Programming music for fancy bars/restaurants question
Sweet James
5 Posts
I actually post here with a different name, but i feel kinda embarrassed asking this for some reason.
Recently i was asked to provide the music for a fancy cocktail bar that an old friend was opening and i spent a few months thinking about it, followed by a month or so of ripping old records and gathering music for their ipod. I went down a jazz/funk/soul kinda tip with some folky stuff thrown in and the odd rock record here and there depending on what time of day it is for. It went down really well and he wants me to keep updating it, which i hadn't really expected.
Now three other venues have heard about it and also want me to do this for them.
So i am kind of stuck at what to charge for something like this, what price do you put on your music taste and experience?
Has anybody else done anything similar to this and is there a set price for this service? I have honestly never given it any thought before, since i make money from djing, promoting and, like, a normal job.
Also, i don't really want to see this place go, as musically i can't think of many places where i could ask this question to the kind of people who buy/collect the same kind of music as me, and therefore can see this from my perspective.
Thanks
Recently i was asked to provide the music for a fancy cocktail bar that an old friend was opening and i spent a few months thinking about it, followed by a month or so of ripping old records and gathering music for their ipod. I went down a jazz/funk/soul kinda tip with some folky stuff thrown in and the odd rock record here and there depending on what time of day it is for. It went down really well and he wants me to keep updating it, which i hadn't really expected.
Now three other venues have heard about it and also want me to do this for them.
So i am kind of stuck at what to charge for something like this, what price do you put on your music taste and experience?
Has anybody else done anything similar to this and is there a set price for this service? I have honestly never given it any thought before, since i make money from djing, promoting and, like, a normal job.
Also, i don't really want to see this place go, as musically i can't think of many places where i could ask this question to the kind of people who buy/collect the same kind of music as me, and therefore can see this from my perspective.
Thanks
Comments
50 songs 100 songs 300 songs?
Because the first person who asked me to do this was such a good friend i spent a month ripping, compiling and organising. So now i have a few hard drives full of very organised music (for me at least)
For the first place i reckon they now have a rotating playlist of around 3,500 songs, split into playlists for time of day, weekdays, weekends, how busy it is etc...
The first venue i had a meeting with after this wanted to me to suggest how to change the music as they currently blast about 200 60s soul and northern soul classics all day, so i suggested starting them out on a mixture of different soul music and a few playlists totalling about 500 songs all in all.
It takes barely any time to actually install the music in venues as i just tell them what to set up for my arrival, and i reckon it will take me less time to actually assemble the music. My current problem being that i am simply unable to stop myself from thinking "oooh that 7" would be perfect for this playlist!" and then having to source it and record it.
So to answer your question...
I'm gonna give myself 5 hours of prep time for smaller jobs like this, maybe 30 minutes to install it and 10 minutes to explain what the self explanatory playlistsare. That is if i am going to tailor it to each venue, which seems to be what people want.
The actual preparation of it is so fucking tedious and dull i really dread it, but i am really attracted to the idea of being able to include forgotten gems into the ears of people unawares. For the first one i compiled i consulted a lot of djs and clubbers around my area, going right back to the 60s and asked about the songs that were big club hits, or that i should just know about that have been left out of history over the years.
If i am being honest with myself though, i suspect that the reason that i am being asked to do this is because people just consume music in a completely different way these days and are less likely to seek out new music. I remember working in a bar in the 90s and being sent to buy some interesting new music to play during the day, i can't see people really doing that these days.
I digress
It seems to be a service that people charge between $15-30 per month for, which even if i did a tonne of venues doesn't really seem worth my time, unless i just made up a bunch of generic playlists. But even in my current jaded state, i couldn't bring myself to do that.
Imma say $500.
One place offered me $250 a month straight off the bat to do it.
You struck fucking gold, man. Run with it. And, congratulations.
EDIT: I don't know how, but it seems like the RIAA could totally shit on this amazing thing you have going on...so you might want to cover your ass on that, as well.
Does the restaurant have an ASCAP license? Although I'm not sure if that will really cover you with MP3s.
Nice one. Have a friend who did this for bars and restaurants in West London and probably still does for all I know...anyway, he charged a flat monthly cost plus a premium based on the capacity of the venue.
In the UK, any venue or place of business where music is broadcast or performed is expected to have a license from the appropriate performing rights organisation, and I'd imagine that's true in the US also. It shouldn't be difficult to arrange, and it certainly wouldn't be your responsibility to arrange it in the normal order of things. But it might end up cramping your style a little if the venues you're servicing don't happen to have the proper paperwork.
It sounds like something of a dream gig, and it could maybe lead in some interesting directions - music supervision, programming music for events, all kinds of things. Good luck.
By the way, don't look at the legal threat as a bad thing. Doing your homework and then walking the customer through getting "legit" with ASCAP/RIAA/etc. could be part of your services something that justifies whatever price you ultimately charge them.
You could build yourself a pretty nifty lil operation, man. Keep us informed, for sure.
I think that's different, though. He's hooking them up with a tangible collection of music that they can use as much as they'd like. Not a temporary event where they have nothing in hand after the set is over.
EDIT: Typos
Im sayin that if u make X amount on one night playing music vs. they have music ALL Month to rock.
One night vs 30 nights. Your sound designing a space.
Ahh got it...my bad. Yeah, it's a good point.
So far it would all be relatively fun as well, one venue wants a mixture of 70s soul and (weirdly) freestyle and 80s R&B.
I know that three of the places are fine to play music in, from a legal perspective and i am currently looking into the steps i am going to have to take to make this feasible.
It is made tough by the fact that i know most of the owners personally, so i am just worried that charging them a fair price for what is effectively a boutique service might offend them.
I can keep you posted though, if you like and thanks for all the feedback. I feel a lot less in the dark about it all.
Have you made more money because the atmosphere is better and you not playing the waitresses' bad ipod mix done by her ex-boyfriend 5 years ago.
I think it would be different if you were just drpppin off some songs, but if the request which sounds like sound/atmosphere maintenance then its become a little more than " make me a tape" type shit.
Freestyle while in eating = PAUSE.
Customers have also commented that it is nice to hear more interesting music in the venue, according to the owner at least.
Hard to tell whether it has made a big difference as i programmed the music for the opening of the actual venue itself, but they have been fully booked out since opening, the tips have been crazy and the customers are exactly the right kind of people that this place was pitched at.
it is definitely more on the sound/atmosphere maintenance tip, as you say.
:balla: