Session Rates

Bob Schorell · Post by **Bob Schorell** » 10 Aug 2001 12:28 pm

Could someone give a ballpark idea of what session rates are going for. Do you charge by the hour or session.

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 10 Aug 2001 1:24 pm

I recently heard a figure of about $5,000 per musician per track.

I'd be curious to know if that's anywhere near reality.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Michael Holland · Post by **Michael Holland** » 10 Aug 2001 1:31 pm

Search for 'American Federation of Musicians' for the local in your area. They can provide demo and master session rates.

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Emmons Push Pull S10 | Peavey Session 400 | '52 Fender Lap Steel | Goodrich L120 & Matchbox
[This message was edited by Michael Holland on 10 August 2001 at 02:35 PM.]

mtulbert · Post by **mtulbert** » 10 Aug 2001 2:21 pm

David,

You are not anywhere near reality. Typically there is a wage of x number of dollars for a three hour session (In Nashville anyhow). Back in the 70's it was about 275 for the session and one person on the gig was deemed the leader and he got paid double.

I am sure that number is higher now with inflation and all but no where near 5K per picker per track. I have a buddy in Nashville and I will email him and get the exact number for you.

Regards,

Mark T.

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 10 Aug 2001 2:29 pm

Never mind[This message was edited by Larry Miller on 10 August 2001 at 03:30 PM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 10 Aug 2001 2:58 pm

I usually charge $75 here in Santa Rosa.

Craig A Davidson · Post by **Craig A Davidson** » 10 Aug 2001 3:08 pm

Around here it's 40 an hour. But the experience is priceless.

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1985 Emmons push-pull, Session 500, Nashville400, 65 re-issue Fender Twin, Fender Tele

Bob Schorell · Post by **Bob Schorell** » 10 Aug 2001 3:11 pm

Thanks for the replys guys. Keep them coming, meanwhile I'm gonna try for the 5k and see what happens.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 10 Aug 2001 3:27 pm

Bob, I'd suggest you charge by the song and NOT by the hour. Here's why. IF you nail the song on the first take, you're done in 5 minutes. What's that worth?? There would be no incentive to do it fast and well the first time! I've done some sessions by the hour, years ago, and I always felt terrible on those occasions when you keep blowing something and have to redo the take over and over again, and all the while your bill is actually INCREASING! Boy that can make ya feel like $hit.

So what I do now is charge a certain amount for the FIRST tune on the session and then a lesser amount (about 70%-75% of the price for the first tune) for each subsequent tune on the same session (acknowledging that they pay more just to get me to pack, travel, unpack, set up, tear down, etc. but I only need to charge for it once, on the first song). But if they call me back another day, then we start over again at the top. Make sense?

I should add that these are local, non-union demo sessions I'm talking about.

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www.jimcohen.com [This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 10 August 2001 at 04:29 PM.]

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 10 Aug 2001 3:28 pm

Five grand huh? Guess I'll have to move, Does the leader still get double? What about cartage? Extra pay for playing extra instruments? Do you get cancellation pay?
Boy, I could live on ten sessions a year. Whats the cost of living there?
Yea, I'll leave Gnashville!
Bobbe----(I love this stuff!)

Bob Schorell · Post by **Bob Schorell** » 10 Aug 2001 5:51 pm

Bobbe, just had to respond to your reply. Had me laughing for five minutes. Do you do comedy as a sideline?

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 10 Aug 2001 9:24 pm

I think the standard for non-union is $100 a song.

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 11 Aug 2001 4:50 am

After I'd heard the number, and thought about it for a while, it did seem kinda high to me. (And, it was referring to studio musicians in Nahsville -- probably on a union scale, though I'm not positive).

Sounds like I probably misunderstood, then. Maybe it was $500 a track? Maybe $5,000 per CD?

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Larry Miller · Post by **Larry Miller** » 11 Aug 2001 5:45 am

In the very early 90's, it cost 6 Grand, 4 songs, this included "A" team musicians, Bass, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Lead Guitar, Piano, Steel Guitar, Fiddle, Drums, and Background Vocals. How that broke down as far as Producer fee, studio time, and all, per musician, cartage etc., I don't know. I know that Reggie Young along with other Grizzled and First call vets got paid double back then.

