How much should Producers Charge?

[Sydal]

i was just choppin it up wit my Producer, and he was basically sayin the reason alotta producers quit stickin around for the actual recording session, is becuz alotta artists were getting mad at sum producers trynna dictate their sessions and shit, and didnt want em in their like that........And he was also tellin me that givin up tracks for promo. and noteriety aint a bad thing, but doin shit for FREE aint good either, since producers have alotta overhead, and put in alotta time on creating their tracks, so even if its $25, try to get sumthin, lol.

Yup, that's real. Problem out here (and I've seen it when I was present at numerous sessions), is cats don't think they need guidance. They want to do it the way they want, and a lot of the time, the shit sounds sloppy as fuck.

There's all kinds of shit that upcoming producers could do to get out there without doing shit completely free of charge. This game goes by the barter system quite a bit...cats can be like, "If I give you this (or these) beats, drop a verse for me when I put a project together"...or "Give me my credit" or "If it sells, shoot me somethin' on the back end of it". So many ways to do things in this game, a lot of folks just don't know about it or they think they're the next Dre.

 

[StudSucram]

I think everybody was pretty much on point especially Vince V..let me quote him "I also think just because you made beats that "featured" big artists aint the same as you selling beats to big artists. It don't hold the same weight in my book" If u dealing with a dude with a budget try to get more but also if a guy got a budget he most likely got a deal and somebody somewhere got money invested and are gonna try to get the shit heard which is what u want as a producer....basically if u aint a name brand producer even if u hot (cos if u really hot u will or eventually be a name brand) Take what u can get I say 100.00 to $500.00 plus back end shit. (Which u usually never get) but if u sell for like a 100.00 make em buy a few to make it worth your time.....electricityand equipment still aint free even if u are wack...I will be checking out yall pages and if I think yall hot I will b bringin biz yall way

 

[localstar907]

If you looking peep my beats if you like pm me and I will hit you with a snippet disc of ten beats. I charge what you got lol! for real I will work with serious artist but I do wont some type of $$$$$


http://www.soundclick.com/onemobeatproduction

 

[og MS]

there's a difference between a "producer" and a "beatmaker" My advice to all that are serious and want to establish longevity in the business, hone your craft and become a "producer" otherwise you'll be a drop of water in a bucket struggling to sell $50 tracks.

 

[nastyfresh21]

Yup, that's real. Problem out here (and I've seen it when I was present at numerous sessions), is cats don't think they need guidance. They want to do it the way they want, and a lot of the time, the shit sounds sloppy as fuck.

There's all kinds of shit that upcoming producers could do to get out there without doing shit completely free of charge. This game goes by the barter system quite a bit...cats can be like, "If I give you this (or these) beats, drop a verse for me when I put a project together"...or "Give me my credit" or "If it sells, shoot me somethin' on the back end of it". So many ways to do things in this game, a lot of folks just don't know about it or they think they're the next Dre.

that ain't even just out here...look at what happened with T.I. and DJ Toomp. T.I. got sick if the fact that Toomp would try and coach him in their sessions, when in all honesty, that's what a PRODUCER does. If I'm a producer and someone gets on my shit and it doesn't sound good to me, trust I'm sayin something. And with someone like Toomp, whose track record is even bigger than T.I.'s you should be all ears....if you haven't yet, check out the video that's on Quinn's myspace page of him and Toomp in a studio session together.

 

[mac_luv]

A question for all you producers. I know most of you are just selling to underground cats trying to make a name for yourself. But what happens when you actually make a hit?

Do producers get royalties like songwriters? What if you make a beat and the song blows up and the song gets rotation on the radio like the Luniz or E-40? I know songwriters get paid everytime their song is played on the radio. What if they sell 100,000 units? Do producers get a cut of that? Or do they just sell the beat upfront and that's all the money they get?

