J
jpm5243
New member
Hello,
I'm a songwriter working on a country-rock/pop demo, and I could use your advice.
I'm working with a guy I originally hired to cut a few "country" guitar tracks, but based on his expertise and creative ideas he's grown into a producer of this project (6-8 songs). We started out with an hourly fee...around $15/hr...which I found pretty reasonable, but our time investment is quickly exceeding my budget.
The "producer" is perfectly willing to continue to work with me on a song by song basis for the same hourly fee. But in consideration of my budget concerns, he has also proposed a "spec deal" to continue with the project.
He will continue to work on the project but will defer his fee until such a time as the project makes any money...and by money, I mean any monies that come to me as a result of the demo, not via the sale of the demo...and will take a percentage of that money up to the value of his fee (I'm guestimating it at around 3-5K).
Additionally...as "incentive" for taking the financial risk, he also wants a "point" of the song(s). He says that this is a typical "producer" arrangement and that the "point" will be paid by the publishing/record company if the song is ever recorded and sold.
I know that producers can get points for "album work"...i.e. a product that will be sold...but this is a demo, so he wants to tie himself to the songs, kind of like a co-writer (with only a producer's credit). The "producer" is offering invaluable expertise on this demo and I believe that he is an honest guy who is offering, what he feels, is a fair arrangement.
Do you think this is a fair arrangement and/or is it a standard arrangement in the industry?
thanks in advance.
I'm a songwriter working on a country-rock/pop demo, and I could use your advice.
I'm working with a guy I originally hired to cut a few "country" guitar tracks, but based on his expertise and creative ideas he's grown into a producer of this project (6-8 songs). We started out with an hourly fee...around $15/hr...which I found pretty reasonable, but our time investment is quickly exceeding my budget.
The "producer" is perfectly willing to continue to work with me on a song by song basis for the same hourly fee. But in consideration of my budget concerns, he has also proposed a "spec deal" to continue with the project.
He will continue to work on the project but will defer his fee until such a time as the project makes any money...and by money, I mean any monies that come to me as a result of the demo, not via the sale of the demo...and will take a percentage of that money up to the value of his fee (I'm guestimating it at around 3-5K).
Additionally...as "incentive" for taking the financial risk, he also wants a "point" of the song(s). He says that this is a typical "producer" arrangement and that the "point" will be paid by the publishing/record company if the song is ever recorded and sold.
I know that producers can get points for "album work"...i.e. a product that will be sold...but this is a demo, so he wants to tie himself to the songs, kind of like a co-writer (with only a producer's credit). The "producer" is offering invaluable expertise on this demo and I believe that he is an honest guy who is offering, what he feels, is a fair arrangement.
Do you think this is a fair arrangement and/or is it a standard arrangement in the industry?
thanks in advance.
