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I've been asked to provide the sound to the logo of a pretty big company. When I say "sound logo" I mean an Intel kinda thing. They are asking for a global license, so the logo will go into TV ads, internet ads, infographics, ... all over the world. However, I have never done anything like this before, so I am not too sure on how much I should charge them.

I came up with an idea on music rates for this sorts of campaigns (by the way, the PRS music license webpage is a pretty great source for that), but I have no idea for the logo alone.

Here are the info that might give you an idea:

  • it's a global company with more than 3000 retail stores in more than 20 countries
  • they have ≈1 billion dollars revenue
  • the ≈2/3 seconds logo will be present in TV and internet ads in all continents

Any clue on how much I should charge, considering I am not a well known sound designer/composer?

Best!

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    I think this may be off-topic, which is a shame because I like this question.
    – n00dles
    Mar 8, 2016 at 18:03
  • I agree @n00dles - but I'm not going to vote to close it because I feel it deserves an answer, should anyone have the vaguest clue where to point [I doubt an actual dollar value would work here, but a hint towards where to look]... heck, I'd want an answer if it was my ident ;-) One thing I would say is you want some kind of repeat fee on it; don't take any kind of flat fee. Maybe even talk to a publisher - 50% of something is worth more than 100% of nothing.
    – Tetsujin
    Mar 8, 2016 at 18:15
  • Hey guys, thanks for your comments. I had no idea this might have been off-topic. I had found some other fee-related posts, so I just assumed this was fine. Tetsujin, could you clarify what you mean by "repeat fee"?
    – saemola
    Mar 8, 2016 at 19:09
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    'repeats' - generally that you get paid for it being used, every time. I can't claim to have ever written an 'Intel Inside' or 'I'm Lovin' it' but I did do an ident for the BBC many years ago. Every time it's used, I get paid via PRS at the end of the year. That's not money you want to miss out on by selling it outright & relinquishing all rights.
    – Tetsujin
    Mar 9, 2016 at 8:07
  • That's a great insight. I'll see if the "buyout vs repeat fee" thing is negotiable. Would you also be able to tell me how much I should charge for a repeat fee? Are we talking cents or what?
    – saemola
    Mar 9, 2016 at 12:57

2 Answers 2

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You can start by seeing if they have a budget that they are trying to stay within. Many mnemonics end up as a buyout because they are used on such a wide variety of projects for broadcast but also internal. Companies will sometimes have a set number of versions/revisions they will want and that would be good info to know also. For example maybe you need to supply 3 separate versions with 5 revisions max before additional fees kick in. How complicated is their vision? Is it musical? Sound design heavy? do you need to bring in any additional people to help? Are they looking for a buyout or a license? How many hours do you see spending on it? Asking yourself and your client these questions (and more) should help you figure out what you need to charge.

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  • hi coaxmw. I am not in direct contact with the client; there is an animation studio I often work with who is doing the actual logo: they brought me in, and they got hired by an ad agency. I talk with the studio, they talk with the agency, the agency talks with the client. Makes sense? The client has already paid for and then rejected another studio's logo proposal and they're rebranding the whole company, so I have reasons to assume their budget is pretty huge. Again, it is a really big company. The sound logo is more music oriented "I think" (they're not sure).
    – saemola
    Mar 9, 2016 at 1:11
  • When you say "buyout" you mean that they get to own the copyright? I didn't think it was possible. In that case, should I not register the piece with my PRO (I'm with ASCAP)? I will ask about the number of version required. Thanks a lot!
    – saemola
    Mar 9, 2016 at 1:12
  • I would just check with whoever your client is to see if there is a target budget. I imagine they have bid for the project already and have at least a range of money set aside for audio. You can propose an amount that seems "high" to you but something to keep in mind is that everyone is re-billing their client. As far as copyright/buyout/etc it varies by country and even if musical isnt necessarily considered music and your client might consider it a work for hire, not something you own, there is always a push and pull with negotiating.
    – coaxmw
    Mar 9, 2016 at 1:26
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I do buy-out music for tv all the time and I ask 100€ for every hour of work. Anything above that will probably be rejected. So for several bumpers that air every week I got 500€. Since you're going for a larger audience your price may be a little higher, but considering you're not a big name it might be good to go for it anyway. Also, if they really want you, you can aim too high and negotiate. Good luck!

Hens Zimmerman

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  • Ouch. That's bad. I still earn money on stuff I did in the 80s. Had I sold it outright I'd have made a couple of thousand quid/bucks/shekels & they could still be using it for free to this day. Think of the theme tune to Coronation Street if you want a good example of why not to sell outright. 55 years & still running. Famously, the trumpeter took a session fee when it was first recorded. When they used him again for the re-record [late 80s, early 90s], he got a cut instead... though they did jokingly ask him if he wanted a session fee again ;)
    – Tetsujin
    Mar 9, 2016 at 9:18

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