| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 07:52:08
Alright, this is something that I've been wondering about for awhile. Take FB&C's for example. Now, on the road, from what I understand, they all split the gig money five ways (I imagine this is after they account for hotel/gas costs). And of course they all have their own equipment and upkeep it themselves.
But what about general costs. Things like mixing equipment or mics for their portable studio? Or what about studio costs in general? Does FB foot that alone, or would a band generally chip in? And what about when the CDs are sold? How does that work? Does the money get split between the band again (obviously session musicians would be paid during the recording session)? Does FB get more than them as writer or because maybe he put up the initial costs/took the risks?
Our own band has some expenses coming up (website, probably a run of demo CDs, etc) and I'm wondering how this generally works... any insight is appreciated.
 "When 5000 posts you reach / Look as good you will not, hmmm?" |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Cult_Of_Frank |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 13:47:47
Even split is definitely ideal, and as Chris said, simplest. No worries about percentages, etc, etc. What you've got setup sounds pretty good, Alex.
If we're all in this together, then I don't see why it shouldn't be that way with expenses too, but it's harder because Mike & I have written all the songs (at least for this first CD) so you don't expect them to be as committed/behind it as you are even if you'd like them to be.
I think with the Pixies, FB got all the royalties which is why I wondered about their particular arrangement. I could be wrong though. I'd rather just split it clean and even and be done with it. No tension, jealousy, feeling short changed, etc. I know we're not going to have a manager anytime soon.
Thanks to everyone who's posted so far. All food for thought.
"When 5000 posts you reach / Look as good you will not, hmmm?" |
| Homers_pet_monkey |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 12:23:40
It's always best to go with someone you know. Obviously experience would be preferable but the main thing is that they have real enthusiasm for your band. They have to believe in you as much as you do. They also need to be prepared to use the tongue that god gave them, someone with the gift of the gab would be useful, and a reasonable head with figures is also pretty helpful. One obvious advantage of going with someone you know, is that they will be cheaper, and if they have no experience then they will be cheaper still.
If you don't personally know of anyone, nor any of your bandmates, then ask other bands you know. If they don't have a manager of their own to recommend then they may know of other bands that do.
If you don't know of anyone suitable who would be prepared to do it then look for advertisements in the same places you would look for any musical ads.
Good luck, I always admire anyone who at least tries to achieve something with a band.
Hansel and Gretel have formed a band, .....And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Breadcrumbs!!! |
| PsychicTwin |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 11:38:04
Easier said than done, h.p.m.
I don't think our income as a band really warrants a manager quite yet...but that is a good suggestion. Might have to be a consideration really soon. How does one go about finding a (trustworthy) manager anyhow?
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"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently." -Friedrich Nietzsche |
| Homers_pet_monkey |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 11:24:33
Get yourself a manager, he'll sort that out for you.
Of course that also means you have to pay him but..........
Hansel and Gretel have formed a band, .....And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Breadcrumbs!!! |
| PsychicTwin |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 11:18:13
Dean-
Interesting questions, and working these things out are the "nitty gritty" part of being in a band (a.k.a. the shit you would rather not have to deal with.) But, for any band that is interested in staying afloat and making a little profit for the purpose of continuing to do what they love, the financial issues can and must be tackled.
My band splits all our income evenly, or rather, we are putting away all the money we make playing gigs in a separate bank account. This money will go towards cd duplication (we are putting the finishing touches on a studio demo), recording time, gigging expenses, etc. We agreed that, if things went downhill or we decided to call it quits, all the money in this fund would be split into four even parts for the four members. I find that having this even-handed, democratic kind of agreement has really worked out so far. Granted, we're not making the big bucks playing shows or selling cds, but by working out some kind of understanding we can at least see eye-to-eye in terms of our goals and what we need to channel our band income towards.
We have not done any touring yet, that would be a whole other enchilada as far as expenses and what not. Also, I wouldn't even imagine trying to work out a division process that takes 'songwriting contributions' into account, because I may have written 'x' number of songs, but our drummer is the one who brought the entire percussive element into these songs. So everyone in the band is a "writer" to some degree, whether or not the original idea for a song originates from one person or another. (as far as what Frank might have worked out, I don't know...but as someone mentioned before, his case is a little different because it is his clout/originality that utlimately sells FB&C records.)
All this financial talk is making my head spin....i'll stop now. I just wanna play some good fuckin music!
Hopefully there was some use or purpose to my post!
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"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently." -Friedrich Nietzsche |
| Brackish |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 10:41:56
Good question. I don't know, but if you find out let me know. My band is going to record an EP soon, and I think I'll be paying for all of it. Basically, I'll get paid back as people buy the CD. Sadly, I doubt that enough people will buy the EP to pay me back the $1,000 plus duplication cost, but oh well. I have lots of issues with money and my band. I have a band member who cannot pay his share of the rent on our rehearsal space, so I'm paying an extra $100 per month. On the other hand, he is by far the best musician in the band, and he is very good at communicating musically, especially with our drummer. In our case, it's sometimes hard to ask my bandmates to "pay me back" because the songs we're doing right now were all written by me before the band even got together, so it feels like they're doing me a favor by playing my songs. I don't know what to tell you, but good luck. Man, that was no help.
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| cvanepps |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 10:18:58
Leave it to Dean to ask all the hard questions. I'm sure Clear Channel and/or the record company plays a part in some if not all of the expenses you describe, since they'll also be taking a portion of the proceeds. As a band starting out, it sure would be simpler if all expsenses were split evenly.
-= It's not easy to kidnap a fat man =-
http://www.cvanepps.com |
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