What should I be charging roughly?

[Action508]

I I have been recording since late 04. I am still learning, but people tell me I have good ears. I do end up with a decent quality final result. Here is a list of my grear:


Pc with lots of plug ins and Nuendo
Tascam FW1884
Rokit 8's
FMR RNLA
GT Brick
Mackie Onyx 800r
sennheiser e609
4 sm57's
beta 52
MXL 990
beta 57a
KSM 27
Portable 703 panels on stands


I don't have my own recording rooms right now so I go to bands rehersal spaces and do work for them. I am doing mostly favors and cheap work for friends and local kids. How much SHOULD I be charging with the gear I have? I know it all depends on how good of an enginner I am but I just want a ballpark figure. Thanks guys.


EDIT: I record mostly metal/rock/punk bands.

[narcoman]

charge an hourly rate.

[joelpatterson]

charge a "rough" hourly rate.

[Infernal Device]

There are a few people in my area that do that, load up the computer and some mics, go to firehalls and practice spaces to record. They sound replace the drums or record with triggers, double up the guitars, layer some vocals, etc etc.

They charge about $10-20/hour and do something like once a month or once every two months.

It is getting more difficult for the "entry level" younger kids to start it up, I feel for you. Seems like everyone in a band has the kind of rig you described, or they know "guy with computer". I have seen three actual studio buildings that have full HD3 systems with outboard charge $15-20 an hour. True story.

Don't worry about the gear. Give people a reason to pick you over the thousands of others doing what you do. I'll give you a hint: it has *NOTHING* to do with....

1. The gear you use. (Somebody will always be better equipped)

2. The rates you charge. (Somebody will do it cheaper)

3. What your work sounds like on the Internet (even a beginner can make that sound good)

4. Using words like "professional", "high-quality", "relaxed", "experienced", or "ultimate". (15-year-olds with a laptop and a chinese mic use those words to describe themselves)

So what does it take? Take a day off, drive around listening to music you admire and ask yourself what you offer other than the things mentioned above. What you come up with is your answer, and you decide what to charge. If you cannot come up with something, get in line with everyone else. Advertise on Craigslist and have some home-made business cards and a myspace page. Get ready for some frustrating times of your life.

[emdub123]

Originally Posted by Action508

How much SHOULD I be charging with the gear I have? I know it all depends on how good of an enginner I am but I just want a ballpark figure. Thanks guys.


EDIT: I record mostly metal/rock/punk bands.

Your gear seems fine. No problem there.

So, how much do you make at your "other" job? How much is your rent/insurance/car pymt/utilities per month (assuming you don't live with your parents)?

I'd figure out what my monthly money requirement is, then figure out how many hours I spent working on recording in the last month. Divide that out and that's what you'd need to make per hour to "break even" if you quit your day job. Will people pay you that? If yes, great. If no, then you'd need to work more hours/charge less...

In other words, don't start by thinking about what everyone else will PAY, start by thinking about how much you'll need to CHARGE. If you come from a place where people are doing you a favor, you'll never get very far. This is a business, you provide a service. Think about it like that.

[awakened]

Come up with a price (whether it be hourly or flat) and stick to it 100%.

There will be bands that come along and are like "hey man, (insert bedroom studio name here) will record us for a little bit less than you, will you beat his price and give us a deal?" Say no to all of these bands, but tell them it is because it would be unfair to charge certain bands less to get the same quality in a recording with you just because they were shopping around. All bands are shopping around and comparing price to quality. Let them go to the kid with the MBox, spend a few bucks less, be disappointed, and then hate themselves when they realize you may have been the better choice.

[adamgonsa]

If you want help with a ballpark price you could try this:

FreelanceSwitch Hourly Rate Calculator

This calculator focuses on expenses vs financial realities and planning, so doesn't take into account experience or competition, but it can be a good place to start.

[solo-bration]

Originally Posted by awakened

Let them go to the kid with the MBox, spend a few bucks less, be disappointed, and then hate themselves when they realize you may have been the better choice.

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