freelance engineers (studio owner content)

[shaneoconnor]

this is for studio owners:

who works with freelance engineers, and how do you ensure that they are coming to your studio over another studio. do you even care?

do you suggest gigs to freelancers, to entice them to use your facility ?

[Jules]

I will be back with some ideas for you...

[surflounge]

I keep their names and contact info on file in case a client needs someone for work. Then they can price it out. Sometimes it saves me the hassle of dealing with matching them up. Good luck.

[shaneoconnor]

aweseome.

i rarely get freelance sessions at The Milkhouse, but the engieners who have done it are often very excited about doing it again, but they dont work much.

im trying to brainstorm about "putting some fire under their ass"

[Jules]

Some ideas for you.

1) (I have done this a lot as a freelance engineer with studios, over very long periods of time, like 2 years at one studio, 3 years at another etc..)

Offer the freelancer to offer their clients an 'all included price' (the studio + the engineer) Now, you MUST make your slice of it discounted. So if you normally charge $300 - make it $250 or $200. Then allow the engineer to add their fee (dont freak out if it is a healthy chunk, say $200) Lets call it an overall price of $400.

Whats the use of this? I hear you ask! Well.... Many bands can mentally compute a studio fee, but often times the friendly engineer / producer fee is.. shall we say.. HARDER to get their heads around (ie YOU WANT $200 DOLLARS A DAY!!!??? shock horror..etc) And it can help make your studio busy.

How it works..

Studio and engineer = all one fee, the details of which REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL (thats important)
Studio bills band
Engineer producer plays nice guy - big studio guy needs their money - please pay them!(so they pay)
Engineer has to wait for bands funds to clear with studio before invoicing studio for their share

Bonus's

Engineer / producer gets to play nice guy and doesn't get associated with 'the money'. In fact the good cop bad cop routine actually HELPS the bill get paid.
Bands / managers that would dearly LOVE to skank the Engineer / producer for his fee and expect the poor bastard to do it for free - never get that chance...
Studios dropped rate - remains a secret / unknown figure
Engineer / producer rate (perhaps low?)- remains a secret / unknown figure
A healthy DAILY RATE is being billed for the studio & engineer.
Neither studio or engineer 'lose face' or get a reputation for dropped rates as the rate split - is totally secret

Minus points

Studio must drop rates for it to be attractive for the engineer producers
Engineer must wait for studio to pay
Wont suit blabber mouths who cant keep their mouths shut about how the rate is split

2) Offer them if they book 5 (or 10) days - they get one free - to do what they want with. The one day might get a new act in your doors that might book more time and empowers the engineer to do stuff with no budget or to get a reward for booking you - (like a coffee house loyalty stamp card)

[shaneoconnor]

now thats what this forum should be about!

awesome, thank you.

i dont charge the band the engineers fee, and i think i will do that from now on. i have no problem dealing with all money. awesome.

i have also started suggesting artists to engineers and engineers to artists. in hopes that they will bring their sessions, at least basics... to The Milkhouse.

I will keep this thread updated on the status of all of this.

in the meanwhile... check out one of my freelancers stuff..

MySpace.com - Stoney Lawless - BOSTON, Massachusetts - Hip Hop / Indie - www.myspace.com/stoneylawless

this guy is awesome.