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Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71264] Tue, 15 August 2006 11:22 Go to next message
Jesse Skeens is currently offline  Jesse Skeens
Messages: 53
Registered: November 2005
Member
I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session while
I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.

Any ideas?

Jesse
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71265 is a reply to message #71264] Tue, 15 August 2006 11:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
DC is currently offline  DC
Messages: 722
Registered: July 2005
Senior Member
Oh boy.. I wish!!

Wouldn't that be cool. But if you do so, you will lose the client
IMO.

You can, of course, lay down some rules about talking and giving
you constant advice while you are eq'ing a soloed track...

"Oh, the mix went away!! It was so good a minute ago and now
the guitar is too loud!"

grrrrrr

DC


"Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session while
>I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
>to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Jesse
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71266 is a reply to message #71264] Tue, 15 August 2006 11:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
EK Sound is currently offline  EK Sound   CANADA
Messages: 939
Registered: June 2005
Senior Member
We charge by the hour... no flat rate. If they want to sit in and
make zillions of changes, that's up to them. Usually, I will get a
mix together on my own, then have them come in to "tweak". Then they
take a copy away (if I trust them) and make notes for final changes.

All of this is by the hour.

David.

Jesse Skeens wrote:
> I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session while
> I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
> to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Jesse
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71267 is a reply to message #71264] Tue, 15 August 2006 11:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Deej [1] is currently offline  Deej [1]   UNITED STATES
Messages: 2149
Registered: January 2006
Senior Member
I don't think it would be unreasonable to just let them know that under
these circumstances, an hourly rate will apply instead of a flat fee.

"Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote in message news:44e210d7$1@linux...
>
> I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session
while
> I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
> to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Jesse
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71269 is a reply to message #71264] Tue, 15 August 2006 12:03 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gene Lennon[3] is currently offline  gene Lennon[3]
Messages: 40
Registered: June 2006
Member
"Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session while
>I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
>to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Jesse


What you need is a big sign in your control room.


_________________________
MIX RATES

Standard Rate – $25/hour
You Watch - $35/hour
You Comment - $50/hour
You Help - $100/hour
_________________________
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71290 is a reply to message #71269] Tue, 15 August 2006 18:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Aaron Allen is currently offline  Aaron Allen   UNITED STATES
Messages: 1988
Registered: May 2008
Senior Member
What's with the blank post man?
AA

"gene Lennon" <glennon@NOSP.com> wrote in message news:44e21a98$1@linux...
>
> "Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session
>>while
>>I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
>>to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>
>>Jesse
>
>
> What you need is a big sign in your control room.
>
>
> _________________________
> MIX RATES
>
> Standard Rate - $25/hour
> You Watch - $35/hour
> You Comment - $50/hour
> You Help - $100/hour
> _________________________
>
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71326 is a reply to message #71269] Wed, 16 August 2006 15:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bill L is currently offline  Bill L   UNITED STATES
Messages: 766
Registered: August 2006
Senior Member
gene Lennon wrote:
> "Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session while
>> I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
>> to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>>
>> Jesse
>
>
> What you need is a big sign in your control room.
>
>
> _________________________
> MIX RATES
>
> Standard Rate – $25/hour
> You Watch - $35/hour
> You Comment - $50/hour
> You Help - $100/hour
> _________________________
>
That made me laugh. Thanks.
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71332 is a reply to message #71326] Wed, 16 August 2006 18:54 Go to previous messageGo to next message
TCB is currently offline  TCB
Messages: 1261
Registered: July 2007
Senior Member
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't the 'studio industry' in fairly big
trouble? Also, in my two lines of work, writer and IT consultant, I think
that the client should be treated with a great deal of respect. After all,
the client keeps my lights turned on and gas in my car and my greens fees
paid. Are you guys all making so much money that you can treat your employers
like shit and get away with it? Wish I had that job . . .

