Hourly Rate

[timdjango]

I have a relationship with a mid-level studio, who wants me to do some work for them. Thus I need to set some sort of hourly rate.

Can I ask what are other working player's hourly rates for studio recording? Is this a consistent rate or is it a 1st hour, 2nd hour cheaper system. Should I even have a public rate and wherein lies the careful art of negotiation. Please advise from experience.

Tim

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

PM sent>>>>>

[slimbo]

Session rates work out at £100 for 8 hours, you have to learn the parts and be ready when needed, and steel is at a premium so we need to keep it at a standard rate and ALL stick to it.
If you've worked studio befor you'll know it can get frusterating with the changes they keep making.
After 8 hour's you need to re negotiate, most of the work is open ended so you need to keep your whole day open.
Don't back down on the price tellthem it's the going rate for steelies so it they enquire elswhere they get the same answer, don't sell your talent cheaply, where else will they go?.

[Zebedee]

Where else will they go?

Let's hope they haven't heard of Wavelore, it's cheesy artificial pedal steel, but most listeners wouldn't know (or care) that it wasn't the real thing.

http://www.wavelore.com/products.php?product=WLPS

[timdjango]

Ok fine, I will say that I have had several different answers quoting from £10-15 per hour (see above) to £100 per hour. Not much consensus, particularly as the former falls well below the MU's £40 per hour for a non-classical session lasting 3 hours. Clearly this is a point of some contention amongst steelies.

[Tony Smart]

I would have said at least £100 for a 3 or 4 hour session.
You'll be lucky to get plumber to work 3 hours for £100.

[Ken Byng]

Tony raises a good point as usual. I don't do a session for less than £100 an hour. That's how it is. Some of my customers even think that is cheap. One or two have blanched when I have quoted my hourly rate so I tell them there are loads of guys out there who will do the job cheaper, and to look them up. I also charge travelling expenses on top of my hourly rate.

The way I see it is that they are looking for a musician who plays a specialist and niche instrument, in my case someone who has 40 plus years experience and who can read dots if necessary. I have the best equipment out there and even take microphones with me to a session that best suit the recording of pedal steel.

[slimbo]

WOW, did I get it wrong Ken, mind, it's been some years since I went into the studio on a pay job, so I'll have to write all this info down for reference, glad no studio operator saw my remarks, they would have been on a winner.
Time's change, but I'm picks at the ready.

[Ken Byng]

WOW, did I get it wrong Ken, mind, it's been some years since I went into the studio on a pay job, so I'll have to write all this info down for reference, glad no studio operator saw my remarks, they would have been on a winner.
Time's change, but I'm picks at the ready.

Well your original figure works out at £12.50 an hour Slim. Some driving instructors charge a lot more than that. Take out your travelling expenses and you would not make too much out of the session.

I have to admit that these days I don't enjoy driving long distances to recording sessions, and one benefit of owning your own studio is that you can work with file transfer these days. Anyone with a computer can work within the boundaries of file transfer, and provided that they have software has some compatibility with a studio's software then pedal or lap steel overdubs can be done in the comfort of your own home and emailed through via a third party file transfer system (those that can handle large Wav files). Cubase and Logic seem popular, but the industry standard in larger pro studios these days is Pro Tools. All three DAW programs will do the job.

[Tony Smart]

You're right Ken, I was thinking more along the lines of a local band in a non professional set up. You're probably still right as we do tend to underestimate our value and scarcity.

However, if you're doing job with file sharing etc. how does it work if the producer has definite ideas as to what he wants and likes?

Glad you're back on the Forum Ken, to give us an idea what goes on in the real world.