I thought I'd post some of the preliminary data that covers the most basic and most relevant question on most people's minds. What is fair pricing, what are people getting paid, and how much or how little is being asked for in return for freelance composition services to the game industry. Here we can open a discussion about these rates, what they mean, and how we can respond to this sort of data. This chart shows the current ranges for freelance music composition rates. Respondants were asked to provide data on the lowest they'd rendered services last year and the highest they'd rendered services this last year. From this data, sorted by experience, we can determin the average rate ranges in the current freelance composition marketplace. The highest rate and the lowest reported rates suggest that there are definitely people providing services under extraordinary circumstances. Either they do not understand the market and are "low-balling" their estimates and their work value, in the case with the lowest reported rates, or they are getting great deals, were required to do much in addition to composition, or have some kind of special prestige that allows them to command much higher rates than would fit in the average, in the case of the highest reported rates. This data has also prompted follow-up questions which will be added to a more sophisticated, comprehensive survey in January 2009. Questions such as: Were you expected to render full audio production services or just composition; did you use a live orchestra and if so were you expected to pay for the orchestration, the copyist fees, and recordist/mixing/production fees, etc. Nonetheless, I think this data is largely consistent with everything I've expected from the industry with regards to pay rates, and I think is very telling of the marketplace. A more comprehensive data analysis will follow some time within the next month, but I wanted to put out this sample to stir a discussion. I would like to hear everyone's thoughts and questions on this data. Cheers,

Dan- this is great! Thanks for doing this. A few questions:

Can you tell us how many folks responded? Also, where did they respond from? Gamedev.net only, or a combination of websites? I would also like to know what others say about where they actually find paying clients.

Good stuff man,

Nathan

This is really interesting. I'm already looking forward to seeing that analysis. I find the drop after ten years of the higher rates quite interesting when coupled with such a high increase in the average rate and would assume that this is due to a better understanding of the industry.

Do you have figures of how many paid jobs the respondents have taken in 2008 too? I'm wondering if those with better experience take more average paid jobs or fewer higher paid ones.

I'd also love to know how you selected the participants for this study.

Thank you for taking the time to conduct this study. For somebody like myself trying to put together something solid in the way of a portfolio, having an understanding of the industry as it stands (especially with 2008's financial problems) will be a big help later on.

The respondants were from a random sampling from various composer and game development forums (GANG, GAF, GD, VI-C, SOL, Indiegamer, etc). The people who took the survey had to have access to the Internet because the survey assumes freelancing on a global marketplace. I did not ask the respondants to reveal where they lived, I wanted it to remain as anonymous as possible.

Because this is a preliminary study, I started compiling the data at 29 respondants, but my respondant spread was pretty broad. (My economics advisor suggests that 20 random samples is the minimum desired for a valid sampling--obviously, more are desired for a more accurate deeper analysis)

About 31% of the respondants had 1 to 3 years experience, about 35% had 3 to 6 years, and the rest had over 6 years experience. I couldn't have asked for a more balanced response.

My more comprehensive study will take place this January with a question list that is far more detailed and it will focus on 2008.

My goal is for 200 or more respondants.

TooDice, the red is the "Highest Reported Rate." As I mentioned, the highest reported rates are more than likely extraordinary circumstances that aren't immediately clear in the data. It could be that many composers with more than 10 years experience do not use the price per minute model and therefore would not have taken this survey. It could also mean the one respondant had a "great deal" or was asked to perform other duties like producing, orchestrating, and copying a recording session, etc.

Nathan, as far as where they acquire clients, I might put some kind of general question up, but I wouldn't want specifics. I feel there is some information that is purely business secrets/business operations and I'm really trying to focus on our industry as a marketplace.