How much to charge for a beat?
mannybolone
Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
A friend of mine is the father of a young man who's starting to get into production work and he was wondering how much a beginning beatmaker should charge for a track? I know this varies across the board but I have no clue what even a relative scale would look like.Any suggestions?
Comments
It helps if you can somehow force both busta rhymes and nas into a bidding war for it too.
who is that? looks like Harrison Ford...
drbrownscelray is a truthsayer. indies cannot pay for beats very much because there is like NO money in it anymore. this is why i say accept bus tokens and a kfc snacker give them your protools session be happy and eat your chicken
Most producers who start out will be doing beats for free until they are known. Even when you are getting established $0-500 is your margin. There are so many bedroom producers out there right now that if you charge too much, the cat next door will probably do it for free just to get that exposure.
granted, I don't know your boy's full circumstances, but my feedback would be to charge as little as possible for it, if not for free (but have a contract in place in case money IS MADE. then setup your payment contingent upon how much it gets picked up for).
basically, it's a busted ass market right now, and money aint going around as easy as it was, so just keep that in mind.
peas.
Pretty much what these dudes said. With the million producers on myspace willing to do free beats and the indie records making NO yaper, you'd be lucky any money for a slap at this point. As a producer you have to have some shit that rappers need and can't get get from their local producer/myspace/brother/uncle etc.. Major labels aren 't paying what they used to either. I have a hommie who got 1200 for a beat on Def Jam!! The fucking weed and food budget for his session was bigger than the producer fee. They know a lotta dudes are just happy to get on a record and they can pay what they want.
Or at least get dissed, as in the case of the Team/Sho Nuff-- he produced "It's Gettin' Hot" for them, which blew up in the Bay, and then started asking for $3,000 a track. They quit working with him AND released some funny disses.
hey oliver
i don't have much to add on that hasn't already been said, but this kids' situation sounds similar to my younger bro's. i suggest getting in with established local studios. my brother began selling to his High School buddies for 25$ a pop, he's since hooked up in-house gigs at a few baltimore/dc area studios and has contract work out the wazoo.. keep in mind this is at the indy level.
dude from Quiz Show?
Maybe 5 years ago dudes would start at that much, but at this point, new producers get anywhere from $3000 to like $7500 depending on the circumstances. As Wizzles said, shit can be even lower too if they know that the producer is really trying to get on and/or the artist is someone very desireable to work with.
When I hear about "a young man who's starting to get into production work", my advice is not getting a good lawyer. He should make some great tracks first and spread them. Has he ever thought about teaming up with a MC and forming a group, putting on a show and pressing up some records? I know this is not how rap is made these days but it used to work quiet well.
I believe all of you guys saying that it's getting harder to get money for a beat and that even majors are paying less. I know local (=German) producers who have beats on US indie records and are not even credited on the record (not speaking about getting any money, publishing or points). That's not cool and can't be excused by the fact that most labels are making less money these days too.
Can't even win a nickel bet
Because, ah them that's got are them that gets
And I ain't got nothin yet
I'm sneakin in and out duckin' my landlord
All I seem to do is stay in debt
Because, ah them that's got (yeah) are them that gets
And I tell you all I ain't got nothin' yet
That old sayin them that's got are them that gets
Is somethin I can't see
If ya gotta have somethin
Before you can get somethin
How do ya get your first is still a mystery to me
I see folk with long cars and fine clothes
That's why they're called the smarter set
Because they manage to get
When only them that's got supposed to get
And I ain't got nothin yet
(bridge)
That old sayin them that's got are them that gets
Is somethin I can't see
If ya gotta have somethin
Before you can get somethin
How do ya get your first is still a mystery to me
I see folk with long cars and fine clothes
That's why they're called the smarter set
Because they manage to get
When only them that's got supposed to get
And I ain't got nothin yet
Whoah, I tell you all
I ain't found nothing yet.
(spoken)
You know I just don't understand it
I can't seem to get a nickle or a dime for a cup of coffee
I need a hamburg- in fact a hot dog wouldn't be too bad
I would just be grateful if I could get my hands on most anything
(fade)
Them That Got[/b] lyrics by Ray Charles
ODub, that promise you made about BBE releases, "if they ever pay you, holler back at us. In the meantime, I'm going to stop writing about any of their releases, regardless if it's a comp or not." -- plaese let me release you from that, man. Pete is ok. he's got Dilla coming up. let us know how you feel about it.
thanks,
m