Welcome back music heads! Musicians find it hard to believe that the
music industry is only 20% talent and 80% business. Negotiations occur in every deal between the
artist and the executive. Being aware of
the tricks of the trade will make your job a hell of a lot different in the
business. Few producers believe that
negotiations can take place at anytime during a session. One up and coming producer named Mike Moore
of Dark Horse Recording in Franklin, Tennessee has the privilege to witness and
record the most talented of artist. In
an emailed interview, Mike answered some of our questions of how negotiations
affect the industry everyday.
Mike Moore is a graduate of Dark House Institute and currently interns with their music production and engineering
program. Mike, himself, has over 16
years of experience in the business and has performed a wide range of
percussive instruments throughout his career.
After earning his Bachelors of Music Performance from Christopher Newport University Moore performed in various show productions for Busch Gardens in
Williamsburg, Virginia.
As a producer you work with
a wide variety of talent. Have you ever negotiated the production of a
song an artist with little to no musical knowledge? How do you negotiate a change
in a particular lyric that you think maybe incorrect to that artist?
Mike: Luckily, all the people I have worked with have had a
great understanding of their instrument. That doesn’t necessarily mean they
have a formal education in music, so one of the toughest things in a session
tends to be finding a medium for how to communicate about their songs. Always
be polite and respectful, but if you are in the position of being a producer
(which sometimes is an addition to being the engineer if no other producer is
involved) don’t be afraid to speak up for what you believe could change for the
better. I recently was involved in a session with a very talented writer, but
there were a few lyrics that stuck out as being for shock value and seemed to
undermine the intelligence of the artist or listener. It’s good to be honest
and offer alternative lyrics as an example. If a formal producer is present,
that usually means they are the one shelling out the money for the whole
production of the music. Hopefully, the producer also has some music knowledge
and it’s good to know their opinions as well. Usually artists (especially young
ones) are appreciative of their producers for the help and are open to
directions that are meant for everyone’s benefit. I haven’t witnessed any
producers saying “It’s my way or the highway,” but there needs to be a mutual
respect between artist and producer.
When negotiating the prices
of your services with a potential client, have they ever used dirty tricks or
tactics to get you to record for lower cost?
Mike:
I haven’t had to deal with any dirty tricks with clients personally
(thankfully), but I have seen a studio owner on numerous occasions try to
renegotiate the deals for studio time and asking for favors (studio
testimonials on video which required additional scheduling for the busy client)
beyond the original deal. I’m not sure if it’s out of forgetfulness or
shadiness. Watch out for that. You’ll probably come across people who will try
to take advantage of you at some point. Do your best to stick to what you think
is fair to yourself in that case. Sometimes an artist wants to come up with an
alternative deal because they may not be able to afford a session on their own,
and there’s nothing wrong with that. Maybe you could use their talent for some
overdubs on another project, for example. At the studio where I spend most of
my time there’s a mother and daughter who occasionally clean the owner’s house
so the daughter can have studio time in return. A lot of time there’s room for
making an alternative deal. Just don’t sell yourself short. It is a business
and if you’re not making any money you may not be in business for long.
At the completion of a
project, what mutual benefits are gained between you and the artist/client?
Mike: By
the completion of a project it’s good to have the names of everyone involved,
at least for your personal records. Try to get contact information for anyone
you can (if you feel in the position to do so), because you want to build
connections. It’s good to have business cards available and you may write some
kind of personalized note on the back so the recipient has a reminder of where
they met you. If you are the producer or engineer chances are they will
remember you anyway. Once a session is finished there’s still editing, mixing,
and mastering to be done, so there’s going to be continued communication
between the client/producer and the engineer to transfer files and approve
mixes. If nothing else, you’ve gained another experience in a continuous
learning process. If things went really well, then you may have a returning
customer who can help spread the word about your professional services. Who
knows, if you happen to bond with the artist you may have gained a lifelong
friend. After all, when you spend so much time in the studio with people, you
want it to be with someone you get along with and have some fun making music.
For more information on Mike Moore visit his website and be sure to support his latest production called Karma which is now available on iTunes.
Live the Music. . .