 

[F.S.B.]

but wat producers need to understand that artist are trying to get on just like them and dont always have alot of money to pay for beats it seem like some producer make a lil money or get a lil fame and 4 get about the people trying to get on everybody has to start some where and i dont kno 2 many people thats tryna rap dat got alot of money and if they did they proally wouldnt be rappin

 

[Vince V.]

but wat producers need to understand that artist are trying to get on just like them and dont always have alot of money to pay for beats it seem like some producer make a lil money or get a lil fame and 4 get about the people trying to get on everybody has to start some where and i dont kno 2 many people thats tryna rap dat got alot of money and if they did they proally wouldnt be rappin

Exactly, we all gotta start somewhere. So find them producers that's just starting out and collab on some shit. You can't expect people to cut you a break just because your good. The industry doesn't really work that way at any level.
It takes alot of money even as an independent artist to make some noise, and if you can't afford quality tracks, then this biz is gonna be real hard for you..
Fools are always gettin mad, takin shit personal. It's ALL business, it's ALL about MONEY!

 

[DUTCH-F.E]

vince v top 5 nor cal producer period. sorry to interject just felt a terretts thing about to come on so i went with it!!!!!!!!!!! back to figuring out why 100 is too much for a beat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[robenea]

Do producers get royalties like songwriters? What if you make a beat and the song blows up and the song gets rotation on the radio like the Luniz or E-40? I know songwriters get paid everytime their song is played on the radio. What if they sell 100,000 units? Do producers get a cut of that? Or do they just sell the beat upfront and that's all the money they get?

as far as radio rotation all producers are entitled to half the writer share with publishing.. it can vary depending on the deal they have with the publishing company that publishes the record..alot of producers make money on publishing because it lasts for ever and the receive money every time song is performed, radio play, on tv, movies etc etc..

 

[KaizerSosae]

They shouldn't charge nuthin', make ur own beats.

 

[Sick Wid It]

What should a producer charge? Simple, charge what you can get. If a cat will pay you $1000 for your Fruity Loops beat then charge him $1000. That's business.

To the cat who said the producers need to understand the artist is trying to get put on too... So what! Producers and beat makers aren't obligated to give wanna-be rappers a pity discount or run some kind of charity-for-beats. If you can't afford it then take yourself serious, go get some money, and come back. I stopped giving a fuck about rappers sob-stories a long long time ago and it was one of the best professional decisions I've ever made.

Everybody wants something for nothing, but it costs to be in the music business. Period.

 

[mrrocnron]

ricky rock=20 thou wow a track

50

 

[Sydal]

Do producers get royalties like songwriters? What if you make a beat and the song blows up and the song gets rotation on the radio like the Luniz or E-40? I know songwriters get paid everytime their song is played on the radio. What if they sell 100,000 units? Do producers get a cut of that? Or do they just sell the beat upfront and that's all the money they get?

It all depends on if the producer has a good business mind. If you sell a beat for a couple hundred, give the artist a receipt and send him on his way, you don't have rights to anything because you didn't settle that with the artist. Producers need to get contracts saying some shit like, "If this song blows, I get a cut". If a producer wants publishing rights, he better have his mind together. Remember, a lot of big name producers who get half of the publishing also wrote part of the song in a lot of cases. When the good ones make a beat, they create a hook to go with it...they know exactly how the song should sound when they create it. That's tough for upcoming folks 'cause a lot of them don't know their role when they take on the "producer" title...if they didn't write it, they don't get writers credit...period!

If a cat doesn't say, "I want a contract, Sydal..." you think I'm gonna push that? Not up to one man to show the next man how to do business.

