Poor etiquette from prospective clients.

[bgrotto]

This past year or so I've been getting emails and PMs damn near every day from various rappers and beatmakers asking me for my engineering/mixing/production rates, to which I always politely reply with a detailed description of exactly what the service entails and list of rates and options.

Nine out of ten times, I never hear a response back; am I the only one that feels this is rude? Is it so difficult to respond with as little as a "Thanks for your time"?

When I'm in the similar position of calling around town to hammer out logistics for my clients' records, not returning calls to studios and mastering engineers with whom I've been in touch would certainly reflect poorly on me in the professional community. Even a simple "thanks, but no thanks" works.

Maybe it's the Midwestern-raised politeness my mother beat into me as a little kid, but these non-responses strike me as rude and unprofessional.

This rant belongs in the Moan Zone, I suppose, but oddly enough, this all seems to happen almost exclusively with the rap/hip-hop set. What's up with that?!?


My mother would be very disappointed in you. Not angry, just disappointed.

[MERC476]

Lets face it, not every client you get is going to be professional. Alot of rappers that I record just don't take this rap thing serious. They THINK they do. But half of them just wanna hear their voice on an instrumental in their car. Those are the ones that won't return your call, would try to show up late and act like its nothing and want to start the studio time at the time they showed up, want you to mix AND MASTER the song for free (if they even know that they actually have to get a song mixed and mastered after its recorded), want to bring an enterouge of cats to the studio that only slow down production instead of make the production better....etc etc....must I go on? They think they're gonna blow up overnight. But then you get the respectable clients that follow the rules and are great to work with. Sucks that sometimes the disrespectful unprofessional clients have more talent than the ones you enjoy doing BUSINESS with.

[bgrotto]

Originally Posted by MERC476

Sucks that sometimes the disrespectful unprofessional clients have more talent than the ones you enjoy doing BUSINESS with.

Ouch. The story of my life. At least with recording hip hop, that is. But that's Boston for ya (Providence, apparently, too!).

[jsrockit]

I wouldn't stress that at all... they asked a question, you replied to their question. To me, it is typical not to reply back if they aren't interested in your service...since business is done. The reply should only come if you plan to do more business together. To me, they are doing you a favor since you don't have to open and read a bunch of thank you e-mails.

The other thing is that many of these people contacting you have no clue how much it probably costs and are shocked when you reply with your rates.

[rickrock305]

i feel ya man. i get the same exact sh*t. doesn't really bother me too much.

[termtables]

pretty standard for me too. although there are a few people that hit me back with a damn u charge too much response. what half these guys don't know is if they counter offered back, I'd probably go for it.

[lpuma]

I've sent some PM's on GS asking about rates, I always thank and tell if I want to work now or "maybe later"... jus minimal politeness to me.

[phillysoulman]

Some rapper type moron called and wanted to book four and a half minutes of time.
Talk about stupid!!
Most of the ones who call are just plain idiots who have absolutely no clue as to how its all done.
Every now and then however,there is that "diamond in the rough" but they usually dont take it to the next level for one reason or another.

[swagger]

I know it's kind of different circumstances but when I shop my beats to artist; it's the same thing... Their like, "the track is bangin!" but then when it comes to the price I put out there with room to negoiate...I get no response. It's so weird that the responses I do receive and it's a done deal at the end of the day or by artist that really don't have the talent to back up their will power!

[ryst]

Originally Posted by bgrotto

This past year or so I've been getting emails and PMs damn near every day from various rappers and beatmakers asking me for my engineering/mixing/production rates, to which I always politely reply with a detailed description of exactly what the service entails and list of rates and options.

Nine out of ten times, I never hear a response back; am I the only one that feels this is rude? Is it so difficult to respond with as little as a "Thanks for your time"?

When I'm in the similar position of calling around town to hammer out logistics for my clients' records, not returning calls to studios and mastering engineers with whom I've been in touch would certainly reflect poorly on me in the professional community. Even a simple "thanks, but no thanks" works.

Maybe it's the Midwestern-raised politeness my mother beat into me as a little kid, but these non-responses strike me as rude and unprofessional.

This rant belongs in the Moan Zone, I suppose, but oddly enough, this all seems to happen almost exclusively with the rap/hip-hop set. What's up with that?!?


My mother would be very disappointed in you. Not angry, just disappointed.

You know I go thru the same shit too and I can't tell if the rudeness is worse or the let down of knowing that it's nearly impossible as a fulltime music guy to determine how much money you will make that month to either pay bills, go on vacation, or buy something nice for your wife because all of these potential clients turn into nothing. Gotta have thick skin in this biznass.

[tonymission]

This business is like every other business so it shouldnt come as any surprise to anyone who's worked in another field.

It is NO different.

10 leads turn into 3 appointments and 3 appointments result in one sale.

1 outta 10. That's Business/Sales 101.

Play the Law of Averages (LOA!) game, NEVER count on any one specifically and keep your numbers up.

If you have 4 guys sayin they gonna drop some loot then you probably wont get any of them (unless it's like $40) but if your network game is tight and you got 40 things out there between beats, recording and mixing then you're gonna keep eating cuz at least four of them are actually gonna come through.

Too many people rely on that "one dude" who was talking big about bringing that money by "tomorrow" (why not today?) and end up so disappointed when shit doesn't turn out. I see a lot of that with young guys at the studios I frequent ... saw it last night actually.

Keep it movin!