Bill L <bill@billlorentzen.com> wrote:
>gene Lennon wrote:
>> "Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session
while
>>> I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
>>> to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>>>
>>> Any ideas?
>>>
>>> Jesse
>>
>>
>> What you need is a big sign in your control room.
>>
>>
>> _________________________
>> MIX RATES
>>
>> Standard Rate – $25/hour
>> You Watch - $35/hour
>> You Comment - $50/hour
>> You Help - $100/hour
>> _________________________
>>
>That made me laugh. Thanks.
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71334 is a reply to message #71265] Wed, 16 August 2006 20:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jesse Skeens is currently offline  Jesse Skeens
Messages: 53
Registered: November 2005
Member
Hehe you might be right as he hasnt emailed me back ;-)

Maybe I'll follow up and let him know I didn't mean he'd be charged. I told
him the fee for the mix and that I also offer training at $30 an hour (which
insinuated I'd charge him to sit in). But maybe I can reverse the outcome
so far.

Jesse

"DC" <dc@spammersinhell.org> wrote:
>
>Oh boy.. I wish!!
>
>Wouldn't that be cool. But if you do so, you will lose the client
>IMO.
>
>You can, of course, lay down some rules about talking and giving
>you constant advice while you are eq'ing a soloed track...
>
>"Oh, the mix went away!! It was so good a minute ago and now
>the guitar is too loud!"
>
>grrrrrr
>
>DC
>
>
>"Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session while
>>I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
>>to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>
>>Jesse
>
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71335 is a reply to message #71269] Wed, 16 August 2006 20:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jesse Skeens is currently offline  Jesse Skeens
Messages: 53
Registered: November 2005
Member
"gene Lennon" <glennon@NOSP.com> wrote:
>
>"Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session while
>>I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
>>to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>
>>Jesse
>
>
>What you need is a big sign in your control room.
>
>
>_________________________
> MIX RATES
>
>Standard Rate – $25/hour
>You Watch - $35/hour
>You Comment - $50/hour
>You Help - $100/hour
>_________________________
>

Ok I'll print this out then, hehe.
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71336 is a reply to message #71332] Wed, 16 August 2006 20:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jesse Skeens is currently offline  Jesse Skeens
Messages: 53
Registered: November 2005
Member
"TCB" <nobody@ishere.com> wrote:
>
>Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't the 'studio industry' in fairly
big
>trouble? Also, in my two lines of work, writer and IT consultant, I think
>that the client should be treated with a great deal of respect. After all,
>the client keeps my lights turned on and gas in my car and my greens fees
>paid. Are you guys all making so much money that you can treat your employers
>like shit and get away with it? Wish I had that job . . .

I get your point and that's why I asked why. My studio is generally not
populated with clients as most of my mixing and masterign work is done over
the internet. But I also teach at a school here in Orlando (guess) and one
of my students emailed me about this.

My reasoning was that I charge the same amount to others that don't have
the benefit of being able to sit in. And part of the problem is that I have
been doing a flat fee.

Thanks for all the responses though.

Jesse
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71358 is a reply to message #71332] Thu, 17 August 2006 08:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
justin rice[1] is currently offline  justin rice[1]
Messages: 12
Registered: August 2006
Junior Member
Unless the person I'm working with is freakin annoying, I love it when the
client sits in. I get some conversation, the mix usually comes out a little
better for the client because they got their "input" in, and last but most
importantly, I get a bigger check because we spent more time doing it.

"TCB" <nobody@ishere.com> wrote:
>
>Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't the 'studio industry' in fairly
big
>trouble? Also, in my two lines of work, writer and IT consultant, I think
>that the client should be treated with a great deal of respect. After all,
>the client keeps my lights turned on and gas in my car and my greens fees
>paid. Are you guys all making so much money that you can treat your employers
>like shit and get away with it? Wish I had that job . . .
>
>Bill L <bill@billlorentzen.com> wrote:
>>gene Lennon wrote:
>>> "Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session
>while
>>>> I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems
fair
>>>> to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>>>>
>>>> Any ideas?
>>>>
>>>> Jesse
>>>
>>>
>>> What you need is a big sign in your control room.
>>>
>>>
>>> _________________________
>>> MIX RATES
>>>
>>> Standard Rate – $25/hour
>>> You Watch - $35/hour
>>> You Comment - $50/hour
>>> You Help - $100/hour
>>> _________________________
>>>
>>That made me laugh. Thanks.
>
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71386 is a reply to message #71334] Thu, 17 August 2006 19:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Neil is currently offline  Neil
Messages: 1645
Registered: April 2006
Senior Member
Tell him this (or something like it in your own words):

