Union Scale For Mixers, etc. ?

[Severe]

Hello friends.

Does anyone know Union Scale for a mixing engineer? I assume it is probably the same for an audio engineer of any type.

If you dont know, how about sharing what you would charge for someone that is a recognized artist on a reputable indy label.

The artist Im working with has also opened another door for me with a remix of a major label artist we'll we working on together so I want to be kind.

We've discussed whether it would be by song, hourly, or a flat rate. Hes kind of leaving it up to me. Im thinking Id be most comfortable with a flat rate right now, as long as there are some lines drawn. I think we're looking at about 10 songs that are looking like pretty easy mixes.

[AllCity]

I work for a major and the majority of engineers we use usually charge $2000-$2500 a mix. Of course it ranges for each project & engineer but thats the average. The "bigger" engineers usually get somewhere between $3000-$4000.

[where02190]

I always charge hourly or daily for my time in the studio, never a flat rate per song. You leave yourself open to getting paid squat if the artist or label is not happy and you end up mixing a piece several times.

Price ranges vary depending on location.

Hope this is helpful.

[Wayne]

Severe,

Because you're asking the question, it suggests that you don't have a lot of prior experience doing this.....that is not to question your ability in any way....if you're good...then that is up to you to prove to folks.

Generally, this is a word of mouth thing in the major leagues, so, if your reputation is as yet, unproven, then I would suggest that you sacrifice the opportunity to make a lot of money for now, be glad that you have an opportunity to be a part of an important project.....do the guy a superb job for a real bargain price.....then if you really do a fine job, the word will get out.....it's the best advertisement in the world.....and would lead to more important projects that you can begin to add to your resume.

In the course of your career, certain projects such as this one can do more for your progress, than a plethora of the more common, everyday sort of projects, so you need to treat these projects with a lot of exta care and consideration.

Your reputation is everything in the big leagues, and building a great reputation with a long string of important happy clients will get your price up a lot higher and a lot quicker in the long run! [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[where02190]

While I agree with Waynes advice in theory, it also sets a precident for the client to base your fees on, and makes it difficult to raise them significantly.

[DesertDude]

While I agree with Waynes advice in theory, it also sets a precident for the client to base your fees on, and makes it difficult to raise them significantly.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Word on this, and if you don't charge enough clients cannot feel the "value". It's a lot like a bottle of wine. When you see a higher price on it, the general thought is that its a premium bottle. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[Severe]

Hey.

Thanks a lot guys. Some good advice and good points. This guy is likely to bring me a lot of work so Im sticking with low ballpark. He's already brought a major label credit to me. And no, Im not very experienced at this level so your opinions are appreciated.

Thanks again.

[Wayne]

Severe,

Smart move.....at this point, you don't have that much to lose....but rather a whole bunch to gain....getting a lucky break, such as the opportunity you have described here, will sometimes put you in a setting of working with a higher level of creative people, who in turn, will inadvertantly teach you stuff that you won't learn in a thousand 'hum drum' sessions, and you can't find in any book.

I don't disagree with Where....what he's talking about works fine, in general practice...I'm just trying to 'hip' you to how how special projects like these, which can be at times, far and few between, can help to pull you out of the maze, and plant you on solid ground. You need to pick your 'pet projects' carefully. This is a 'people' business....it's all about who you know and the best way to get to know important musicians, producers, and engineers is to work closely with them on a project, like this. Musicians do this kind of stuff all the time. You do a guest appearance on a name artist's album for next to nothing, because the exposure that comes with it is priceless.

Lucky breaks, my friend, aren't standing on every street corner, for most people, so you're best off to take advantage of any that are thrown your way......You can make money anytime, but you may have the opportunity, here, to work with future greats that may not have megabucks now, but will remember you when they eventually do!

The worst you can do here is to become friends with a few important and talented people. Good luck.....and keep your eyes and ears wide open. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[DesertDude]

...and your hands out [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

[dBHEAD]

The IATSE rate for sound mixers varies according to the local, but is generally between 30 and 36 dollars per hour. It largely depends on the scale of the production you are working on. A low budget television production rate may be around 20 dollars per hour; a big budget film production may actually be as much as 60 dollars per hour.

These are minimums however. You can negotiate for more if they think you're worth it. I'm not sure about NABET. I'm assuming the rates will be about the same.