Nov 12, 2004 10:37 am just do the best job you can, and charge a fair price.
End of story.
My first job...any tips
Posted on Nov 12, 2004 10:34 am
Jason H.
Jack of all trades master of ___
Member Since: May 28, 2004
Ok, so I get an email through the website from a local artist wanting me to master his CD to be released mid-December...first comes excitement then comes nervousness...
This will be my first job...being that all the other stuff I have done has been hobby-type...
Just looking for some common advice when tackling this issue...
((FYI)) I think now would be a good time to purchase Har-Bal since I have been holding out for no apparent reason and the artist's genre is rap.
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Nov 12, 2004 10:37 am just do the best job you can, and charge a fair price.
End of story.
Nov 12, 2004 10:48 am ok...here might be mistake number one...which brings up another topic...
FEES...I am not running any for this one...I figure I would run this project for nothing to give him a feel for what I can do...if he plans to keep using me...then I will. ALong with that I am suggesting he use his normal process in case he doesn't like mine...
And if all goes good I have been struggling on establishing a FEE base ever since I thought of doing a website
Nov 12, 2004 11:21 am I would charge something. Maybe like $100, which is dirt cheap for a whole CD, but something for your time.
Just don't kill yourself on this one!
Nov 12, 2004 11:22 am yeah, I would definately charge something...
Nov 12, 2004 11:27 am You MUST charge him something. Nobody will take you seriously if you give yourself away.
"Do the best jos you can do and charge a fair price'. I think dB said that.
"Good Luck!". I said that.
Nov 12, 2004 11:33 am I don't think I will kill myself...It seems to me, he has never had anything mastered, from the way it sounds...so I think I can nail this one
I am going off the basis of: me not having any formal training...doing it cause I love doing audio...and its my first one so if I hook em, then I have a customer and I can start running fees on all jobs from here on out (new client or not)...according to his website he has alot of projects coming out...so we will see what happens...
I am basically looking more to gain the experience and getting a credit printed...money at this point is not really my concern...
Nov 12, 2004 11:37 am BTW....Thanks as always people...
dB - Noize and whoever nearby...
shall we make another beer appointment...hopefully one I can make...??
Nov 12, 2004 11:38 am As soon as I get some time freed up yeah, but time isn't something I have had the luxury of having lately...will keep it in mind tho...I am HOPING to wrap up a couple jobs and just lay back and do nothing this weekend.
Nov 12, 2004 12:21 pm Ok well I bought HarBal using the link on HRC, I hoped it worked & we get compensated
Nov 12, 2004 12:46 pm yeah just charge him however much har-bal cost for you. that's pretty fair.
Nov 12, 2004 01:10 pm Good idea, Minkus, I like that a lot. Then buy a new toy with each new job and bill accordingly.
Nov 12, 2004 01:48 pm yeah my first job i did that with a condenser mic for vocals. the band found that it was directly equitable in that sense. right on, db.
Nov 12, 2004 02:33 pm Good advice...I will definately do that...
Does anyone here make good side money doing what they are doing?
Nov 12, 2004 02:34 pm I make my living from my business now...
from my business, I would guess I good 20-30% is audio/multimedia related work.
I can't call it "side money" any more, but when it was "side money" it was quite good.
Nov 12, 2004 03:03 pm Hopefully I can establish that...
When my boss interviewed me I was 21 years old and he asked me where I saw myself in 5 years...Amongst the things I told him, was I planned on having my own business on the side...but at the time I was thinking it would be all architectural drafting like I do for a living now...that thought never changed except for the field...He looked at me like I was out of my tree...
Now at 24, I am not saying I think I have one now, but compared to 4 years ago...I would like to think I am on my way to owning one...
Nov 12, 2004 03:07 pm I dunno how to put this but, if you do that CD for that rapper dude, and get paid, you DO have a business.
