– please select one –INSTRUMENTATIONSolo or DuoPiano Solo or Duo with Instrument or VoiceTape or Electronic SoloTrio or QuartetEnsemble of 5 to 10ChorusSmall Chamber Orchestra or Band
(10–22 players)Large Chamber Orchestra or Band
(22–40 players)Full Orchestra

Commissioning Amount

The prospect of grand rights income may induce the composer to accept reduced fees when composing for dance.

Income from repeated performance of concert works is speculative. Most composers depend primarily on commissions. When solo voice or a substantial electronic part is included in the piece, add 20-30% to the indicated fee.

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– please select one –COMPANY TYPERegional CompanyOff BroadwayBroadway

Commissioning Amount

$3,000-$10,000

$3,000-$6,000

$5,000-$12,000

The range of commissioning fees depends on the amount of music needed. Individual composers may accept less, or command more. In addition, for shows with indefinite runs, royalties are generally paid per performance.

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Commissioning Amount

An advance against royalties may be negotiated. This can be up to $10,000 or more for an experienced musical theater composer. The royalty is a negotiable percentage of gross box office receipts. The Dramatists Guild contracts with Broadway producers and theaters specify that Author (the composer, book-writer, and lyricist are collectively referred to as “Author”) receive 4.5% pre-recoupment (i.e. until producers recoup their investment) and 6% post-recoupment. In Off-Broadway and regional theaters, it is not uncommon for the Author to receive 6%, with 1-2% increase after recoupment in for-profit productions. Royalties in non-profit theaters generally work the same way. How the Author royalty is split, as well as rights for any future exploitation of the work, are usually covered in collaboration agreements.

An alternative arrangement known as a “profit pool” is becoming the standard, particularly for musicals. In a profit pool, the composer is part of a group of royalty participants. Other royalty participants include the book writer, lyricist, director, choreographer and others. Royalty participants are paid a share of 40% of box office receipts minus operating expenses. The other 60% is distributed entirely to investors pre-recoupment and split equally between producers and investors post-recoupment. Consult the Dramatists Guild or an experienced attorney for guidance on these complex arrangements.

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– please select one –OPERA LENGTHOne-Act OperaFull-Length Opera

Commissioning Amount

Because revivals of new operas are relatively rare, most composers rely primarily on commissions. Fees depend on the length of the work and the kind of company offering the commission. Librettist fees can be a separate flat fee or a percentage of the composer’s fee, typically 15-30%. The ranges above are inclusive of librettist fees. Librettists also receive a portion—traditionally half—of any royalties for the work. Composers and librettists should enter into a collaboration agreement that specifies details of copyright ownership, the merging of the copyright in the completed work, and royalty arrangements.

Grand rights for performances after the premiere are negotiated with the composer or publisher in one of three ways: as a flat fee for the run; based on the number of seats in hall; or as a percentage of box office gross income.

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– please select one –PRODUCTION SIZEMajor Studio FilmIndependent Feature FilmIndependent Short FilmDocumentary

Commissioning Amount

$90,000-$1,000,000

$10,000-$200,000

$1,000-$5,000

$5,000-$30,000

The composer’s fee can be either a negotiated figure or part of a “package”—i.e., the portion of the music budget remaining after paying musicians, producing a soundtrack, and buying rights to existing music. Music budgets range from 1% to 10% (usually 3-5%) of overall budget. In studio films, the composer works “for hire” as the producer “buys out” all rights to music. With independent films and documentaries the composer can often negotiate certain rights in exchange for a lower fee. Credits as performer, orchestrator, and leader allow the composer to receive a package of benefits through the American Federation of Musicians. Screenings in the United States do not produce composer royalties, but the performing rights societies collect licensing fees for their member composers for television broadcasts and screenings abroad—which can amount to a considerable income if composer has retained publishing rights.

The range above indicates typical net composer fees, depending on film budget, rights retained, and composer’s prestige. A composer seeking exposure may accept less.

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– please select one –EPISODE LENGTH30 Minutes60 Minutes

Commissioning Amount

$1,250-$12,000

$3,000-$25,000

This range is per episode. The composer’s fee is usually negotiated as part of a “package”—i.e., the portion of the music budget remaining after paying musicians, producing a soundtrack, and buying the rights to music. Performing rights societies pay composer royalties on “performances” (broadcasts)—more for networks and cable, less for public television. Credits as performer, orchestrator, and leader allow the composer to receive a package of benefits through the American Federation of Musicians. The above ranges represent what a composer typically nets. A composer seeking exposure may accept less.

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– please select one –COMMERCIAL TYPERegional CommercialNational CommercialLogo (Corporate/Product Identity)

Commissioning Amount

$1,000-$4,000

$3,000-$15,000

$5,000-$50,000

Most music heard in commercials is created by production houses which employ composers “for hire” and hold all rights to their music. The composer’s Creative Fee can be as much as 25-50% of the overall music budget, although typically this is shared with contributing producers. Other than national network spots, performing rights societies do not always log broadcast of commercials, so the composer’s future income depends on royalties as composer, paid by producer, and American Federation of Musicians recording payment as performer, arranger, or leader. The above ranges represent what a composer typically nets. A composer seeking exposure may accept less.

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– please select one –PRODUCTION MUSIC LIBRARY TYPEThree-minute finished track (all MIDI/samples)Worldwide Performing Rights Organization payments

Commissioning Amount

$1,250-$12,000

$3,000-$25,000

Production Music Libraries offer media producers a collection of pre-recorded tracks that can be licensed for a pre-determined fee. Composers are usually hired to create music under a “work-for-hire” agreement, retaining the right to collect the writer’s share of performance fees from broadcasts of their music.

While revenues are typically less than from original compositions, the growing popularity of production music libraries and the panoply of music styles they require has provided opportunities for many composers to augment their careers with this type of work.

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Commissioning Amount

$1,000-$400,000

Composers are often paid on a per-minute basis. A professionally developed, large-scale video game may require anywhere from 20 to over 200 minutes of music. Per-minute fees range from $500 up to $2,500. The composing fee may or may not include musician/recording fees. Some game studios will hire multiple, non-collaborating composers for a single title or use existing music. Composers are most frequently hired on a “work-for-hire” basis and usually do not retain publishing rights. In most cases the up-front fee will be the only income a composer receives as video games rarely offer opportunities for royalty income, although occasionally game compositions will be placed in traditional media (movie trailers, TV shows, etc) and may be eligible for PRO payments.

Independent, mobile or casual games generally have from 2 to 20 minutes of music with per-minute fees ranging from $100 to $1,500. For smaller games, composers are often asked to provide sound effects as well as music. With independent games, the composer can often negotiate certain rights, such as publishing or soundtrack rights or a percentage of profits in exchange for a lower guaranteed fee.

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