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Topic: recording deals and what is reasonable |
Chris Erbacher
From:
Sausalito, California, USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 5:54 pm |
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| hey guys, i am getting ready to put some tracks down on a guys album which has potential to go somewhere, so i decided before i put the tracks down to ask what i should ask for in return for the music? can i legally ask him to give me a share of royalties if he does in fact get a recording contract for the recording? should i charge per hour? lets say he sells a bunch of albums, can i get a portion of each album's price legally? what is the standard going rate for a pedal steel player's time in a studio? how do i protect myself from being taken? i'm not at all familiar with this stuff and up until now, haven't had to deal with it, so i thought i would ask? does everyone on an album get a portion of the sales of that album, or is it all dependent upon whether or not there was a signed contract? |
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Jim Bob Sedgwick
From:
Clinton, Missouri USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 6:11 pm
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| I am no expert, but I have never heard of anyone getting anything but a set fee to do the recording. Anyone else have info? |
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Alan Rudd
From:
Ardmore, Oklahoma
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 6:56 pm
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| Unless you are one of the "big dogs" I doubt you will be able to get anything except what is known as scale for your services in the studio. Some get double or triple scale, but those are few these days. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 7:01 pm
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It might depend on whether you are playing on the "demo" recording or on the "master" recording. If he doesn't have a recording contract yet, then it is a "demo" and you'll typically just get paid for the session. IF he subsequently lands a recording 'contract', chances are the new label will re-make the album anyway, and might use different players (unless you guys are really booked as 'a group')!
I'll let the pros tell you what happens if you get on the Master but I think most of the time you just gets paid for the session, you takes you money, and you goes home. |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 7:15 pm
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You can work out any kind of deal you want to with him. If he will give you some of the publishing or writing credit then take it. If you are writing some of the tunes then get set up as a writer. If you are just playing on the tracks then you are just a session player.
Big record companies make all the money. They don't pay session players any royalties and such. They pay either recording scale, or if the player carries a big stick then he can ask for double or triple or whatever.
If the session you are playing for really has a chance to go somewhere--there would already be suits to deal with as to what you are being paid. Session players never get a cut from sales of CDs. All you get is the recording fee.
Personally if I were producing a project and I asked a player to play on some tracks and he told me that he wanted a piece of the record and some money for each unit sold----he would be gone pretty fast. There are plenty of fine players that work for resonable session fees only.
Let us know what you get. |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 7:41 pm
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As a session musician, you are entitled to collect neighbouring rights, which is a small percentage of radio play for a song on which you played. I trust if you're doing sessions you belong to a local of the AFM, who will collect on your behalf. You have to fill out a form stating all the albums on which you've played, and other pertinent information. If the guy (in your case) gets famous and has a lot of airplay, the AFM will search the plays and pay you in accordance with the neighbouring rights scale, which, as I said, is small but could be significant if radio play is huge. I believe this is retroactive to 1997.
Other than that, the boys already laid it out for you in the posts before me. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 7:50 pm
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What Chris said.
A buddy of mine played on a particular major recording from the 70's. It hasn't seen much light the last few decades, and he got tiny checks now and then. It was recently used in a commercial, though, and he was surprised when he got a whopper of a check. |
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Jack Solomon
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 8:41 pm
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Chris, Question is are ypu producing or just playing on the projecy? Producer fee:
$100.00 to the sky per song.Check your local
union for scale of demo or master.If not in union charge whatever. Master or demo scale is usualy based on 3 hr. session.Leader gets double.If he pays demo scale and releases it as master he'll have to pay master scale on top of that |
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Craig Ferguson
From:
Los Angeles, California, USA
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Posted 30 Aug 2006 9:58 pm
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A union contract is about the only way you can get any kind of residuals. If you're AFM, consider the Limited Pressings contract. If the artist sells more than 10,000 copies (or digital downloads), or gets music placed in film/tv, jingle etc. you'll be compensated again at the "current" scale. I only recommend this if the artist is on a budget (most are unsigned artists are).
If he/she can afford full union scale, take it and run! (i.e. afm contracts are hard to come by these days...) Just don't shoot yourself in the foot (and I have!) by asking too little of a flat rate and then sit by watching the artist rake in $$$ from sales, film/tv, touring etc. Good luck! |
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Chris Erbacher
From:
Sausalito, California, USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2006 12:05 pm
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| thanks guys, i thought about what you guys said...i just wanted to know pretty much what the standard is for all this stuff before there was a chance of getting ripped off, which happens...thanks again. |
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Bruce Bouton
From:
Nash. Tn USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2006 5:43 pm
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Neighboring rights for musicians do not exist in the states.Writers and publishers get royalties from airplay but musicians and artists do not.I've played on albums that have sold millions and have played on demo's that have created superstars . I only recieve my session fee. If your a good player you can only hope that success begats success.Keep your eyes open for opportunitys. If you work hard , keep a good attitude and try to create good music the artist might call you back for his record. That's what happened when I did some demo's for a boot salesman from Oklahoma. Fact is , I didn't think I played as well as I could have so I called the guy up and asked if I could come back, on my dime, and replace my part.Consequently Garth has used me on every record he's ever done.
BB |
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Chris Erbacher
From:
Sausalito, California, USA
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Posted 1 Sep 2006 12:45 pm
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| that just proves you are a stand up guy bruce...and you inspired me to learn the instrument without even knowing it was you, thanks. what about doing tracks for tv commercials and radio spots and things like that, is it still a one time fee? |
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Bruce Bouton
From:
Nash. Tn USA
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Posted 1 Sep 2006 3:10 pm
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You should do everything under an AF of M contract . That way you get new use if it is used in other types of "venues".
BB |
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