If it is your intention to continue you would be well served by filing an assumed name for Evilman Studio, and spend every dime you make in it on gear, because then your business is making nothing and you don't get taxed on it...as long as it's business expenses. Otherwise, if you eventually get a client claims their payments to you as THEIR business expense, you then have to report that money and pay taxes on it.
It may seem like overkill and jumping ahead for one little job, BUT, one rule of thumb...DON'T **** with the IRS.
Nov 12, 2004 03:24 pm Yeah I understand...and it is my intention to grow...Basically what you are saying is make the money, buy gear, and if the client tells the taxman I was a business expense and the taxman comes to me, I gotta show the reciepts...??
Nov 12, 2004 03:28 pm Yup, as long as the money you gets spent on the business your business makes no income and isn't taxed. If you incorporate, any profits you can give to yourself as a "dividend".
And yes, keep reciepts, always keep reciepts.
Nov 12, 2004 03:34 pm I typically keep everything...and anything that will be under EvilMan Studios WILL be kept...ie my HarBal reciept...
Assumed name db?? Do you mean the name reservation with the sec. of state?? You don't have to explain if it is its own entity I can rea dup on it somewhere I am sure....
Nov 12, 2004 03:38 pm For LLC and Incorporating you need to file the name. For a simple Solr Proprietorship you need to run an add in your local newspaper for a couple weeks saying "Jason H will be doing business as Evilman Studio and if you don't like it, kiss my ***" or something like that. The point being, just announcing it to the public, then send a copy of that add the somebody (secretary of state I suppose, I forget, I did it about 6 years ago).
Nov 12, 2004 03:46 pm lmao...on a friday that was funny. "..kiss my ***."
If anyone here has any cognitive dissonance about why I made the name 'Studios' plural in my 'assumed named' when I only tiny compact STUDIO.
...well, you are just going to have to deal with that...its for future expansion...when I am 35 and two facilities... ;)
Nov 12, 2004 03:52 pm Actually, Noize and myself got into a discussion about that when he was buying his domain, he wanted "studios" and I laughed and said "you only have one". Even if you have more than one, you are still a single studio business.
I get into this with other business people a lot. It annoys me when people try to make themselves sound bigger than they are. I proudly state that I am a one-man shop and try to never word any of my web site or anything to say "we" or "the staff" cuz it's bogus.
I firmly believe in the "under-promise over-deliver" concept. If somebody does not want to deal with a one-man shop in my basement, screw 'em, I don't wanna work with them, if they do, I always do a good job, and rather than getting simply what they expect from a bigger place, they will be taken aback, and be very happy with a product that is better than expected...and they will come back.
Nov 12, 2004 04:18 pm I state that too, I am sure you know...I think I state a "we" (me and the equip) or two in my site purely from keeping it sound like an ego trip...My main thing is to be real with whoever I work with...If I can't do it, I can't do it and I will tell you...With this master job, I think I can over deliver...I had another email about doing some recording for themselves, sadly...whoever composed it didn't read the site where I said I can't take anyone in but myself for that type of medium.
I am not a believer in "impact" business names...Or pushing the EvilMan name to fill my ego...It reminds me of sh** like Office Space (Innotech) I picked what I wanted cuz I liked it and like you said, if you want to work with me cool...if not, good luck in your search...
I named it plural more for the sound...if you do more than one thing, it can very well be plural...
There are plenty of names made plural for sound, not necessarily to sound 'big'...
I think a big name would consist more of 'Evilman Enterprises' ... or ... "The EvilMan Group"...things of that nature...
Nov 15, 2004 10:58 am Ok, so I met with my 'client' face to face on Saturday night...and we went over the CD together...It was very cool...I can't wait...
Prior to what we talked about before, I had already told him I wasn't going to charge him so I didnt feel right backtracking witha fee...Anyhow, after I met with him he had 36 sf of Auralex in perfect condition he let me have...so I took that as my fee ;)....
Ok, so if all goes well I think it would be right to charge by track if doing mastering work...correct? If so what should I do per track?? $15?
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