Pricing for Bump music/comercials

W

Wowguitar

New member
Hi all. I have an opportunity to do some recording for my local cable company (what?!!?? a possibly profitable use for all my toys... yes bonsai). Just wondering if any of you have been there/done that? If so, how much should I charge for a 30 second song? 15 sec song? Custom song with lyrics? What kinda legal crap should I be ready for? Should I charge one time for the song and consider it theirs?

I'd appreciate any helpful feedback.

P.S. send me your cd's and $100 and I'll review them for you... :P

Sterling
 
I'd love to help you out dude, but I got no experience in that area. Seems like that would be a pretty small market, and you may not find anyone on this BBS that knows. You might try crawdad or someone like that, I think he actually makes money at this stuff.


bd
 
huh

I guess I'm suprised no one else has tried this as a way to make money. Unless others have tried and found it to not be a good way to make money.

I met with the head of the production dept and he mentioned between 25 and 50 bucks for a 30 sec spot. I almost laughed, then turned sharply sad when I realized he wasn't joking.

Even if I only charge 25 per hour for studio time (roughly 2 necessary for a 30 sec bump) then I also charge for actually writing the song... I can see this won't be a great source of income/new toys for my studio...

I do appreciate your response though dude.

Sterling
 
There has GOT to be some kind of performance royalty on this tune....no? Seems like even though it's a small market, if you retain the rights to it, every time it is used they need to ante up some royalty change. Get in touch with BMI or ASCAP regarding this matter. Maybe you would be better off not taking his $50 and hold out for the royalties. Let's say you had a spot on "The Weather Channel".....imagine how many times that tune plays in a days time! that 7 cents or however much it is would add up pretty quick. Maybe I'm all wrong, but it would be worth checking into.


bd
 
I know this dude who's wife is a studio session singer. She fills spots when the studio is recording something and the artist doesn't have someone to do that part.

She got called in to sing a single phrase - two words - for a theme song on a nightly local news show. We're not even talking about the regular news. This was a specialty show where they did a few different features on a variety of subjects involving the local community. Kind of like a newspaper, but on TV. All she sang was "neeewwwwwwwwwsssss shooooooooo-oooooooooowwww". She got paid $500 for it.

Thats all I know about it.
 
sweet

Unfortunately this is for local cable. Biggest market would be used car lots and such. So I don't think royalties would be worth the trouble... Maybe in order to make this all worth my while I'd need to think larger. I'm sure Ad agencies get all the big clients, maybe they need freelance help.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Sterling
 
wowguitar

A local multi-cultural radio station used a few seconds of my tunes from my CD. I didn't charge them but them promised to interview me and play my tunes.

I recorded some music for a video game, they told me what to play, took 3 hours made 100 bucks or 4 hours of free studio time whatever I prefer.

I did some recording for atoys company that will be placed on a voice chip in a talking puppet. made 70 bucks.

Experience was priceless, now they're hireing for more stuff and they'll pay better. Get your foot in the dorr, do what you gotta do.

I did hear that pros charge 400-500 for a jungle. Flat fee no royalties but you do own the song.

Hope this helps,
 
good stuff

thanks for the nitty gritty mario. none of the amounts you got from that stuff sounds like alot... but like you said getting your foot in the door is the important thing. making the contacts and getting your face in front of the important people is worth more than money.

also i'll be sure to retain ownership of my songs. guess i'd be looknig at leasing the songs to the companies for a certain time with the option to renew??

btw, checked out your site mario. cool sounding music. do you play the nylon stringer traditionally or with a pick?

sterling
 
wowoguitar,

Thanks,

all the rhythm parts and some lead stuff is with my fingers but for the harder licks I need a pick.

By the way, your idea to lease the songs for a certain period of time is a good one. However make sure the option to renew is yours.

I'm still learning the ropes. I'm trying to figure out how licensing works so if any body has some info please let me know!!
 
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