Hi

I've been offered some freelance work producing Karaoke tracks for a company down here in Australia.

I've not done this work for a company before. They're keen, but keep asking me what I want to charge per track.

These tracks are required to be fully produced to a high level (I get them as close as possible to the original), with backing vocals, and post-mastered finished product quality. I don't think I'm required to add the cdg part, just supply the music.

It takes me about two-three days to complete each track.

Is anyone able to tell me what the going rate per track is for this kind of work (please say what currency you are refering to)?

I just want to make sure that I'm not gonna get shafted, because they probably realise that I'm green.

Thanks!

Shaun Thomson

How many tracks are there to be done, and are you hiring any musicians?

I'd charge an hourly rate, or at least an estimated rate, and try to get it done in time and make some profit.

I would possibly be hiring musos, and I'm not sure how many tracks at this stage.

Would you expect to take a couple of days to complete each song (mixed and mastered)?

Would $500AUS ($375 US) be too much to ask per song?

THANKS!

Shaun

IMHO, $375 USD per song isn't enough! But it really depends...if you're hiring musicians and doing the whole thing soup to nuts you might want to charge more but if you're making money at $375 a song more power to you.

I agree, I would personally double that. Considering you will be recording, mixing and I think you mentioned mastering...

Good luck!

Yep,

3 days of your work, plus musos, plus food and beverages for the musos, for U$375? I think as Jay that you can charge a little bit more!

U$ 500?

How many tracks?

PUPO

$400,- US per day.

Thanks for your replies.

Wow, OK. It looks like I was really going to undercut myself.

They are currently getting their tracks done in the UK, so I have to be competitive with those productions houses.

Does anyone know of any studios over there currently creating tracks for any of the major karaoke companies?

THANKS!

Shaun

I think the UK is probably the most expensive place to get them done.

man I'd do it for $400.00 US a day ! damn! I'd even do it for 400.00 canadian !

Shaun,
im here in Sydney..
and i would probably charge them $1000 per song regardless of how long it took you.
Dont change the amount per song...
so on some songs you would be tight on budget if you have to hire musos.. but on others you may make a good deal profit.
Have you heard their existing tracks to compare what you are able to do?
How good are the existing ones? can you match that with the gear/ expertise you have now? if so... be confident but maybe a little flexible when you quote them. But dont be shy about telling them that you will be creating great tracks for them for a good price. BUT DONT become the 'cheap tracks' guy. you will never get out of that one.

feel free to send me an email to chat more about it...
peter@kingtonemusic.com

That would be $1200 per tune...that is too much for a multi-song gig IME.

Full production multi-song gig with backing? $500-$750 each (US)...depending on the quality and confidence of the producer.
Most backing can be done in 1-2 sessions...This isn't union pay (at least I doubt it is). Average musician rate for me $40-$50 per hour or a set price per song...that is what I pay.

The way I look at gigs like this, if I can make $50 an hour to produce I feel good.
Some gigs I have made $100 or more per hour.

Right now I am making $15,000 for a record (points aside) so breaking it down I make roughly $2-$5 per hour or less! That is my own reality check.

Can't underbid...Can't overbid...both can blow the deal.

Ask what you are comfortable with, you will know pretty quick if you cheated yourself.

Cheers.

I think that's a pretty fair price iof it takes 3 days to do one.
$400,- per day is a reasonable price.
That's what I would charge anyway.

Hi,

I can help if needed. I can track, mix & master a fully produced karaoke track, note for note with human feel (if warranted) with production values intact.

$450.00 per song complete (without vox). 2 day turnaround.

Check my site under "AD Music", scroll to the end and listen to my samples.

Best of luck, keep me in mind for future needs. You never know!

For karaoke music I like to....






























































.....DO IT - MYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

heh

I was solicited last year by a "respectable" Broadway production company (I know, an oxymoron) to do some karaoke tracks to use as promo tools for their current stars.

Part of me thought "Broadway? These guys got mega-bucks, I'm gonna pad my day rate!" The other part of me thought "Broadway? If I can help these guys come in under budget I might be able to get a lot more work from them, and never have to deal with teenage rock star wannabees again!"

So in the end I quoted them $500/song.

They laughed at me. They said "We have a roster of producers that do this sort of work for $150/song."

Welcome to the Big Apple.



(The moral? If you are one of those guys producing tracks for $150/song, you're not just ****ing yourself, you're ****ing me & everyone else in our industry. If I catch you I will eat your liver.)

Ask them what their budget is.
Tell them what your usual rate per song is. (without any additional musicians)
Educate them about the differences between a midi-based track and a fullblown production.
Let them get the feeling they decide the quality-level.
Then you both know what to expect/demand.
And you don't end up getting $150USD/song while they expect live strings and horns...

F U C K every single person that charges U$150 for doing it!

Those F U C K I N G guys are the ones who make our lives not easier!

I know two companies run by friends of mine here in L.A who produce Karaoke tracks for about $50-$60 per song...and the stuff is real good. Good live players etc. They discount that price further for multiple song projects and they seem to have production down to a science.

I asked one of the guys this morning about the $350 thing and he just laughed and said they didn't get anywhere near that much back when they were doing Karaoke for Japan twenty three years ago. Even when Karaoke began to hit here in the U.S in 1986, they were only getting about a hundred per song. He said they're already geared to lower prices to about half of what they charge now because it's such a glutted market which isn't about to change.

By the way, these guys are both filthy rich after a quarter century of doing this.

Time to move on then...
With all due respect to your friends...if they charge $60 a pop for full blown backing tracks...that's great. Only they know how much thier skill and talent is worth.

I won't work for less than $500 per song...I am not worth less than $500 per song...Karaoke or original.

We all have our limits and somehow I would rather supplement my income digging dirt than working for prositute rates in the field I love and respect..some people can do it and more power to them... I just can't.

I CAN however mix tracks or work with a great artists for close to nothing or nothing.

P&B,

Same here.

Did you ever ask these guys how they are making money with those prices? Have they gotten so much experience that they are able to throw a track together in two hours? That seems highly unlikely. I recently got a gig doing a few karaoke tracks and I had no idea how much to charge. I realize that I undercharged now, but am still trying to figure out a reasonable rate.

5.5 year old thread!! Luckily, theNoodle is still around.