Calavera
Offline
Melbourne, Australia

I know a good chunk of you have been approached over the years to make a track for a game, app, video, etc, and I know it's a bit of a sensitive topic, but if you don't mind me asking - how much did you charge for a single song?

I'm in a similar situation where a developer who has made an app with several million downloads is asking for a song made for a new game, so I was just putting out the feelers to see what the average is for a single track, especially if you've made one for an app that was making a bit of cash from millions of downloads. (Free game with in-game purchases for the record, so they're not making millions of dollars).

Last edited by Calavera (Aug 31, 2014 1:38 am)

bitjacker
Offline
Alive and well in fucksville

depends on if you still want to have claim to that song. fame from your creation might be more valuable...

e.s.c.
Offline
IL, US

the only times there is enough fame for it to be valuable, there tends to also be enough people buying the game that there is money to pay you properly as well... if it's free with in-app purchases, maybe set a base fee with additional amounts based on total amount of in-app purchases...

sleepytimejesse
Offline
Youngstown, OH
e.s.c. wrote:

the only times there is enough fame for it to be valuable, there tends to also be enough people buying the game that there is money to pay you properly as well... if it's free with in-app purchases, maybe set a base fee with additional amounts based on total amount of in-app purchases...

^^

A lot of devs are stand up guys/girls who personally understand the plight of the creative type and will respect a fair price for your part. Or at the very least they will accept a percentage deal. But personally I say always resort to percentages when there is no other viable option as 8% of 0 is still 0 and this will kinda often be the case.

seatrash
Offline
seattle

i wrote the soundtrack for an indie game about a year ago, and it ended up falling through. the guy developing it gave me 100USD for my trouble, so i can't complain, seeing how much he'd be losing on it.

he was originally going to give me 7%, which i think is fairly reasonable

Calavera
Offline
Melbourne, Australia

Ok, well, for those of you who went for a percentage deal - how did it go with your client paying you? Was it a monthly thing, yearly, etc? How long were they obligated to keep sending your cut?

e.s.c. wrote:

the only times there is enough fame for it to be valuable, there tends to also be enough people buying the game that there is money to pay you properly as well... if it's free with in-app purchases, maybe set a base fee with additional amounts based on total amount of in-app purchases...

Also, really agree with this ^

Last edited by Calavera (Sep 1, 2014 6:00 am)

8BIT KIDD
Offline
New Zealand

$==========>

Kool Skull
Offline
STARDRAIN, CA

make a big number up and ask. be willing to go down if theyre budget doesnt allow it tho. if they brag avout "millions" of dowbloads then id ask around $300-$500 or so, but initially say $700 and go down

Kool Skull
Offline
STARDRAIN, CA

i dont do percentage deals. i just want cash up front, with custome written terms of service on the invoice. terms saying something like "ok youre only paying me $150 right now but if these shirts sell more than $5,000 in revenue, you owe me $150 more. if you make more than $10,000 you owe me $1000 more along with 5% revenue gathered from said product i helped be a part of"
just to be sure youre clear about what ur doing.

Calavera
Offline
Melbourne, Australia
Kool Skull wrote:

make a big number up and ask. be willing to go down if theyre budget doesnt allow it tho. if they brag avout "millions" of dowbloads then id ask around $300-$500 or so, but initially say $700 and go down

Kool Skull wrote:

i dont do percentage deals. i just want cash up front, with custome written terms of service on the invoice. terms saying something like "ok youre only paying me $150 right now but if these shirts sell more than $5,000 in revenue, you owe me $150 more. if you make more than $10,000 you owe me $1000 more along with 5% revenue gathered from said product i helped be a part of"
just to be sure youre clear about what ur doing.

Great words of advice, thank you.

Calavera
Offline
Melbourne, Australia
8BIT KIDD wrote:

$==========>

...is that a..cash penis?

8BIT KIDD
Offline
New Zealand

cash penis all day schlong

Calavera
Offline
Melbourne, Australia
8BIT KIDD wrote:

cash penis all day schlong

A+

Kool Skull
Offline
STARDRAIN, CA

heart

an0va
Offline

depends on the type of licensing you and the client agree upon for the track based upon how it will be used

DJCactus
Offline
D D D Detroit, not the burbs
bitjacker wrote:

depends on if you still want to have claim to that song. fame from your creation might be more valuable...

I feel like this mentality often dupes a lot of people into conceding into not charging for their production expertise.  Which makes companies offer guys like me "an amazing opportunity to get exposure!" where its like "yo, you really contacted the studio to get me to work on something….  for free?  Im sorry I have to decline, talked to DTE energy and they said they wouldn't accept "exposure" as a form of payment"

If you feel like your work is worth something, charge for it.  People on here seem to got the right idea on prices ^^