you can always negotiate downwards towards $80/hour.

If you ask for too low a figure, they will 1) figure you for a chump, and 2) not value your services very highly because if you don't value your own services very highly (as reflected in your asking price) why should they?

Always ask for more than you think you're worth. You'd be surprised how many times that *becomes* what you're worth.

[LTJX]

Ya i'm still in T.O. just not doing audio stuff that much any more, busy working with other stuff. Seriously i know the big AD companies charge there big client like $200 - $300/hour for stuff like that, so even if you go for $100/h they are still making $200/h off you!
But ya see what other people are asking and do the same, or just come up with a final number you are happy with, based on how long you think it will take , say 10 hours X #/h = total$$.

- but just telling you other people do charge that much for work, and get paid. It's not that much really, because you won't be working all the time. If you were to get a full time gig, you can think in that range, $45-$55, but freelance is always higher, because it's always temporary and uncertain.

P.G. yep... I was thinking more around the $45-$55 /hr mark... I don't know $80-$100 sounds high... Hey are you not living in TO anymore?

[boomklik]

Granted this isnt for production..but it does fall under freelance audio work:

Basic vocal editing: $45/hour

Editing + basic cleanup: $65/hour

Vocal restoration: at least $250/hour...quick headache.


Dont sell yourself short..but dont forget...getting a name out is worth more than cash.

[Machinate]

Dont sell yourself short..but dont forget...getting a name out is worth more than cash.

exactly! Although this is also my primary reason for selling myself short - thinking the next job will sell me, if they get "good value".

[elektrovert]

I used to do project work (backing tracks and son on) for singer/songwriter demos, their not the richest of people but when I was charging £10 an hour for my services I didn't get much business.
I put my fee up to £20 an hour and I had to turn work away!!

Don't under value your services!!
you might think you're offering a good deal, but poeple wil just think you are crap at your job

[Benshik]

For a day job, I work as an art director in an ad agency and selecting composers for tv commercials is part of my work (when the project is nice I chose... myself )
here it is usual not to ask hourly fees, coz in advertising, expect to finetune your work a lot before the agency creatives and the client are happy.. so composers are paid just like advertising film directors or dop: for the job.

here, the average fees range from 2000 to 20 000 USD for a 30 seconds tv commercial...

if you have a good reel and/or good connections, don't hesitate to ask high prices. when the client pays a lot of money, it somehow makes him feel secure that he will get quality

as for the web, I don't know, but I guess the fees are significantly lower. usually, guys running dot coms have lesser ressources and are younger, smarter and most of all aware of the existence of Apple soundtrack

hope this helps

Ben

[Mbazzy]

Would say that the 80$/60 Euro/minute level is a safe bet.
For last minute work considerably more can be achieved;

[DISUYE]

Just throwing in some more advice - NEVER do free work. Despite countless promises of "oh yeah we've got bigger jobs on the horizon so do us a favour now like" ...this NEVER pans out. One more time for the people now; NEVER.

F*ck everyone - they want music or enginneering, they pay for it. Just because our job appears to be more like a hobby, doesn't mean anyone can do it to a professional standard :)

As for rates, advert music is probably the biggest earner with some agencies (in SE Asia) dropping anywhere up to USD20,000 for a shampoo commercial. Also, if the economy gets rough, DO NOT drop your price. Turn down work if you have to; it's worth more to do that, than to try and raise your prices from a drop later on.

I've been & have seen dozens of musicians get ripped off... lack of confidence in their ability or not wanting to miss out on jobs early on in their career. It's a hard enough industry as it is... get a sly quote from the most expensive pro-studio in your town/district, and base your own rates on that scale.

Finally, if you charge a single penny for your work make sure you're using legit software. There is no excuse - either you're pissing around or you're making a living.

Luck,

Dan

[DISUYE]

> get a sly quote from the most expensive pro-studio in your town/district,
> and base your own rates on that scale.

Sorry - by that I mean use their figures as the local maximum and rate yourself somewhere down the pecking order: Based on years of musical experience & previous jobs done, equipment available & ability to use that equipment, and factor in your overheads.

I didn't mean rip someone else's pay scale off.

Dan

[scientist]

'nother thing no one's mentioned yet...work fee versus the license fee. you should get paid for your time for creating the work, but also for granting them the license to use what you make. for something small, make sure the license is for a limited time, and that you retain the rights to use/reuse the track as you see fit. so for example, if they stick the song on their website and then later want to put it in a tv commercial...you get paid again. charging for hourly and license fee will also make your hourly seem more reasonable (and make you seem more pro for knowing about licensing).
and the advice about never working for free is dead on. NEVER ever work for free.

wrd.
scientific

[cosmosuave]

Hey thanks for all the replys ... I will quote the job at a higher rate and the advice about charging a lower rate gives the impression of a novice is a very good tip... Show me the $$$...