This varies depending on the musician’s demand and experience. In LA, the typical going rate is $100 for the gig and about $50 per rehearsal. +Don’t Be This Sound Guy 4) Get the scene’s going rate Make sure you discuss all details up front: rate, rehearsals, show date(s), per diems and sleeping arrangements (if it’s a tour), how many songs you want them to learn, if you require them to be memorized or if they can have charts on stage, rehearsal length (3 hours is typical), show length, gear they need to bring, if you want them to make charts or if you’re providing them and anything else you’d like from your musicians. You can’t just ask someone to play the gig for $100 and then spring 3 rehearsals on them the week of the show and assume they’ll be ok with this. Just make sure to plug her from the stage. If you want your singer/songwriter friend to sing backup vocals on a couple songs for free, that’s totally kosher. However, “sitting in” is an honored tradition and many artists sit in with friends all the time – for, of course, no pay. +Should You Take The Gig or Pass? 2) Sitting In If they’re playing ‘for fun’ or as a favor, prepare yourself for flakiness. If they get offered a last minute paid gig the same night as your show, you may be left without a drummer hours before you hit the stage.īy paying your musicians (regardless of the amount), you can demand (politely) a level of professionalism. They may even say “for fun.” But be very cautious about getting a volunteer band together. Some friends might even agree to play your gig as a favor. Young musicians will tend to take gigs for free, however. Just like a construction worker isn’t going to build your fence for the love of the craft, don’t expect a professional freelance musician to play your gig for free either. Just because they’re holding a guitar instead of a hammer, you shouldn’t treat their craft any less valuably. It’s the only reason they chose such an unstable career.īut musicians, like all other humans, need to eat. Have a passion that bleeds out of their eyeballs. Here are 9 things you need to know about how to hire freelance musicians: 1) Freelance musicians aren’t playing your music for fun. But as a singer/songwriter, I’ve primarily been the employer. I’ve also been hired as a trumpet player on a few gigs. Not to mention the various session players for recordings. Over the course of my 600 shows I’ve hired 9 drummers, 9 bassists, 7 guitarists, 5 keyboardists, 5 singers, 4 trumpet players, 2 trombonists, 2 saxophonists, 2 cellists and 3 violinists.
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