Mixing engineer wants 1% of profits from song, acceptable?

[Nicm]

I have a mixing engineer asking for a percentage of the profits of a song . Do any of you guys have experience with a mixing engineer asking for 1 percent of the profits of a song? Iv heard of producers have a percentage/point but a mixer?

That being said he is a big name , either way is this something you have experienced ?

 

[kiki_90291]

Is he mixing the song for free?

 

[splatt]

name the person, what/how much they’re doing for you, their daily fee.

 

[sws1]

Anything is possible. You don't have to agree.

Are you paying it outright too? I could see it being one or the other.

 

[Bob Maximus]

if he can get the song in front of a major, why not? "Profits of the song"...what does this mean? Does he want a piece of publishing, songwriting, etc? profits encompasses a lot of areas.

 

[louderock]

It is very common in label mix agreements. It’s basically 1% of sales and not anything to do with publishing. Just the mechanical sales.

 

[smallbutmighty]

If I were paying someone a fee to mix my project I would not agree to any additional points....unless I felt having their name attached brought extra value.

John Smith the mixing guy = no
Chris Lord-Alge = yes

Since you said the mix engineer is a "big name" maybe it's worth considering.

 

[Calfee Jones]

It is very common in label mix agreements. It’s basically 1% of sales and not anything to do with publishing. Just the mechanical sales.

You can probably be safe doing it. Chances are he will never get any money off it anyways. But if you do make it a hit then his mix probably had something to do with it and you won't care much about 1% of a million dollars. I say go for it!

 

[22 or 24 but not 21]

Tell him you’re only putting the song on Spotify. That’ll move him off the the idea of sharing the profit right away.

 

[jmoose]

It is very common in label mix agreements. It’s basically 1% of sales and not anything to do with publishing. Just the mechanical sales.

I would say used to be common but now very much less common... in this spotify age where people are getting paid fractions of a penny to begin with there ain't much to split.

So no not unheard of but how big is your band? Expected sales..? Are we talking about moving 250k copies or less then 10k? Funded label or self funded indie?

I've never taken points on a mix project. Mostly because for the vast majority it's not worth chasing the money down... the artists aren't selling enough to amount to much and it'd cost me more in accounting.

 

[Silent Sound]

In the old days, this was common. But in today's world, I wouldn't think it would be worth the hassle. I mean, how many bands actually make a profit off of album sales these days? Not many, and those that do are making a killing with tours and stuff. It's like giving someone half a spoonful of your desert when you're eating steak.

Are you on a label? In other words, will you be the one who has to figure out how to get this 1% to him? If so, that could be a hassle you have to put up with for a long time. I'd ask him for a different arrangement and explain why. If it's the label, then who cares? Let them deal with it.

1% of album sales is a very small chunk of a very small chunk of the typical income a band makes.

 

[hw2nw]

Established mixers taking a point is very common. Even in 2022.

It’s an insurance policy for a hit, and adds up quick if so.

 

[Lopp]

Established mixers taking a point is very common. Even in 2022.

It’s an insurance policy for a hit, and adds up quick if so.

That makes sense.

Related to that concept, is there a minimum limit in the contract where the 1% only gets paid above a specified threshold? Otherwise, it could be too much of an accounting PITA to track sales, figure out profits, and cut a check for only a couple hundred bucks once a year.

 

[Buddhist#6]

I’d mix it myself. I know what my audience wants to hear.

 

[Gary Ladd]

If he's a A-lister (or even B), probably a win-win to get him invested in the piece...

Even if you too are an A-lister (or B).

I've seen sooo many solo artists (it's all about me! ), so concerned about "FAME & BIG $$$", that their selfish control poisoned the synergy & turned the journey into a nightmare...

Instead if they had been community-minded (not narcissistic), willing to be graciously part of the group, more than a few could have had awesomely popular careers

Of course, this was before the Napster generations...

 

[ChampReverb]

Record companies supposedly made a lot of money with contracts paying artists a percentage of the profits.

Somehow they tended to usually manage to not turn a profit because they could always conjure up expenses on paper that would negate any recorded profits.

The money came in and went somewhere though.

Maybe I’m wrong.

-bEn r.

 

[guitarjazz]

My 1% from Sony hasn't hit $10 in over ten years. They won't even give me my money but they send me big envelopes with statements of my non-earning. Talk about rubbing my nose right in the excrement of commercial (ok gospel actually) music.

 

[ElvisNixonBand]

I would probably spend the $500 or whatever to ask an experienced entertainment>music industry attorney the general question. Based on his answer, I would think about if the specific deal makes sense to you. As said above, it could be almost anything. It means lots of different things to different people. “Points” used to be a term that was jargon for usually the gross mechanicals.

Again, it’s not at all something you want to ask a bunch of mopes like us on a fairly histrionic forum where people argue about _____ pedal/guitar/plug in is the BEST and everything else sucks.

Asking on TGP and acting on anything said here could make 500 bananas seem like pocket change. just my.02

Also, you never know….your famous mix engineer could be slumming it here and figure out who you are. He would be well served to say “Trust me man, mix engineers get 3% on mechanicals, performance, Harry Fox Agencey, synchronization, worldwide trademark, action figure sales, etc…..

 

[Dashface]

If I were paying someone a fee to mix my project I would not agree to any additional points....unless I felt having their name attached brought extra value.

John Smith the mixing guy = no
Chris Lord-Alge = yes

Since you said the mix engineer is a "big name" maybe it's worth considering.

This. My girlfriend just recorded an album with Alain Johannes and you bet she said “sure” when he asked for some points on the record

 

[pete692]

Wait a minute, people make PROFITS from recordings?