Basically, I have a client who I already mixed and mastered a track for. I did both the instruments and then his vocals, got them to sit right, added effects, leveled, then mastered. He loved the work I did, but then said he'd like to mix himself

... and he didn't pay me for the work I did already. So then he changed his mind again, and wants me to mix and master his newly revised vocals... But on the condition he can compare his mix to my mix? and he wants me to master his mix. What should I say to this client? They're extremely talented, but take advantage of this by being indecisive.

Should I simply comply or counter and say either you let me do my job or I simply master the track and get paid?

 

I don't give my clients the full track, only 30 second sections. My policy is that if the client doesn't like the mix then no payment required. Full track once payment is received.

 

At first I thought "wow that's a really cool client", but then I read your full post and realized you're just being played by the typical non-paying freeriders out there. Be firm and strict in your fatherly "NO" (not unless he pays for your work ahead of time), the children need the education out there.

It's simple and fair, he can totally do what he wants and compare your mix to his, but your work/time has to be paid for before you deliver your mix.

 

You get nothing until you pay me....simple really.

 

as long as he pays for each job you make, he can do trampoline jumps with the track, and the mix and the master.

 

Not joking.

This is a tough business, therefore, if it is your sole or main source of income you must protect yourself in order to avoid this type of situations. You need to operate with clients under a mutual written agreement. If you don't feel comfortable telling "friends" or "good clients" that they need to sign an agreement, simply tell them you have a partner who likes to keep track of the bookings. In the agreement you must specifically state how many "free-of-charge" revisions you will provide to the client, AND that any major changes are considered a new job and, therefore, must be paid for. We allow one revision free of charge, after that the client must pay. In your case, you should get paid for your finished job. You also should get paid for your services with the new vocals. Time is money. It is what it is.

 

No, don't ever do business with him again, tell him you are busy adjusting true art and you got no time or interest mastering random sample packs. Ask him if he thinks Linkin Park, Eminem, or ABBA got to the top by having people work for them for free, not paying the people you work with is the very reason Jay-z teamed up with Linkin Park for a couple of tracks, right?

 

Honestly if you're a tenured mixer who has put time into the craft, the results will speak for themselves. Somebody who thinks they can get similar results by watching YouTube videos and copying presets will find out very quickly that your job is as essential (or more in some cases) to the end result as even he himself is as the artist. Let him try and eventually fail, and when he comes crawling back... raise your rate. FUCK anybody who devalues the importance of a good mix/master.

 

That is not the way to do it. The OP is partly responsible for not handling his business as he should. He needs to start doing what I suggested above, or the situation will continue to arise. In any business transaction when something is not clear, one of the parties or both will try to gain an upper hand. That is the very reason why agreements/contracts exist.

 

tell him to pay first and then let him mix for himself and just amuse him and compare. you make the conditions, not him. or get a contract giving you a percentage of the profits but chances are there wont be any profits

 

i agree,

i was thinking maybe a solution would be to make a deal, sometimes shit happens and its not easy to draw the line because stuff said and earlier unclear exchanges, then i would make it a package proposal, like "since ive done this and this and spent this time with this and this, i propose you this amount" and that way come to a reasonable understanding, maybe a way to come out of the problem and look forward.

 

Honestly, before giving you any advice I think there's one thing we should know : is it one of your first jobs as a mixing/mastering ingeneer, or are you being paid for your work since some times already?
If it's the first case, then things aren't that obvious... when I started in this business (like 15 years ago), I took all the "free" jobs I could (and trust me it wasn't that easy to find!): at this state of your career, the most important thing is to build a resume, and if you have the opportunity -and the luck- to work with talented people run for it! Those "free" jobs are the only way to attract paying clients one day, and establish you as a trustworthy and talented ingeneer.

In the other hand if you already have other paying clients then obviously you shouln't accept to work for free : in this case most of the advices that have been given here are very good ones!

 

Dudes. @The Pirate is correct. Every minute of every day has a price tag.

If you accept my rate card, which is based fairly upon national averages for consultancy work, I will tell you precisely why the above statement is true.

Okay - that was cheeky one but the point of it was to illustrate the most powerful word in negotiations. That word is "IF". When you can't agree to the client's "ifs", walk away. It's that simple. The first rule of negotiating is this: you don't have to negotiate.

 

You did the work and deserve to be paid. It's simple as that. If the client wishes you to mentor him on how to mix that will be additional. Do not let anyone take of advantage of you, and they wiil if they can. They chose to hire you because of your skill and for them to reneg on their obligation is a no go. Before touching a job money needs be at least partially paid up front, the remainder to paid upon completion. Two or three revisions are cool. A contract is mandatory to protect both sides of the agreement. Don't sell yourself short and don't take it up the kaboos unless you like to be a sub.

 

Indded, that is the reason why we specify in our contracts those matters relating to ear-fatigue breaks, including meal breaks, and when set up time.

 

Correct. The standard is a non-refundable deposit of 50%.

For a flat fee that is over generous. We offer 1, and nobody has ever complained about it. With that said, we will tweak it as much as it is reasonable to satisfy the client but any major changes are considered "new revisions." Therefore, those should be paid for.

Edit: I am editing my comment to add that a flat fee, although more appealing to clients, should be avoided. Once you charge a flat fee you are trapped in a corner, and since the client does not have to continue paying for your services, the client can extend a mixing or mastering session longer than you anticipated. An hourly rate not only guarantees that you will get paid for your services but also has the effect of forcing finality upon a project which allows you to jump onto the next project. A profitable studio can't be stuck on one project, regardless of how profitable it is. Indeed, finality is even more important nowadays than ever because with the advent of DAWs,ITB, and home recording, clients think that mixing and mastering can go on and on for free or a very small fee. Once I had a potential client told us, when we quoted him our fees, that "there was a guy on Craiglist who charged $20 and hour for mixing, and $30 flat fee for mastering. My reply was simple, "that story you told would have ended up costing you $20, our time is money."

 

Last edited: Aug 22, 2020