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I've been following the world of #gamemusic contracts for a while now, and I'll be working on a checklist for @musicweeklies for what you should consider when negotiating a contract. But here are some highlights (thread below):
#whatsmusicworth #fairpay #copyright #composer #vgm
#whatsmusicworth #fairpay #copyright #composer #vgm
) Research going rates of serious composers. Start rates much higher than you think.
2) Do an hourly rate calculation based on what you need to survive (minimum) and what average wages is for your country.
2) Do an hourly rate calculation based on what you need to survive (minimum) and what average wages is for your country.
3) Think carefully about what much work you'll do for which price. For instance: I charge twice as much for orchestral, and I set a strict limit of number of instruments and hours work per minute of music.
4) Full rights must cost more. Total buyouts have to compensate for all your loss of royalties. But don't sell the ideal rights (the right you have to put your name as composer). Try to only sell the rights to the master recording. This means you retain rights to sheet music etc.
5) For royalty negotiation: Make sure to ask what the devs expect the game to be priced at, and who are the target group. Don't base yourself on what they say they expect the game to make.
6) Dare to say no to unreasonable conditions. You can negotiate as much as you want. The fact that someone has a template drawn up means nothing. (Best option: Write your own template)
7) Think about the actual time you'll spend. Use the easiest ways to the target. Don't feel ashamed about presets. They are a huge huge timesaver. Streamline your workflow to be as efficient as possible.
Hope this helps! I'm sorry I don't have the capacity to look over individual contracts, but stay tuned over at @musicweeklies: We'll keep the discussion open.
