Poll: How do you structure your live entertainment rates

Hi All,

I thought this would be an interesting one.

Nobody needs to divulge what they charge, I am just curious to see how people charge.

This is my "starting a poll cherry", so please bare with me if it doesn't work.

Currently I charge per event, as I do similar work all the time, so duration is usually predictable.

Rob

right now, i just shoot for media outlets (who don't pay me); no one's hired me on for a shoot yet. i've had a couple of sales, but they were not associated w/ the shooting of the show at first.

I charge by the event but I am paid by the venue rather than band/record label/promoter and it is an ongoing agreement where I shoot almost every week ... I think it is the best of all possible arrangements and I am exceedingly lucky to have friends who think I am worthy of recommending me for this gig!

I either do by the event or just sell the photos that I shoot. Depends on the type of event.

I am feeling rather bummed. Just got an email from an event that I have shot for three years for a small fee. I was scheduled to shoot it next week. Another photographer is doing it for free. Very frustrating. I have never used a contract for this event. I guess I should have.

Do you all use contracts for events as you would a wedding?

Providing live entertainment is very tricky. I start with the cameras, but I lose them almost immediately. Many layers of clothes help, and dancing between undressing also works to make more time go by.

I charge before hand, and making sure everyone is aware of the rules of engagement, and what is planned and it is not. Half the times I end up with half the stuff I started with, and it is just...

Errr, I may not be reading the title of this thread very well. Oops

Depends. Sometimes by the hour, sometimes a fixed price, sometimes I sell a licence for 'such and such' useage, where useage determines pricing...

For evening gigs it'll be by the hour plus travelling costs, for all dayers or multi day things like festivals, then it's a fixed rate for the whole event.

Its also dependant upon usage, how exclusive, many many things.
x

tipsy, does the mag you are shooting for cover these costs, or the individual artist or label?

well i shoot freelance for a number of magazines and then also sell photos to bands.

If i get asked by a band or label to shoot them, i'll charge hourly usually. perhaps a base rate and then extra per hour. Also depends upon the use and payment is made AFTER the shoot when both me and the client are happy with the photos. if they dont turn out good, theyre not obligated to pay. If it's a long journey i also charge travel costs.

when im shooting for magazine's i get paid per image they use and sometimes a base rate to cover the gig in the first place.

x

I charge for events by the hour, with a higher rate for Thurs-Sun. When I charge by the event, the client will always want me there longer than if they are paying by the hour. Magazines are a special exception that usually pay by the assignment or by image.

In my years I have learned that doing more than 1 event for free will never bring you a paid gig from the same client-all it does is prove that you will work for free.

-Scott

It's primarily event based for me.

For the place I am house photog for I charge a flat rate to shoot the touring bands I want to see and pretty much double that rate for bands I *don't* want to see. I provide between 10 and 20 640x480 images for web site use.

For bands it all depends on their status, if they are unsigned I don't charge as much as I would for a band with label support. I charge more for bands with major label backing than I do for bands on indie labels. What they want to use the photos for also comes into play for me. Web use only is the cheapest and rates go up from there depending on usage.