Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your studio located?
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I mainly work in two studios. My own studio in West Hollywood, and WAX LTD Studios in Hollywood (find pictures here).
Why aren't the rates fixed?
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Some projects require more work than others. For example a song with minimal instrumentation and vocals would most likely take less time to produce than a song with dozens of tracks. For that reason, the rate is established after reviewing the needs of each project. With that being said, I love my job and I always give my clients competitive rates.
Can I hire you by the hour?
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It is possible to hire me by the hour, however, I prefer to give my clients a day rate especially when it comes to production or composition as I believe that not having to keep an eye on the clock worrying about going over your budget helps you to immerse fully into the creative process and achieve better results.
Do I get discounted rates if I hire you for a full EP or Album?
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Yes, I'll do my best to give you the best possible rate per song so you can save some bucks for marketing :)
How much time will I need for my project?
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It is hard to know exactly how much time a project will take but based of my experience I've been able to give a pretty accurate estimate once I've talked with you and established the project needs.
What is pre-production?
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Pre-production is generally everything that happens before the first session and between each recording session all the way until the end of the recording process. That includes session planning, musicians rehearsals, lyric/melody writing, arranging, studio booking, schedule planning etc. It is one of the most important part of the production process as it allows the producer to make the most out of each session, and thus to reach the project goals within the deadlines.
Are stems included in the production fee?
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General group stems (All lead vocals, All background vocals, All Drums etc) are included in the production fee. I am willing to include free specific stems in the fee as well as long as they are requested before the project is archived (generally 3-4 days after the final mix has been delivered). After then, I archive each project on a cloud to keep your files safe in case they are needed in the future. In order to do recalls or print additional stems becomes time consuming and could be done at an additional charge, but I encourage my clients to plan ahead and ask for specific stems with the final files delivery.
How many recalls do I have on a mix or production?
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I am usually pretty flexible on that as I always try to make my clients happy. I highly encourage them to listen to the final mix for a couple of days and take notes of the recalls they want so I can have a precise and accurate list. I am happy to do 2 and even 3 sets of recalls as long as it remains reasonable, meaning not being asked for recalls weeks after the completion of the project.
What do the sessions with you usually look like?
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Sessions are fun, we talk about life, we eat, make music, laugh, sometimes cry, but overall it is a fun, pleasant and productive experience! BTW, you didn't asked but I love dogs, yours is welcome!
Can I hire you to work remotely?
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Yes, a lot of work can be done remotely from composition, beat making, mixing, mastering etc. The very few things I highly recommend doing during in-person sessions are vocal production (mainly the recording part), vocal coaching/voice lessons, and songwriting as creating the right energy in the room has a big impact on achieving great results.
Do I have to share my master and/or royalties if you produce my record?
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Not necessarily. An agreement is made prior to each project to establish the rate and terms. Two options are available, for example:
1) Client pays flat fee and keeps 100% of his master/royalties (also called a "Buyout")
2) Client pays a recoupable advance and gives a share of his master and/or royalties:
For example:
- Client (artist) pays a $1000 recoupable advance to the producer and has agreed to share 50% of the master.
- Client (artist) will keep 100% of the first $1000 made by the song, and then start sharing with the producer 50% of the revenues made from the master after his advance has been fully recouped. So for example for the first $1500 made by the master assuming that a $1000 advance has been paid, the artist will owe the producer $250.
I want to make sure my recordings and mixes are of the highest quality, do you have the gears to compete with top industry recording studios?
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I've been producing for over a decade now and as a producer, I am extremely passionate about the latest technologies as well as the classic and best sounding gears of the music production world. Naturally, I have built my collection of gears and plugins to delivers top industry standard recordings and mixes. I understand that clients want to ensure they are getting top quality recordings for their projects, and I am happy to confidently tell them that they don't have to worry about gear and get to focus fully on the creative process. The most important thing is to trust your ears, one piece of gear can sound great on an audio source but won't necessarily sound best on another one. I always take the time to listen and creatively pick the gears that will best showcase the sonic quality of the audio source. Long story short, I have delivered projects for major companies such as Universal Production Music, Sony ATV, Big Lots etc and my recordings always matched their high standards.
