It can be really difficult to know what the going rate for a particular task is and what we charge is understandably something we don’t tend to talk about, so how do you establish what to charge? We investigate and find there is good news with published rate cards for both the UK and US to help give a reference point.
As sound creatives, we pride ourselves in approaching design challenges from new and exciting angles and using our creativity to elevate projects from ordinary to spectacular. We don’t generally relish wearing the business hat. Yet, most of us would still like to get paid. That’s the crux, how do you set a price for something you love to do?
Here is the toughest part of the equation for most creatives: how do you set your own rate? You don’t want to come in too low and feel undervalued, but you also don’t want to come in too high and lose the bid. However, setting your rate is actually surprisingly simple. Start by looking up the union rates for sound professionals in your country or area.
BECTU In The UK
Here in the UK, the post-production branch of the UK union BECTU has just published their 2021/2022 audio post-production rate card, covering one-off, factual & entertainment and episodic productions.
They cover a broad range of roles including…
Re-recording Mixer
Supervising Sound Editor
Dialogue Editor
ADR Supervisor
ADR Recordist
FX Editor
Sound Designer
Foley Editor
Foley Mixer
Foley Artist
Music Editor
Assistant Sound Editor
Trainee Sound Editor
Mix Technician
Dubbing Mixer
Sound Editor
The BECTU approved rate cards are updated annually and they encourage everyone to stick to these minimums and negotiate upward based on experience, whether you are a BECTU member or not.
They also recommend using the BECTU Basic Terms and Conditions to provide a minimum level of protection and awareness for those not covered by a contract or collective agreement.
All the figures are recommended MINIMUM rates which you should get the first time you work at that particular grade. You should negotiate up from these figures if you have worked at that grade before.
All figures are inclusive of holiday pay based on 8+1 hour day
There are also suggestions for kit hire too.
Kit hire base rate at £530 per 7 day-week applicable to Med Budget bands and above
Kit hire base rate at £220 per 7 day-week applicable to Low Budget band productions
Charge of £60 per 7 day-week applicable where workspace not supplied by production
Foley Mixer Rate not inclusive of studio hire
When it comes to factual & entertainment rates there is a 3-hour minimum recommendation
There is also an anonymous rate card questionnaire to help them find out what people are actually getting paid.
This Rate Card Questionnaire is for any freelance individual working in film, TV or Factual and Entertainment. The answers from this questionnaire will help inform future rate cards.
Motion Picture Editors Guild In The US
The Motion Picture Editors Guild has a Wages, Contract and Holidays page on their site. Anyone can use the page to access the holidays, wages and provisions for that role as well as a contract that you can download.
To use the page first select your type of work from the Contracts dropdown menu, which include…
HBO Entertainment
High Budget New Media
Low Budget Theatrical
Post Production (Independents)
Post Production (Majors)
We suggest you use the one closest to the type of work you are doing.
Then use the Classification dropdown menu to select a role and see the holidays, wages and provisions for that role as well as a contract that you can download.
As an example for a Post Production (Independent) Re-recording Mixer (Y1) would look like this…
The roles vary, depending on which contract you choose. For example…
Post Production Independent list the following sound-related roles.
Foley Artist
Mic Boom Op
Music Editor
Re-recording Mixer
Recordist
Scoring Mixer
Sound Trainee
Sound Editor
Sound Service Person
Utility Sound Technician
The Low Budget Theatrical -Tier 3 lists these sound-related roles.
Music Editor
Re-recording Mixer
Sound Editor
Notes
You can also download a contract to go with the role.
These rates are provided for general information purposes.
Not all rates are listed. If there is a discrepancy between the rate card and the collective bargaining agreement, the latter is controlling.
BCPC Annual Rates Survey
The Blue Collar Post Collective (BCPC) post the results of their annual Post Production Pay Rates Survey.
The most recent survey was conducted in October 2020. They asked 14 questions to gather basic data with the aim of helping people have a better idea of what people are getting paid to do various jobs in post-production, across the U.S.A.
They had over 1450 responses and the full results can be viewed on Google Drive, or downloaded in Excel, CSV, or PDF format.
You are working with the raw data and the survey covers all the roles offered in the survey, but with some manipulation, you can see what people were paid last year for a specific role in a specific part of the US.
Working From Home In Audio Production? This May Be Everything You Need To Know
As most of the team here at Production Expert work from home, a community member contacted us to ask for our help and advice as they transition from a job in audio post-production to working as a freelancer with a studio at home.
Rather than answer his questions specifically, in this article, Working From Home In Audio Production? This May Be Everything You Need To Know, we expand on his questions and look at how to set up and run a business working from home in the audio post-production sector, although for a lot of what we are going to cover will apply just as much to music production too.
We will look at the background and show how more and more people are making the jump to working from home, what structure to use to setup your business, insurance, how to find clients, how to set your prices, contracts, terms and conditions, invoicing, getting paid, security for premises, equipment and data, protecting your health & wellbeing, the challenges of working alone and finally some guidance on equipment choices.