Hi! Yesterday I got a call from the marketing exec. of the company I work for. He asked me to compose a short song for a project (about 60-90 sec.) with a very limited choice of instruments (mobile phone applications). My timeframe is 5 days and the payment would be one of the phones the song is for. I have never made music for payment before, so this would be my first step into the business-side of music. I'm not sure about the quality, he expects from me ("give me some upbeat rock music with action elements."). So my overall question: Do you think, it's a good idea to try this? Is "getting my feet wet" worth the trouble? Thanks Kai

What is the retail value of the phone? Compare this value to what you'd normally charge for a job like this paying cash. Also, can you even use this phone? If you're not with this carrier and already have a contract with another mobile phone company then this new phone may be completely worthless to you. If this is the case, I'd definitely bring it up to the client and let them know that his form of "payment" doesn't really give you anything of value.

On the flip side, if you feel like this is going to make it and become a published credit, that can add a nice credit to your resume and could lead to further ventures with this marketing firm.

It's really up to you. How long would it take you to write a 60-90 second song in the format they need while sticking to the instruments limitation. If this is something that isn't a super heavy time/energy investment for you, then it might be worthwhile. Five days to write 60-90 seconds worth of music is PLENTY of time.

Quote: Original post by Pakratz
Yesterday I got a call from the marketing exec. of the company I work for.

Edit: I missed this part on my first read. So, I'm guessing you work in some other capacity for this company and now they want you to do some side work? The fact that this is a company you work for makes me feel even more strongly that they should be offering you cash. You're they're employee. They're asking you to do an extra task, an extra function of your job. We all know that the retail value of a phone vs. the cost to produce the phone greatly differ in most cases. It could be that this phone doesn't really cost that much for this company to produce/distribute and therefore they're giving you payment that doesn't really affect the money accounts. At my old company they often gave employees free DVDs, shirts, merchandise and other items that we help distribute and brand. I'd definitely ask some more questions. If you weren't an employee, would they be trying to give you this offer? If they approached me with it, they'd realize that this new phone doesn't really add any value to me and my situation.

Thanks,

Nate

The phone is not legitimate payment.

Consider this a favor for the Marketing Exec.

If you want to do him favors, make sure he knows the phone is no kind of payment--that you already have a phone, it's a pittance, etc, etc--beg it off (take the phone or don't) and expect a favor in return.

If you don't, then don't do it.

If you want the phone, then do it.

I would say take the job & the phone, I mean you've never done something like this before right?

It's going to be your first step into the music business for real so later, you put this in your portfolio IMHO.

Thanks a lot for your answers! You were really helpful.

I've been working for this company for 6 months now (as a sales assistant) and I do feel a little cheated when they don't even offer me real money for extra work. The retail value of the phone would be around 200€ - I'm afraid, they'd pay for the phone, but I'd have to pay for the carrier contract.
During these 5 days I'll still have to work in the shop, so it's not as much time as it could be - I'd have around 2-3 hours each day for the music, plus, I'd have to get used to the instruments which are to be controlled by the telephone. Also, I'd first have to get one of the phones in the first place, in order to start working on the song.

I'm pretty sure, I'm going to reject this offer. Not only am I not interested in this particular mobile phone, I'm also not comfortable with the way this whole proposal was presented to me. The song is supposed to be for a video - the video hasn't been made yet, there isn't even a script ("we'll find something to fit the music...")... I'm really not comfortable with this whole affair.

Quote: The song is supposed to be for a video - the video hasn't been made yet, there isn't even a script ("we'll find something to fit the music...")... I'm really not comfortable with this whole affair.

Sounds like they're not ready for audio work in the first place. Good call.

The question is how much do you have to lose?

Ok, a phone is not a real payment, but if you might want to make professional career in audio then it might be a neat point on your resume. You don't have to tell anyone you got only a phone for it.

If it is not to much of a hassle talk to him. Figure out what he wants; he must have some good impression of your work, so. Finally tell him you are not comfortable with getting a phone you don't need. You can either get him to pay you cash or something else you need. Don't underestimate the positive impression you might make on him if you handle it in a professional manner. It might be your path to fame and fortune or it may not.

As a last advice don't be a whore, tell him how much time you want to invest into it and what the expected result will be. Many times people underestimate the effort and time that lies in a piece of work, as a result they don't and can't value your work properly.

Quote: Original post by Pakratz
Hi!

Yesterday I got a call from the marketing exec. of the company I work for. He asked me to compose a short song for a project (about 60-90 sec.) with a very limited choice of instruments (mobile phone applications). My timeframe is 5 days and the payment would be one of the phones the song is for.

This offer leaves a lot of questions open. Who owns the song in the end? Does the company own all rights to the song to use at will for other projects? Do you own the song and are simply licensing it to them for use on this one particular phone or all their phones or their entire network? Would such a license be perpetual or for a limited period of time?

If the company is only offering a phone in return for full ownership of the song, that's a very weak offer. Unless there is some sort of contract in place, it's questionable if they can legally own the song at all. (Perhaps this is covered by some blanket ownership clause in your current work contract with the company.)

I'd ask them to put the offer in writing so that you know exactly what they expect from the transaction. Then you can decide how to proceed.

They would have a legitimate argument for ownership of the music since you're already employed by them and already produce work for them. When the supervisor/exec/manager/whoever asks you as a subordinate to produce something, they will expect to own it, I am sure.


I have a degree in Writing, but when I was working in at a medical practice, I wouldn't dictate, write copy, or copy-edit anything while I was there because they weren't paying me for those services.

Remember that people aren't just renting you out. When you're employed or contracted, it's for a specific service or capacity.

The Ownership laws concerning creative work are very specific in Germany and I will always own my creations, no matter what kind of contract I'm in. But he will want the exclusive rights to this song and not only for this one video.

Quote: Figure out what he wants; he must have some good impression of your work

He hasn't listened to anything I've made so far, he knows basically nothing about my musical background - only that I took some sound engineering classes two years ago. I'm also only a "plan B" since the guy who was supposed to make the music for this particular video left the company earlier this week.
I'm also pretty sure that whatever I can offer using only Phone applications will not meet the expectations of our marketing guy.

But I think, the offer died with my last email, asking him about specifics and telling him, that this is a VERY short time to get used to the phone apps, writing a song for it (without knowing how to make a multitrack recording of it, because this should obviously also take place on the phone), and getting used to the controls enough to play it "live" during filming.
Like I said: I'm really not comfortable with this thing.

Thanks again for all your replies!