pricing

[osmuir]

how do yall deal with yr pricing and payment situations?

example: currently, i'm charging $35/hr recording/editing time [i hate editing]. and then i am charging flat rate for mixing [i haven't been mixing as long as i've been doing tracking, so i take my time to get it right].
i'm only charging $150 per mix [when i recording the thing].

how do yall do it?
[ when i can, i'll mp3 stuff for yall. so you can tell me if this price seems comensurate with my abilities].

i do location stuff [i.e. i move in] so no "studio expenses" as it were.

i have a reasonable amount of top flight gear...[pendulum mic pre, Neumann, earthworks, soundulux mics, rosetta converter, distressor, rnc's, cool gtr amp things, gtr's if need be, emu paris daw].

how do you deal with yr gear and clients? do you "rent" pieces to them?

example. i have 2 clients who want to 24 bit mix downs. i have a 16-bit dat, but i could buy a 24 bit dat and "rent it" to them. but that is all i want it for, i don't want to have to suck the cost up.

ideas? i just want to know standard procedure/ neat ideas.

--owen

 

[anonymous]

I bought a bunch of gear not to rent out to my clients, but to give me better tools and an edge. When freelance, many pro folks on net newsgroups commented that I should charge for it, that was echoed by others - 'damn right' 'without a doubt" etc..

I never charged for it.. it was included in my fee. I can't immagine charging for it. It would go down very badly with my clients. But that's just my situation, I am understanding of those that 'get away with it"!
For me, the idea that a clients lack of planning and misfortune derived thereof is an oportunity to bill for more studio time seems "cold" or unfair. It is irelevent to my situation anyhow because I am always producing, so the sessions progress is all MY responcibility.

 

[osmuir]

basicly the only stuff i'd want to rent out is stuff i don't consider fun, and would rather not own, but have to [cause, for example, you can't apparently find anywhere to rent a f$*%ing 24 bit DAT outside of NYC in the northeast.

thus, it's them rent it from dreamhire at a way too high price, or me give them a bit of a break by purchasing it and renting it to them.

is this cool?
--owen

 

[anonymous]

Why haven't you allready got a 'deal' going with Dreamhire?

No one pays card rates, everyone pays 50% many less...

Pay for it on credit card, make the band pick it up and deliver it back to save some dough.... (if they want it that bad)

Masterlink is a better 24bit recorder buy:

CD player with word clock input!
24 bit 44.1k & 96k recorder
CD Burner

 

[drumsound]

I work out of an "actual" studio. I charge an hourly rate for recording and mixing. It's a DAW free zone, so editing doesn't come into play. I have a "project mastering" room at home. I charge by the song and usually work alone and have the client come by and we assemble the CD together.

 

[MadMoose]

I don't rent anything that I own and is in-house to clients. If someone wants a specific piece of gear from a guitar amp to a 24-bit A/D for transfers I rent it. I'll get a deposit from my client and then rent the gear from whatever source I can find. If your clients want 24-bit mixes they can either pay for you to rent the gear or they can go somewhere else.

I tend to buy things that people ask for. After a while if I get enough people asking for 24-bit mixes and files I'll get a 24 bit converter. If it only happens twice a year I'll skip it.

 

[osmuir]

further info on cutting a deal w/ dreamhire julian? that would be rad! [ah, "hip" terms from the 80's...]

--owen

 

[anonymous]

Right who here can hooook Owen up with Dreamhire?
(I don't know em in the US) but the UK devison of the company just went bust so the US side will be getting get a lot of cool gear send over (I happen to know)

 

[MadMoose]

That sucks. Rather then send all the gear to the states why don't you and a few engineer chums buy some of it and start your own rental company?