What Price Our Music?

emzee · Post by **emzee** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:29 am

Nestor's topic got me thinking.....if this topic has been done to death, just say so.

How much do we want for our music....? If we are to provide food and shelter for ourselves and our families, look after our health, keep equipment in good order, be able to continue to make more music .....etc

If we sell our creativity, how much should we get?

8-Bit · Post by **8-Bit** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:04 am

As much as you can get! Or, if you're successful, as much as your agent can get for you. Don't hold back on music, it's not like you'll be arrested or something for overcharging.

Rock,
8

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:40 pm

I think $100 for a minute is good for video incidental type stuff. If it's a tune, installation, or any sort of "piece", stuff that can stand on its own, then it's around $2000 per pop. Of couse, I don't get much of these expensive projects, but that's a price I'm comfortable with.

Yeah, get as much as you can for your work. There are people who get paid for being idiots, so your being paid for artistic work is automatically justified, whatever the amount!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: kensuguro on 2005-03-21 12:43 ]</font>

Post by **garyb** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:49 pm

music is like every other human endeavor that is traded. what is the time and effort of a professional worth?(lawyers, doctors, executives, technicians) how much does it cost for a reasonable level of comfort and cleanliness?(what that is is your call, be honest, not greedy) you deserve at least that amount. unfortunately, we are taught to think that this kind of thinking is unmusical and unartistic(utter bullshit), so you'll be lucky to earn 1/2 that level(i.e. 1/2 of what you need...)......

i keep saying it, the idea of a starving artist was conceived by a non starving artist to eliminate competition...

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 1:03 pm

If you get some bread, you can compare one piece of bread with another and say:

"Hey, this bread is much better than this other one, it has a better flavor, it is nice to your stomach and the texture and smell drives me crazy, I want more, and I DON'T MIND TO PAY MORE FOR IT.

Well, we as musicians and in all sort of artistic things, tend to think everything we do is just great... but this is not alwyas true. I recognise that I have done pieces of music that many others could have done better than me in a given moment. Do I deserve to be better paid just because I am a musician, or becase I do GOOD music?

For me the answer is obvious, the fact of being a musician is not enough for us to be well paid, but the fact of exel in what we do, then we are going to deserve a better pay.

Of course, it is difficult today to earn your life with just music composing... I can tell... The lack of understanding and cultura development musically speaking in the mass, is more than obvious... it is omnipresent! But despite this, when we do something for the market, we can also do something better or worst.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:56 pm

2 points that got me thinking...

recently in the record shop there played an almost 'unmusical' (at first listening) stuff in the background, consisting mostly of pauses and Rhodes clusters with (rare) occasional bass and percussion elements (single tones).
tempo, if any, probably around 45 bpm, absolute lack of drive and definetely no craftsmenship whatsoever.

But after about 10 minutes or so the idea began to take over and I really like the play - and yes, now it did sound musical and if it just had to be that way

The other one was a sidenote in a feature about the singer 'Sade' and her band.
One member (forgot who) was co-author of one single LP-track. He said he was very pleased with the group and with life as such and basically there wasn't any more need for him to work for the money.
He could do it just for his pleasure now, because that single track gave him enough royalties for making his living, due to the tremendous airplay 'Sade' records have all over the world.
And no, this wasn't Smooth Operator or Love is stonger, it was more of a filler track and the dude was only co-writer...

cheers, Tom

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:56 pm

I feel properly paid when i get 150-200$ Aust for a gig

marcuspocus · Post by **marcuspocus** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 2:34 am

here in paris we charge 400-500€ for the band, meal and drinks included. 2 hours shows

Post by **garyb** » Sat Mar 26, 2005 5:31 am

sounds like too little to live on....