Members Sheraton Player Posted February 10, 2009 Members Share Posted February 10, 2009 A VERY simple question... How much does a session musician get? For a song, assuming thats how it's done. I understand its a flat rate.... is it much the same across the industry, from top names to lesser known ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted February 10, 2009 Members Share Posted February 10, 2009 I usually charge 100 bucks a track if it's someone I know. $300 is a figure I hear a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted February 10, 2009 Moderators Share Posted February 10, 2009 it depends if they are union, or just freelance. I used to charge an hourly rate (not per song), with a minimum number of hours (I generally got the songs done in 3 takes or less), so the minimum was to make it worth schlepping across town to a studio. It is all negotiable, but make sure the person you hire is the right person for the material...I was hired to do stuff running from classical (not my forte) to metal (also not my forte) over the years, and managed to make the producers happy, but you need to find someone who really can cover what you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesway Posted February 10, 2009 Members Share Posted February 10, 2009 i usually get about 300-400 dollars for the DAY. it's not by song, but it's also not union work. It's always negotiable, though. I once got 500 dollars for one guitar part on one song...another time, i got 800 dollars for an eight song album playing multiple guitar tracks AND drums. My most successful friends in music don't really make that much for session playing; they often record for chump change in hopes that it will land them the gig once the touring starts......and it usually does. I know guys who simply hang out in studio lounges and become everyone's friend. They record for lunch and gig like madmen....make good $ that way. the bottom line is everything in the music industry is changing. if you go in with a rigid price structure, get ready to not work. JUST MAKE SURE WHOEVER YOU HIRE TO PLAY YOUR STUFF SIGNS A MUSICIAN'S RELEASE AGREEMENT beforehand. seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesway Posted February 10, 2009 Members Share Posted February 10, 2009 and no...i'm sure matt chamberlain gets a bit more than i did for my drum session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CLOCK13 Posted February 10, 2009 Members Share Posted February 10, 2009 I usually charge 100 bucks a track if it's someone I know. $300 is a figure I hear a lot. That seems kind of steep for indie musicians without alot of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Songwriter81 Posted February 10, 2009 Members Share Posted February 10, 2009 It depends on where you live and the style of music you're putting together. I had guys booked for two days and it came out roughly $100 per song. But if all the parts of the song have been thoroughly sketched out, you could potentially get musicians in for $50-60 per song--at least where I live. The main thing with first call session guys, is that you're paying for their musical skill, in addition to their knowledge of gear and their ability to work fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluesway Posted February 11, 2009 Members Share Posted February 11, 2009 i just sured up a contract with a guy for 150 a song - he's a percussionist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JakeBurton Posted October 17, 2010 Members Share Posted October 17, 2010 I offer online custom drum tracks and percussion. I have prices on my website as well as a gear list and mp3 samples to check out. Please let me know if I can be of any service. Thanks, Jake Burtonhttp://www.JakeBurtonMusic.comhttp://www.JakeBurtonMusic.com/onlinedrumtracks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted October 17, 2010 Members Share Posted October 17, 2010 That seems kind of steep for indie musicians without alot of money. Well, maybe that indie musician ought to do the tracks himself or not put out a record if he can't afford it. 100 bucks a track is actually cheap. Some guys around here were getting that 10 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AngieB Posted January 22, 2013 Members Share Posted January 22, 2013 http://www.airgigs.com/categories/online-recording gives an idea of online musician rates. cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted January 22, 2013 Moderators Share Posted January 22, 2013 sort of...this is very different from traditional session work, as these 'pros' never have to leave the commfort of their homes. Still, this is a fairly good estimation basis for online digital recording...naturally, you would want to hear samples of the performers work. The guy offering bass tracks for $25 is likely new at this... however, since you work there, I am going to have to ban you now for spamming our forum...but thanks for stopping by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members matthewearly84 Posted January 29, 2013 Members Share Posted January 29, 2013 100 bucks a track is actually cheap. Some guys around here were getting that 10 years ago. Seems like there was a bit of money around in the recording business 10 years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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