 

[Remaq]

Well for me as a producer I feel giving a few beats away for free is not a problem. We have to make a name for ourselves to even have an edge in this market. There are so many people that make beats it’s crazy. It is a real competitive game. Of course quality is better than quantity. The same concept would go for an artist. Me as a producer would rather produce a song for an artist that has some kind of buzz in the street/industry then someone who doesn’t or who just started. Yeah I can charge that nobody 150.00 but shit my goal right now is to bring in more cliental, so if I sell my beat to for 150 to an artist that is just going to sit on the beat or put some wack ass lyrics on it is it worth it? I mean we all want money but to get more of that money you need to have a little of that fame too. So I would rather work with a selected(trusted) few that have that buzz started or in the streets/industry, and I am willing to produce these artists for free so that TOGETHER we can build a bigger buzz for both of us. This has already started to work for me. More people are hearing my music/productions and more people are contacting me about the beats and prices. With songs being done and albums being released that have my productions on them I start to build a bigger name for myself then I can be at a point where I can charge 300-500 dollars or even more a beat. Don’t get me wrong if an artist comes up to me asking about prices I do tell them 150 and up for a beat. You know the beats going to be hot and you know you are going to get quality when you do business with me. I have come along way from when I started. It’s all in the name though I mean Im sure if Dr. Dre said he was going to sell beats for 500 dollars a pop folx would jump on that.. so it’s all in the name and it’s all in is the artist going to get a quality beat and have a hot producers name to back that up. Also as a producer we are intitled to royalties so that is also a plus..

 

[Remaq]

In the end, just get what you can get! Shit, I never turn down money. If all you got is 150-200 bucks, then you get to pick from my "not so hot, only took 20 minutes to make this beat" catalog. and it don't matter if a mothafucka got every keyboard in the world, or Fruityloops, if the shit is hot, it's hot. Trust me, consumers don't give a shit what the beat was made on

This is real chalk talk....

 

[the_truth_]

as far as radio rotation all producers are entitled to half the writer share with publishing.. it can vary depending on the deal they have with the publishing company that publishes the record..alot of producers make money on publishing because it lasts for ever and the receive money every time song is performed, radio play, on tv, movies etc etc..

Dont you have to set up a contract for that ? I also tought the only way a producer can get pub money is if he actually helped write the cut i didnt know a beatmaker that just made the beat and sold it could get publishing.

Unless you handle your biz and set the shit up with the publishing company and the artist i figure the only money you seeing is what the artist paid you for your beat and if you dont set no paperwork up you are not entitled to anything and the artist owns the beat after he pays you for it.. atleast thats how i always tought it was could be wrong.

 

[Tatem1]

In regards to many of the responses, I totally agree that producers should be flexible with pricing. I take in many considerations when quoting prices. For example, how tight the artist is, artist track record, affiliation, how far along are they wit the project, are they drivin on 22's, is they chain hangin lower than mine (lol), do they have an album out already, do they have tight production already, etc. The right answer is, we can charge whatever the hell we feel are tracks are worth. On the other hand there should be some type of Industry standards that most level headed people understand.
Aint nobody trynna turn down money too many times so everything is negotiable. Some producers even take trades including me. I've accepted music equipment, laptops, PS2's, Cam Corders, Gift Cards and all type of shit in the passed and encourage the same thing to up and coming producers. Bottom line is get what you can get but don't let NOBODY take advantage and especially when they are about to Sell the cd and make money off of what you gave to them.

 

[robenea]

Dont you have to set up a contract for that ? I also tought the only way a producer can get pub money is if he actually helped write the cut i didnt know a beatmaker that just made the beat and sold it could get publishing.

Unless you handle your biz and set the shit up with the publishing company and the artist i figure the only money you seeing is what the artist paid you for your beat and if you dont set no paperwork up you are not entitled to anything and the artist owns the beat after he pays you for it.. atleast thats how i always tought it was could be wrong.

your entitled your composition creddit if you composed an original beat.. you wrote the "music" side the song, the artist gets the lyric portion and performer gets the performance portion i could be totally wrong but ive talked to many people about this.. and yea you need a publishing agreement or you can setup your own publishing company and publish the track youself... but the indepdent game doesnt work well for publishing...

 

[sixfilthyempire]

it's a hustle, I mean get what you feel you should and can get. If your working w/ someone who has money to spend on a project, get some money. can't expect a broke cat to break $$. And If your cool with someone, hook them up. What goes around comes around. same w/ verses and shit. I have heard some extremely insane quotes from cats i won't name and I just tell them good luck. jmo