[bgrotto]

Originally Posted by tonymission

This business is like every other business so it shouldnt come as any surprise to anyone who's worked in another field.

It is NO different.

10 leads turn into 3 appointments and 3 appointments result in one sale.

1 outta 10. That's Business/Sales 101.

Play the Law of Averages (LOA!) game, NEVER count on any one specifically and keep your numbers up.

If you have 4 guys sayin they gonna drop some loot then you probably wont get any of them (unless it's like $40) but if your network game is tight and you got 40 things out there between beats, recording and mixing then you're gonna keep eating cuz at least four of them are actually gonna come through.

Too many people rely on that "one dude" who was talking big about bringing that money by "tomorrow" (why not today?) and end up so disappointed when shit doesn't turn out. I see a lot of that with young guys at the studios I frequent ... saw it last night actually.

Keep it movin!

I hear ya, but that's not my point. I've been at this long enough to know the Law of Averages (all too familiar, actually)...I'm not counting on any of these people to hire me. I just think it's rude for them to not reply at all. Again, I'm expecting 90% of their responses (whether I actually hear back from them or not) to be "Whoa, too expensive...not for me!" I'd just like a simple "thanks for your time" or "hey, I got your reply, sorry we can't afford you right now". Or whatever. Ya dig?

[Mr.Cheese]

Well uh.. maybe that's because this is the rap industry, my mother likes to call it "crap." A musical artform.. where most of the art lies with the beat maker, not the artist. I love rap, but this industry lacks etiquette and manors, period. I mean when you got rappers looking up to Camron and 50 Cent for inspiration, how much do you expect of them? That's why I never record people, I just make beats. FUUUCK workin with rappers.. let someone else deal with that bullshit.. when I come accross another Talib or Common, I might consider recording them. But I Don't do this for a living, so it's no stress.

[irthwirm]

I find that everyone is in it for themselves/rude/selfish 95 percent of the time weather they are a peer engineer/producer/rapper or older younger. It's frustrating but **** it. Gotta just roll with it it's part of the biz.

[tonymission]

Originally Posted by bgrotto

I hear ya, but that's not my point. I've been at this long enough to know the Law of Averages (all too familiar, actually)...I'm not counting on any of these people to hire me. I just think it's rude for them to not reply at all. Again, I'm expecting 90% of their responses (whether I actually hear back from them or not) to be "Whoa, too expensive...not for me!" I'd just like a simple "thanks for your time" or "hey, I got your reply, sorry we can't afford you right now". Or whatever. Ya dig?

Yeah, my bad -- I really wasn't really replying to your original post.

Just kind of to people in general and I guess reinforcing it with myself a bit since I had a couple things fall through today lol

[C Heat]

Originally Posted by bgrotto

This past year or so I've been getting emails and PMs damn near every day from various rappers and beatmakers asking me for my engineering/mixing/production rates, to which I always politely reply with a detailed description of exactly what the service entails and list of rates and options.

Nine out of ten times, I never hear a response back; am I the only one that feels this is rude? Is it so difficult to respond with as little as a "Thanks for your time"?

Yes, I think it is very rude. Which is probably why you're in the position you are, and they are not

PS. "Thanks for your time"

[bgrotto]

Originally Posted by C Heat

Yes, I think it is very rude. Which is probably why you're in the position you are, and they are not

PS. "Thanks for your time"

[phillysoulman]

Originally Posted by irthwirm

I find that everyone is in it for themselves/rude/selfish 95 percent of the time weather they are a peer engineer/producer/rapper or older younger. It's frustrating but **** it. Gotta just roll with it it's part of the biz.

I TOTALLY concur

[7thangelz]

Originally Posted by Mr.Cheese

Well uh.. maybe that's because this is the rap industry, my mother likes to call it "crap." A musical artform.. where most of the art lies with the beat maker, not the artist. I love rap, but this industry lacks etiquette and manors, period. I mean when you got rappers looking up to Camron and 50 Cent for inspiration, how much do you expect of them? That's why I never record people, I just make beats. FUUUCK workin with rappers.. let someone else deal with that bullshit.. when I come accross another Talib or Common, I might consider recording them. But I Don't do this for a living, so it's no stress.

i've known a few who have worked with 50, and they have nothing but good things to say about him and how he's very professional. people don't need inspiration for rudeness (intentionally or unknowingly) or being flat out assholish, they just are.

artist, regardless of the genre, can be rude and vice a versa.

with email and such, the line gets easily blurred by what's rude and what's not. i honestly don't see a problem with them not returning a thank you for the info/trouble, would it be nice? sure. but some really have an aversion to the whole email way of communicating (i know i do, and yet some of my peeps can only be reliably reached this way)

[cynic]

your problem isn't audiobiz specific.

people who run other consultancies (graphic design, programming, it, architecture, law firms) deal with this shit every day. some people just don't have the decency to send a response - even if it's "sorry too expensive for me".

[coyotekells]

give 'em a break.. they're "grindin" lol

[ProducedbyRegg]

lol... i produced a record on g unit album

[phillysoulman]

Originally Posted by ProducedbyRegg

lol... i produced a record on g unit album

Please explain "I produced a record on a G Unit album.
Isnt that an oxymoron?

[ProducedbyRegg]

nah a oxymoron would be more like "look at the small huge chair"..lol

[phillysoulman]

Originally Posted by ProducedbyRegg

nah a oxymoron would be more like "look at the small huge chair"..lol

so..please explain what you meant then by a record on an album???