Studio Contracts?

Shaz

New member
All,

I am planning to start recording, mixing and mastering for clients in my home studio. I know a lot of you here are doing this right now. I would like to find out if there are any on-line resources where I can find free recording contract templates that I can use for my clients.

Thanks

Shaz
 
Shaz said:
All,

I am planning to start recording, mixing and mastering for clients in my home studio. I know a lot of you here are doing this right now. I would like to find out if there are any on-line resources where I can find free recording contract templates that I can use for my clients.

Thanks

Shaz

do you mean invoices? since you are recording from your home I don't think you really need to worry about getting bands to sign contract that bind them legally to paying for their session time, for cancelling, or require them to pay in advance.

most studios that do that are the big ones. they will require bands to give a certain length of time notice on cancellations, require that the studio be booked for a minimum amount of hours, equipment rented, engineer rented, and that all requested studio time be payed for in advance (or at least half).

I'm a home studio recorder as well, and I just make my own invoices in Microsoft Excel. It'll do the math for me, I can have borders around the itemized list, etc. Then at the bottom I just make them sign where it says they agree to pay the above amount in a certain time frame. If you get into contracts, the only way they'll be valid is if legally backed by a lawyer or something. Plus, it can be kind of a turn off if the band sees you pull out a contract and tell them to sign it otherwise they can't record in your basement.
 
bennychico11 said:
I don't think you really need to worry about getting bands to sign contract that bind them legally to paying for their session time, for cancelling, or require them to pay in advance...............
.......... If you get into contracts, the only way they'll be valid is if legally backed by a lawyer or something. Plus, it can be kind of a turn off if the band sees you pull out a contract and tell them to sign it otherwise they can't record in your basement.

Whoa!!! Business is business. If you're gonna charge money like a business then you gotta act like a business. A signed agreement for services is a standard and not an exception. The contract/agreement is there to protect both the artist and the studio. You need to define what services you will be providing and you need an aknowledgement from the artists showing that they understand what they are getting. As for lawyers usually recording studio fees are under 5,000 and would fall under small claims court which does not allow lawyers in most states.

Be smart. Get it in writing.
 
HogansHiro said:
Be smart. Get it in writing.

Apparently we're the only one's who watch Judge Judy anymore. That seems to be her mantra.

And that link is a great starting point. Thanks!
 
HogansHiro said:
Whoa!!! Business is business. If you're gonna charge money like a business then you gotta act like a business. A signed agreement for services is a standard and not an exception. The contract/agreement is there to protect both the artist and the studio. You need to define what services you will be providing and you need an aknowledgement from the artists showing that they understand what they are getting. As for lawyers usually recording studio fees are under 5,000 and would fall under small claims court which does not allow lawyers in most states.

Be smart. Get it in writing.

i can see where you are going with this, but i think of an invoice/bill in writing signed by someone versus a contract signed by someone are two different things.
not all business need contracts. does a mechanic force you to sign a contract when he works on your car?? if you plan on recording some big name bands and are expecting to make all your income off of your studio in your house, then go for it I guess. but I know a lot of smaller studios don't worry about contracts (ie. the one I work for doesn't) and just bill people for the amount. A bill/invoice is just as enforceable as a contract is. Plus you get into a predicament if you plan on recording people under the age of 18 since that is the legal age for entering a contract...those under 18 are exempt unless you get parents to sign, get a lawyer involved, etc.
if you're totally serious about making a full time business out your studio, then go for it i guess.

just out of curiosity, i'd like to know how many freelance engineers on the forum or engineers with studios in their home do write out contracts? what do you do Hogans?
 
I agree..I have a friend who has a great studio. He just did an album for Roadrunner and still does local bands. He does not make them sign anything. He just tells them how much it will be, and then when they come over before it is done, he asks to be paid. He has a credit card machine and thats it. He has never had a problem. You dont need to make a contract up. It freaks people out. What you should do is make them pay the first day. Not right when they walk in the door, but after some tracks are laid down and everyone is taking a break.

save your contracts for when you rent out gear and do work for labels.
 
I've been on both ends of music deals gone bad in which there were no signed agreements.

I once did a deal as a musician where the studio said I was getting a 5 hour block for a discount rate and the discussion we had in person was for flat rate/all inclusive for that amount of time. Bill time comes around and I find out that the engineer was extra and I was charged set-up fees? THE SETUP FEES WERE BECAUSE THE ENGINEER PLACED THE MICS??? What the hell? THATS HIS JOB. Not good. I eventually got it for the price agreed because I threatened to have him blaclisted through all thge music stores.

As a studio.... When i was working out of my garage I had a band come in and do some tracks. They paid for the studio time and asked if I could do a master of the mix we just did for their demo. I told them no prob, it would take about another hour of chargeable time...they agreed. I e-mailed them the mastered songs that night so they could start pressing them for their next gig and I never got paid for it. They swore they never got the e-mail and they were just using the mix for their demo. BS.. I heard their demo...it was mastered. Nothing in writing so i had no recourse of action. I figured since they paid their studio time they would pay for the mastering.

I understand the need to keep it personal and I did the same when I started. A smile and a handshake was fine. But what happens when somebody breaks something expensive? You may think it might seem like a turn-off to get some stuff in writing but if a band wants to be taken seriously and make it professionally they have to conduct business professionally.

It only takes one time to get burned.

If you know the guys you record then you're probably fine.
If their strangers.....you gotta cover all your bases. No professional musician will ever give you greif over signing a contract if they are serious about their music.

I'm sure there are a hundred horror stories here. Hell, If I had never been burned then I would still be doing handshake contracts today.
 
a kid walked out on me oweing some money once. but really, i expect it to happen occasionally. i work with musicians, and poor ones, i run a part time budjet-demo studio.
 
Like a good neighbor...

Contracts are like insurance. They seem like a total waste of time until you actually need one.

G.
 
guess it really maters too what your clientel is. I'd reccomend screening who you track and only working w/ serious talent. It will cost you some clients, but in the end your rep will grow and so will your finances.
 
do you mean invoices? since you are recording from your home I don't think you really need to worry about getting bands to sign contract that bind them legally to paying for their session time, for cancelling, or require them to pay in advance.

Always get a contract!
I tracked and mixed a record for a band recently, so far they have paid for mastering (not by me), they paid for duplication, made a music video, paid themselves back (any money they invested out of their own pockets)...I still haven't seen a dime. When I approach it with them they try to negotiate a new price, apparently we didn't agree on a price which is odd because I also recorded an album right before for their other band ... I said it would be the same price (which was a smokin deal to begin with because they are my friends).
Business is business and don't be nice to friends because they will screw you faster than anyone else.
 
Seeing that the thread was from 2005, they either have a contract or are working in the local supermarket by now.

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