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GO TITANS GO!!!
[This message was edited by Larry Miller on 11 August 2001 at 06:45 AM.][This message was edited by Larry Miller on 11 August 2001 at 06:52 AM.]

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 11 Aug 2001 5:52 am

I wonder if there is any legal provision anywhere for retroactive compensation to make up for those I did for less than $5000? (or for those I did for less than $100)

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 11 Aug 2001 10:15 am

As a signatory employer, I pay about $305 per three hour session to a player for master scale ($595 for a double scale player or leader) and about another $40 paid to the players pension/health fund (though in Nashville there is no health plan, so the health portion is added to the players check.

So a five piece band, single scale master session costs the employer about $2070 ish for a three hour date (plus cartage, studio, engineer, piano tune etc...) Adds up pretty quick.

Demos and limited pressings run about 60% of that...

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 11 Aug 2001 4:10 pm

I wonder if there is any legal provision anywhere for retroactive compensation to make up for those I did for less than $5000?

Only if I get my 25% commission.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

Vern Kendrick · Post by **Vern Kendrick** » 11 Aug 2001 6:45 pm

My price just went up

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 11 Aug 2001 7:41 pm

You guys are killin'me! Vern, up from what?, $5000? How ever there was one week in 1973 when I made Over $5000.00 in one week in sessions,Thanks to a foul up at Capitol Records, I'll give details tomorrow if anyone cares to hear about it.
Bobbe

David Pennybaker · Post by **David Pennybaker** » 11 Aug 2001 8:25 pm

Maybe I should run for union leader? How's this for a new slogan:

"We demand $5,000 per track because some uniformed fool said that's what we get." ?

Hmmmm, not quite what I was looking for -- needs work.

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The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » 11 Aug 2001 9:32 pm

David,
This past summer I helped a friend of mine produce a low-key CD for his quintet. Granted, this was an Extremely budget-oriented project.
He hired the musicians through a live bar gig, the engineer (talented amateur), and had the graphics/production thing done.. for 1000 cds. The price tag for all of it, inclusive, cd's delivered to the door:
$5300. (That included piano rental for the piano player, who is a bit of a fusspot

)
I realize this is the low-end extreme, but I thought it bore mentioning.
Perhaps he got what he paid for though.

Opinions vary on that.
FWIW - John

Pat Burns · Post by **Pat Burns** » 12 Aug 2001 6:55 am

...the only "petroleum engineers" I've seen wearing a uniform were at the Hess station

...

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The Unofficial Photographer Of The Neighbors[This message was edited by Pat Burns on 12 August 2001 at 09:42 AM.]

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 12 Aug 2001 9:28 am

A typical master session around here pays around $2-300 per song, where you typically do a 1-2 songs in a 3 hour session.

I have an unusual approach to getting paid for recording. There is almost no recording of what I would call country music around here. So on most sessions I am selling the instrument and my playing as much as anything. I try to get on as many tracks as possible, not just the track or two that they want to give a country flavor to. So I tell the producer/artist to give me what they felt my playing was worth, divided by how much they have to pay. I am pretty fast in an overdubbing situation, so I can usually do 4-5 songs in a 3-4 hour session. For this I usually get at least $200, up to $500. Often I will do spec work for an especially interesting (and underfunded) project. This works for me, and usually I get paid more then I would have asked for.

Now for people I have worked for in the past and are a pain in the rear, I ask for more than I think they will pay

......

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www.tyacktunes.com

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 12 Aug 2001 9:53 am

So, John, how was the piano?????

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

chas smith · Post by **chas smith** » 12 Aug 2001 12:11 pm

Now for people I have worked for in the past and are a pain in the rear, I ask for more than I think they will pay

I believe in Great Britain that's called a 'prat tax'. I've used it extensively, not so much in recording, but in my 'day job'. [This message was edited by chas smith on 13 August 2001 at 01:16 AM.]