Film Music Composition and Audio Production Services

Pricing Basics

What follows is an overview of my current packages. I update the discounts I offer about once every quarter and release them via PDF. I like to add new incentives and offers when I can, that's why I like to reevaluate them all once a quarter. Keep in mind I do offer special situations to certain types of projects and clients. I can not release this information on the site or in my pricing sheet, but I will gladly lay out all the options available to you during our initial consultations.

Be sure to download my Rates and Service Information Guide. It covers, in depth, all of my rates and services for film, game, and independent artists.

Rates:

I charge for my services as a freelance music producer at an hourly rate. This hourly rate is adjusted for licensing, distribution, and other factors. The standard hourly rates are based on a tiered pricing model:

Read the abbreviated nitty-gritty

Reality Check:

I offer my experience and a whole lot of high tech (meaning costly) software and hard ware. If you have ever worked with a composer or music producer you know that costs can sometimes leave you wondering what you are actually getting in the end. That's one of the reasons I charge by the hour and not an overly-inflated flat price. Even my quotes often exceed the amount actually paid by the client for a given project.

My quotes are a ceiling figure. My quote is my guarantee to you that the figure I give you will never be exceeded, and in fact your cost might actually be much less depending on a number of other factors.

However, I must immediately address the harsh reality of my services.

Do not expect me to be willing to take on a ridiculously long job, with the expectation of infinite revisions, an exclusive license (such as expected with a trademark piece for your company which you will distribute on everything bearing your brand), for less than what someone at McDonalds is making! This is a business and I have a lot invested into it and $50-$200 is far too less for a 10 minute film! You should expect this before contacting me - hence why this statement is published here; I get it a lot!

I offer numerous discounts that most other independent music producers do not. I enjoy my work and I like taking on portfolio building pieces as much as the next guy, but bills have to be paid and the IRS needs to see income!

Platinum Film Packages

Which Package is right for me?

About the Ambient Package:

The ambient option was designed for small projects that need only atmospheric musical elements with small arrangements and little to no melodic themes. When you ask for this package, you get this package. It is by no means any less in quality than the others, but it is focused on much more ambient, atmospheric pieces like you would find in many independent films. It is a cheap option for an originally crafted, beautiful sonic backdrop.

About the Standard Package:

This is the normal package and applies to most projects I take on. Details are stated above.

About the Plus Package:

The same exact work specifications and expectations from the Standard package with the addition of exclusivity.

About the Max Package:

In short, you own it. You hired me to create it and no matter what kind of project it is for or how you distribute it, no matter how much money you make off of it, it is yours and yours alone. I can not claim any rights to the music aside from asking you to possibly include my name in the writer's credits. I sign all rights to the music over to you.

Licensing:

Definitions and terms of use.

Non-Exclusive:

Simply stated:

• I retain all rights to the music and can distribute and redistribute it however I wish.
• The music created for your project is only licensed for the project it was intended for via our agreement and may not be reproduced for other works or alterations (aside from edits of the project) of that specific work.
• You may not redistribute the work and you claim no ownership of the music itself aside from its use in your production.

Exclusive:

Simply stated:

• You retain the exclusive right to the material for up to three years. During which time, I can not redistribute or sell the same work for any other commercial or private projects to include demoing it on my site.
• The music created for your project is only licensed for the project it was intended for via our agreement and may not be reproduced for other works or alterations (aside from edits of the project) of that specific work.
• You may not redistribute the work and you claim no ownership of the music itself aside from its use in your production.

Direct Buy/Work for Hire:

Simply Stated:

• It's yours and your alone! Do with it as you wish!

Other Fees and Considerations:

Each package has been developed to cover the type of project, potential earnings, distribution, and all the other tedious factors that go into production costs. If you have more questions, please contact me directly.

Revisions:

A Revision is defined as a completely new mock-up of more than 30% of the project.

All packages except work for hire projects are limited to four revisions of tracked material. What does this mean to you? Quite simply that I will only revise my tracked material four times before charging an added compound multiplier (listed in my pricing sheet) onto my hourly rate for services rendered from that point on. This is a big change from previous practices and here are a few reasons why I implemented it:

• Revisions are the unpredictable variable in any project. They can cause the original agreement to be altered and therefore change the statement of work making my initial bid null and void. I guarantee four revisions in all projects I take on, anything past that will incur the multiplier-hourly rate.
• Revisions take a lot of time and waste a lot of resources (time being the biggest). Four is the magic number.
• Nothing is perfect and you are paying for my artistic skill - when taste or creative clashes occur, you still have my time and resources to account for.

Time is a big factor in my revision policy. If I were to let everyone take all my time and constantly want something slightly different, I would work endless hours and allocate a tremendous amount of resources to make it work. Of course I will still make it work but all my agreements are based on a delivery time and the hours required to meet that time. When you disrupt that, you are changing the terms of my agreement with you and thereby cutting into more of my time and resources for your project. Logically, this is why it will cost more past this point.

Administrative Charges:

I charge a flat $12 USD hourly rate for all administrative services, which include secondary on-site consultations. Other miscellaneous transcription and client-directed tasks that do not fit into the creation of original music, editing, or creation of sound fx, etc. fall into this category.

Distribution & Reproduction:

Additional distribution options are available at the client's request. Your quote will be based on your originally intended distribution and all work provided under that agreement will afford you the specific permissions to use my work as you specified. I offer licensing for:

• Exclusive Digital Online distribution (both for original and co-written pieces)
• Exclusive Physical Distribution (both for original and co-written pieces)
• Mechanical rights (unlimited)
• Synchronization (unlimited; Adaptation rights included)
• Performance
• Digital Streaming
• and more!

Each project is different and I offer numerous other options. Contact me for more details!

Printed Score

Receiving a digital score for live performance, adaptation, and print is a dynamic fee based on the length of the project.

Pricing Sheet

Download this information as a digital PDF and compare my services.
The current edition is FY12 Release: 03, updated 31 March 2012.