Current song worth?

[k o star]

What is the current standard license fee of a song worth?

What should we charge clients?

Rough but close estimates In these genres & assuming they're all instrumentals & run for 2min:

Orchestra
Metal
Cinematic
Rock
Blues
Hip hop
Solo instruments
Electronica
High Octane
Ambient... etc.

K

[mazz]

Kel,

From what I've seen, license fees (I'm assuming you mean sync licenses) range from 0 on up to several thousand dollars. It depends on a lot of factors including which market it's licensed to (a large global campaign pays more than a local car commercial). A lot of libraries have a tiered price structure based on the client's usage of the piece.

So if the local supermarket wants to use your piece, you might be able to get a couple hundred dollars out of them and negotiate a re-buy if they want to use it for longer than-X amount of time (typically they'll want to just buy it once and be able to use it forever), and if DKNY calls, well, then you're in a whole other league!!!

If you're doing it yourself, charge what you think the music is worth and what you think you can get. You could also do some research online.

Good luck!

Mazz

[fullbirdmusic]

If someone comes to you personally for a small project or something that won't be broadcast worldwide, I would say charge at least $30 - $100 per piece - doesn't matter what style. In one of the exclusive libraries I'm with, they charge $30 as a base and sometimes license them for more, and sometimes less.
It depends on the project and it depends on if they're "buying in bulk."

[matto]

There's no such thing as a standard license fee because it is all based on application. You can find current rate cards at some music libraries' web sites if you dig around a bit, and you will see there are a bewildering number of rates based on exactly what the client wishes to do with the piece of music.

matto

[k o star]

Kel,

From what I've seen, license fees (I'm assuming you mean sync licenses) range from 0 on up to several thousand dollars. It depends on a lot of factors including which market it's licensed to (a large global campaign pays more than a local car commercial). A lot of libraries have a tiered price structure based on the client's usage of the piece.

So if the local supermarket wants to use your piece, you might be able to get a couple hundred dollars out of them and negotiate a re-buy if they want to use it for longer than-X amount of time (typically they'll want to just buy it once and be able to use it forever), and if DKNY calls, well, then you're in a whole other league!!!

If you're doing it yourself, charge what you think the music is worth and what you think you can get. You could also do some research online.

Good luck!

Mazz

Thanks Mazz..
The fact that it varies so much is the reason I had to ask abt this.. I'm pushing it out there & also in a very small section doing it myself.. the more I research online, the more confused I get cos all the prices vary quite drastically.. so I figured here's still the best place to dig deeper ^_^

That DKNY ad is airing over here & very regularly too at prime time!! Great for Bob!! =)


K

[k o star]

If someone comes to you personally for a small project or something that won't be broadcast worldwide, I would say charge at least $30 - $100 per piece - doesn't matter what style. In one of the exclusive libraries I'm with, they charge $30 as a base and sometimes license them for more, and sometimes less.
It depends on the project and it depends on if they're "buying in bulk."

Thanks Wes..
I was thinking ard those figures too... & wanted to make sure I wasn't going too low for myself...
Appreciate the estimated figures... helps a bit more...

K

[k o star]

There's no such thing as a standard license fee because it is all based on application. You can find current rate cards at some music libraries' web sites if you dig around a bit, and you will see there are a bewildering number of rates based on exactly what the client wishes to do with the piece of music.

matto

Thanks Matto...
I understand what U mean... it's just that I've found myself in situations whereby I have to show a basic starting rate before even knowing the application... that is where I need help to get an estimate of the "standard" base price I should start with, if that makes any sense at all...
I will continue doing more research too...
Appreciate the help...

K

[mazz]

Another way to approach this may be to come up with a range of prices you would charge for different types of licenses and don't publish it but put something on your site like "all budgets considered". And then when the client calls you can try to find out their budget and what type of placement it is. If you really want the placement and your usual fee is out of their budget you could say: "Well I usually charge this for this type of a placement, but I will give you a discount price of........." This way they know you have placed value on your music and also that you are willing to work with their budget and because of that it might be more likely they'll come back next time they need some music.

You could also send them a rate sheet on request and then be willing to say that you're flexible and will work with them. Folks usually have a bottom line and sometimes they'll tell you and sometimes they won't. Having a rate sheet can at least start the conversation. You might scare a few off, but at least you'll have placed a value on your work.

HTH,

Mazz

[Tree]

We've encountered this issue as well. One time we even called BMI (which we're members of) and their member services was happy to help us figure out a good price for a quote. (I don't remember the details of it now to give you an estimate) but they were extremely helpful. I don't know if they would help you with your entire rate card but if there's a specific job you need to quote on it might be worth giving your PRO a call. And I agree with what everyone else said too, check other libraries and be willing to change your price depending on the project and budget.

This is something we would love to do but we're so unsure of pricing it's one of the biggest obstacles holding us back from marketing our catalog directly. After you do it a while I'm sure you'd learn what types of projects are willing to pay how much. Good luck, hope it works well for you!

[mojobone]

Kel, in my neck o' the woods, you can hire a band to play for $30 and all the beer and pizza they can consume. For that kinda scratch, you can expect to hire exactly the sort of band that would play for $30 and all the beer and pizza they and their girlfriends/husbands/wives can consume. In other words, it's up to you to calculate what your time and talent are worth, AND to enforce those rates. My opinion is that you're a world-class talent, and you should charge whatever the traffic will bear, but keep in mind that in Indianapolis, home of the former world champion Colts, they maintain a few blocks of end zone seats that go for $20 a pop, (where premium tickets are well into the $hundreds) because over time, a small, yet surprising number of $20 a pop punters eventually turn into buyers of skybox seats. (or, in other words, hook 'em cheap, then charge 'em steep)

[this space for hire], Mojo