jkoseattle Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 I have been asked to contribute some music for a stage musical. Lyrics will be by someone else, so music only. I will only need to produce demo recordings and piano-vocal score. I'm taking over for a composer no longer working on the project. Some of the songs will be from scratch, while some will be fixes of the other guy's work. All of it is work-for-hire, as I am not asking for any ownership of the show or songs. The show is being written in hopes of a production (as opposed to a commission by some theatre) and I have no idea what the actual life of it will be. It is still being polished, and there will certainly be a long workshop process. Again, without my ownership in the show, I won't be involved in that. Knowing the fallow fields that are the musical theatre world, I don't have any hopes there will be wads of cash pouring in that I'll never see, which is why I want it to be work for hire. However, these people seem to be pretty experienced professionals, and while the show isn't my taste, for people for whom it IS their taste, it's decent work. They want to know what I should charge for this work. The previous composer worked hourly, which I know is a terrible idea, and they agreed it was wrong. It's a very open and honest relationship so far, so I trust they want it to be as fair as I do. There are two tiers as I see it: Songs from scratch and fixes of existing songs, which there are a lot of. Does anyone have any idea of the ballpark I should be asking for here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Walton Posted October 2, 2022 Share Posted October 2, 2022 4 hours ago, jkoseattle said: I have been asked to contribute some music for a stage musical. Lyrics will be by someone else, so music only. I will only need to produce demo recordings and piano-vocal score. I'm taking over for a composer no longer working on the project. Some of the songs will be from scratch, while some will be fixes of the other guy's work. All of it is work-for-hire, as I am not asking for any ownership of the show or songs. The show is being written in hopes of a production (as opposed to a commission by some theatre) and I have no idea what the actual life of it will be. It is still being polished, and there will certainly be a long workshop process. Again, without my ownership in the show, I won't be involved in that. Knowing the fallow fields that are the musical theatre world, I don't have any hopes there will be wads of cash pouring in that I'll never see, which is why I want it to be work for hire. However, these people seem to be pretty experienced professionals, and while the show isn't my taste, for people for whom it IS their taste, it's decent work. They want to know what I should charge for this work. The previous composer worked hourly, which I know is a terrible idea, and they agreed it was wrong. It's a very open and honest relationship so far, so I trust they want it to be as fair as I do. There are two tiers as I see it: Songs from scratch and fixes of existing songs, which there are a lot of. Does anyone have any idea of the ballpark I should be asking for here? Honeslty by the hour sounds pretty good with so many unknowns....assuming the per hour rate is actually significant and they are not looking for minimum wage labor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bapu Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 I found this in a search for "music composition compensation". "Salaries also vary because many composers work freelance or contract assignments as opposed to, or in addition to, steady employment. A music director role is one of the most common jobs related to music composition. Music directors nationally earn on average $35,519 per year." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettelus Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 5 hours ago, Brian Walton said: Honestly by the hour sounds pretty good with so many unknowns....assuming the per hour rate is actually significant and they are not looking for minimum wage labor. I agree with this. You will probably be asked to go through an edit cycle after submission, so I would recommend thinking about your hours for initial delivery and cost/hour for editing (this will also make them think about edits since they will not be free). Definitely scope out the work you need to do and be reasonable with the delivery aspect, and agree with them on an editing rate fee, and get that in writing. In the government contracting realm, "firm fixed price" for R&D is a recipe for disaster. For companies unfamiliar with this, they can end up footing the completion on their own dime, hence the cautionary advice. As they are easy to talk to, be open and honest in discussions with them. Trust your instincts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhonoBrainer Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 If this by chance is NOT your day job, then I'd do it for minimum hourly wage, and 1% of any gross proceeds down the road, if there are any. You never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Gregy Posted October 3, 2022 Share Posted October 3, 2022 Ten thousand dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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