<begin letter>
Dear Billy-Bob,

When I charge my flat fee of $xxx per song, that fee is based
on the assumption that:
1.) I'll be doing the mixing in a timely fashion, but also more
or less at my convenience with regard to other scheduling
commitments I have.
2.) I'll be doing the mixing using certain sets of procedures
that I am accustomed to, and allows me to proceed with it in an
efficient manner, hence allowing me to charge that very
reasonable, aforementioned, flat fee.
3.) It allows for an initial mix or "trial mix" that I send to
clients, upon listening to which, they can offer up input as to
any changes or adjustments they might wish to hear, which I
then implement in order to get their final product.

For someone who wants to sit in on the entire proceedings,
a flat fee isn't really appropriate or relevant under those
conditions, since:
1.) I would have to schedule around not only my other
committments, but yours as well; which is fine, but also more
restrictive for both of us.
2.) I would no doubt be using a different set of procedures
than the ones that I am able to implement in my flat fee rate -
in other words, you would no doubt want to be more involved &
have ongoing input, ask questions, etc (otherwise why would you
want to be there, yes?), which could possibly alter the amount
of time spent on each mix.
3.) Instead of one "trial mix", there would likely be
several "trial mixes" & variants thereof made of each song
before you made a decision as to what you liked/didn't like
about each one.

Considering the above circumstances - which I am sure you can
identify with & relate to - if you want to sit in on a mix
session, I would be glad to accommodate you. Under those
circumstances, my normal hourly rate of $xx would apply.

Perhaps you might want to sit in on one mix & see how it goes;
that is, if you're interested in seeing how I work & the
processes I go through? If, after doing one song like that,
it's looking like it might be out of your budget range to do
all of them that way, then we can always switch to the flat fee
per song for the rest, using the first set of circumstances &
guidelines I outlined.

Let me know - looking forward to working with you!
<\end letter>

Send him that. He'll respond.

Neil



"Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>Hehe you might be right as he hasnt emailed me back ;-)
>
>Maybe I'll follow up and let him know I didn't mean he'd be charged. I
told
>him the fee for the mix and that I also offer training at $30 an hour (which
>insinuated I'd charge him to sit in). But maybe I can reverse the outcome
>so far.
>
>Jesse
>
>"DC" <dc@spammersinhell.org> wrote:
>>
>>Oh boy.. I wish!!
>>
>>Wouldn't that be cool. But if you do so, you will lose the client
>>IMO.
>>
>>You can, of course, lay down some rules about talking and giving
>>you constant advice while you are eq'ing a soloed track...
>>
>>"Oh, the mix went away!! It was so good a minute ago and now
>>the guitar is too loud!"
>>
>>grrrrrr
>>
>>DC
>>
>>
>>"Jesse Skeens" <jskeens@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>I have a few potential clients that would like to sit in on a session
while
>>>I mix their tracks. I figure this will take extra time so it seems fair
>>>to charge and hourly rate on top of the flat fee for the mix.
>>>
>>>Any ideas?
>>>
>>>Jesse
>>
>
Re: Charge extra to let clients sit in on mix session? [message #71513 is a reply to message #71386] Sun, 20 August 2006 18:56 Go to previous message
Jesse Skeens is currently offline  Jesse Skeens
Messages: 53
Registered: November 2005
Member
"Neil" <OIUOIU@OIU.com> wrote:
>
>Tell him this (or something like it in your own words):
>
><begin letter>
>Dear Billy-Bob,
>

Thanks Neil, well put.

I actually wrote back that I wouldn't charge him to sit in and that the flat
fee for mixing ($150) would apply, os maybe that was high enough for him
already. no response so oh well. At least now I have a better idea how
to handle the next one that asks.


Jesse
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