Rick's Articles

Audio Technology - Issue 29
Snakes and ladders (the column I didn't want to have to write) I remember being over at my Dad's house years ago, bitching about not having any money because some band I was working with was draining all my cash flow, and Dad asked one of those kind of questions that Dads do. "How many of these hair-brained musos that you're always working with for free has ever actually paid off...?"

I politely explained to him for the millionth time that you had to "establish yourself as a name before you got the big bucks" and he said, "No, humour me. You keep diaries; how many of the artists that you've offered your services to for free have actually turned into money, even later down the line?".

So I did it. I cross-referenced 15 years or so of work, of freebies versus wages, of goodwill versus getting stiffed, of loyalty versus treachery. Umm, well the results were pretty surprising.

I'd say, 100 percent of the acts that I have worked with for free have never, ever - in any form - come up with any later income for me. Everybody who I ever worked with as a favour never amounted to anything - well not in terms of money for me - even though some of them are big stars now...

Over 75 percent of the acts that part-paid me - i.e. some cash and some promises, in one form or another - have gone on to be stable 'paying' clients.

The thing is I now have a full deck of what I would call loyal repeat clients and a long line out the door of new ones in the making. So the conclusion I came to was indisputable; either I am the worst judge of character ever (and I very much doubt that) or - sing it with me... 'People who don't pay you, won't pay you.'

I wish I wasn't writing this column. I wish I was saying that all musicians are kindred spirits who share a common heart and only want to please, but I feel that if you tracked down all of the 'snakes' in this business you would probably find that, in some form or other, a big percentage of them are failed musicians, guys that never really got it together, but just won't go away either.

If you put together all the 'ladders' in this business you would probably find there's a big collection of musos in there too, but I think you would see a disproportionate amount of them compared to all those snakes who have a working career in music.
That's the problem with this business; too many snakes and not enough ladders.
'But no Rick, that can't be right, don't be so cynical. I have to work for free. How else will I get my name out there?'

What I am saying is hard for me to write because it seems so obvious, but getting paid for the work you do is not a lucky privilege for the elite few, it's actually a human right.

Getting people to pay you in the music business is a microscopic way of seeing if they 'respect you'. I cannot tell you the number of bands I have recorded for 'free' -even paid to record because they 'were so poor they couldn't afford studio time'. Musicians that I have risked my reputation on and gotten into the door of record companies, whose videos I've paid for and gotten on the radio when they were unsigned, hired rehearsal rooms for, lent guitars and amps to, and time and time again these poor souls, who have nothing to give but their art, turn around at the 11th hour and find $7,000 out of nowhere to pay a lawyer - who they have never met - to interpret their record contract for them. It's amazing how they forget to tell this lawyer that I paid for everything and that I am entitled to be recognised when the advance comes in. It's amazing when I get the call about how they might try a track with somebody else just to 'check the vibe' and it's even more amazing when I hear they paid a guy $3,000 to remix a track like they're suddenly a big-time label act or something.

I am not saying musos shouldn't pay lawyers, or new remix guys or whoever. What I am saying is that when musos find the money to pay their lawyer first, it's because they respect them and their professional opinion, unlike the long-suffering producer or engineer or even the studio owners: "Those guys were just riding on my coat tails anyway. They needed me, that's why they don't need to get paid - I helped their career out..." Does any of that sound familiar? Don't worry too much, all of the 'ladders' in this business have been through the ring of fire.

It's not that I don't do freebies anymore, it's not that I don't help people out - I do. I am a musician and it's in my nature to want to please my audience, so I am still slogging away with the dreamers. But the thing that has changed for me is that nowadays, before you get me to 'give away my right to

 
It is amazing how quickly this little game sorts out the users from the real deal. Actually, nowadays most bands I see tell me the belief thing I raise is a good point, and at the next meeting they come prepared with a budget of what they can actually afford and an explanation of where they are getting the money from. These guys are the ones that you want to work with. They spend their own money: these are the guys I will do favours for, these acts are self-propelling. They will be back around at some point.

I know all this talk of picking and choosing your clients is easy stuff to say when you charge my rates, and I understand most folk can't charge like me. Most of the time I'm mastering so I don't have to audition my services like I do when I'm producing, or like others perhaps have to for any kind of work. But the thing is, nowadays my body of work is so vast that people just kinda pay for my time without much fuss. They always talk about how they 'respect me'... and these are mostly people who I do not know from Adam, but I am the guy at the end of the chain that gets paid. It wasn't always that way, it's still probably actually not 100 percent that way: I can think of at least two big current Australian major label acts that have stiffed me in the last couple of years, gotten work done by me as a favour and when they got signed they have just conveniently forgotten I exist. I can spot the talent easy enough but I still get a few snake bites from time to time. It's like I am always saying: Try not to get the wrong end of the snake.'

It's not just musos either. Studio owners are notorious for not paying their staff. Slavery might be a more accurate word here, but what are you going to do, you need the experience right? Hang around and help out sure, but don't behave like a slave. If you're dealing with good people, some real reward for your services will be offered.

It was after the diary incident with my Dad that I twigged to the pattern of people I only saw when they needed a freebie and I realised just how shallow the music favour pool is.

Maybe you are so desperate to get your name on a record that you will do anything. I understand, I've been there, I relate. But what I am telling you, from swimming laps in the same pool for nearly 20 years, is get it in your heads early: if they don't pay now they just will not ever pay.

I understand you might not be able to 'means-test' your clients just yet, but respect is not a direct link with money, there are other signs of respect and other kinds of payment aside from cash. Try this little game next time you're feeling like the guys you are helping are going to stiff you. Leave your wallet at home and count how long it takes for the band to buy you lunch. Watch which members do the buying: just the bass player and the rhythm guitarist...? Duh... warning signs are flashing. Don't worry about the drummer, he forgot his wallet too, he always forgets his wallet, but the singer... is he feeling for you because you're hungry while you work for him for free or is he/she too busy with their own art to notice - well? Have a bit of a think about it.

Try the same gag getting to the session. Tell the band you have a bit of a transport problem: the good guys will pick you up from your house no problemo, the ones to worry about are the ones that say, "Well, we can just start a bit later so you have time to walk".

While we are on the subject, the sure sign of respect comes around when you're not actually with the band; at interview time or maybe it's artwork time and guess what? Your name is not put in print or you're given a minor /inaccurate role or, even worse, the guy that did the remix got a big credit (and got paid mind you) and 'the girl that did the artwork must have forgotten to put you on the liner credits - sorry mate...' And so it goes.

Want a quick deciphering of album credits? The guys with clear separate listing for descriptions of work done, like Produced by ... Mixed by... Mastered by... well, those guys got paid. If their name appears with special thanks to... these guys probably got paid a bit and gave a lot more away for free and were probably happy to do so.

The band would like to thank... well no-one on this list got paid, but acknowledgement is often enough for most of us.

'Didn't see your name on the credits...? Why is that...?'

There aren't many reasons for forgetting to thank you publicly on an album - at no cost to anyone - that don't point to an obvious lack of respect. People who don't value your input will not reward your input - it's sad, but true.

So start looking for the ladders on the music board, sure there are less of them but they will get you farther up the game, I promise.

I wish I didn't have to write this column; it has been one of those months.
Too many snakes, not enough ladders.

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