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How Much Should You Charge as a Composer


djdiggla

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Thanks for posting this Diggla, the guy covered some really good points. It's very similar to how I price websites, definitely staying away from "fixed prices" and low ballers. I give prospects an hourly rate, then quote them how many hours it should take. In my estimate, I also include the info below, which covers my ass should they want to make revisions, additions, etc.:

 

"Changes: Please note that this is an estimate based on information provided by client. Price may either increase or decrease due to: client’s specific and aesthetic needs; multiple revisions; extensive color changes; add-ons; etc. In other words, while some minimal changes (requested by the client) are included in the overall cost, extensive ones are not. Changes not covered in initial proposal are billed at $50/hr."

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Ironically I got a call from a marketing agency I started working with recently as I was finishing up that last post. I just created a website for one of their clients, which came out pretty nice and elegant, but it's for a lawyer who wants it very plain (we're talking white backgrounds with absolutely no texture, even if it's super subtle). The attorney wanted all these changes, but I explained to the marketing agency I hate this vanilla shit, so they can find somebody else.

 

I spent 8 years focused on real estate web design, and let me tell you, Realtors suck. They want total plain sites too, where you can't be creative at all, even with very small subtleties. So I went back to (happily) creating sites for everybody, granted they want something with flavor. It's been working out really well since then, so I don't want to revert to shit sites. I have a wealth of web work on my plate, increasing daily, plus there's always a grip of work in the first several months of the year (when people get their marketing budgets). That said, I'm going to focus on peeps that desire my work, which pays me about double that of the marketing agency.

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You ever think of farming that work out to other people?

 

I thought I was gonna lose my job a couple years back and was talking to a friend about seeing if he'd teach me web design. His advice was to not waste my time. Take jobs and build a team of contractors to do the grunt work for me. Since that's more akin to my skillset anyways it seemed pretty sensible.

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Yes, I use to contract out web work, but honestly, I love doing the design and development myself, for the right projects. Plus, peoples' work ethic pisses me off.

 

Referring to my previous post, all work is not lost. I can simply use the same website for somebody else, and fortunately, it's almost done. I do this quite a bit, selling my work more than once.

 

I keep my bills and financial responsibilities incredibly low, so I can be really picky with clients and projects. I don't buy much either, other than food and some Costa Rican Imperial beers from time to time. Now's that time ;-)

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I've done some reading on this (now outdated) but lots of the more established doods (Premo and the like) have said you need to give beats away initially, especially with well established MCs/projects. Once established producersvary prices. Some people might get beats for free or very little and others might get charged tens of thousands for a beat.

 

Music is not really a good way to make money. Even if you're well established you still aren't going to make all that much. The guys who make a ton of money are few and far between. Still, if you can pay your bills off of music, that's a good life I'm sure.

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Music is an amazing way to make money, most musicians never make a cent though, because the money making side of music is not selling the music, it is selling software and hardware to people who make music ;)

The only people who pay in the music world, are musicians.

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The most I made for a track was for Bench clothing, £200 for a couple of days work. Also got a few other jobs out of it through the director, but we fell out over money (him basically not paying me on time)

 

 

The thing I learned from that experience is give the client a few different versions of your work and let them choose which style fits the best - and then run with that. They'll always have douchey stupid comments to make, so it's key to stay professional and work together. If they know nothing about the processes and hard work you put into it it can be a strain.

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