# Client asking for mulitrack renders



## vicontrolu (Feb 15, 2018)

So i did some stuff for web including music + sfxs and VO, which i delivered in a stereo wav file. Now the client gets back to me asking if its possible to get the multitrack wavs.
My assumption is they want to use the tracks themselves to make more episodes or other stuff with them.

Multi track render takes time and of course i´l charge them more for that but i was wondering how you guys deal with these kind of requests, and if charging something because of "what you might do with it" is a common practice or maybe i am just being paranoid.


----------



## gsilbers (Feb 15, 2018)

vicontrolu said:


> So i did some stuff for web including music + sfxs and VO, which i delivered in a stereo wav file. Now the client gets back to me asking if its possible to get the multitrack wavs.
> My assumption is they want to use the tracks themselves to make more episodes or other stuff with them.
> 
> Multi track render takes time and of course i´l charge them more for that but i was wondering how you guys deal with these kind of requests, and if charging something because of "what you might do with it" is a common practice or maybe i am just being paranoid.



. thats part of the gig. iits called deliverables and part of the "specs" if any...and anytime you do a mix with music, vo, dialog and effects they need the stems. its normal and its always been like this. whatever they do its up to them.
they normally cut promos, change things later, try to get it dubbed or subbed or whatever.

they can use it for other episodes of the same show etc. it doesnt really matter. you deliver your deliverables. normally they will only use it for that show and not for different shows or movies or side projects. just make sure to let them know that its for that series only. for subsecuent episodes its normal. maybe the need to cut in a previously on, a dream sequence, flashback etc.

fyi- whem mixing music, fx and dialog you set up a template so you feed each stem to its own track so its an easy thing to deliver stems/multitracks.


----------



## Desire Inspires (Feb 15, 2018)

If it isn’t a part of the agreement, ask for money for this service. Play hardball and don’t fold to stay in their good graces unless they are paying you money.

Money talks and b******t walks.


----------



## vicontrolu (Feb 15, 2018)

Well, there are no specs. The invoice says i delivered "sound design and mix" for x chapters. I think it would not be fair not to charge something, especially since we never talked about this multi stems stuff.


----------



## Desire Inspires (Feb 15, 2018)

vicontrolu said:


> Well, there are no specs. The invoice says i delivered "sound design and mix" for x chapters. I think it would not be fair not to charge something, especially since we never talked about this multi stems stuff.



Exactly!

Ask for something reasonable, where you feel as if the work and time you put in are appropriately compensated. Most people are reasonable and will pay for something valuable. Don’t that do not wan to pay are taking advantage of you and shouldn’t be trusted.

It is a partnership in these creative endeavors. You are not their employee. You all work together to solve a problem. Respect yourself and they will respect you.


----------



## gsilbers (Feb 15, 2018)

vicontrolu said:


> Well, there are no specs. The invoice says i delivered "sound design and mix" for x chapters. I think it would not be fair not to charge something, especially since we never talked about this multi stems stuff.



its a normal thing to do. seems to me you have a session with everything together so its hard to split. 
normally for rerecording mixing the template would be already divided and then just printed. 

if you want to charge for doing it then go for it. i, personally would get pissed if every mixer has always deliver split stems to me and then for one project a mixer is asking me for more money to do the splits. 
the normal way to do it is to ask for specs before starting a project. or they deliver specs.. but always ask for deliverables. 

just fyi... i keep using the word deliverables and maybe i dont put enough empahiss but for every producer, distributor etc the deliverables is the single most important thing on a movie or tv show. you can have the best mix , sound design and music but w/o those deliverables they have nothing. so if you head over to the post prodcution forum at gearslutz you can read troough about specs, whcih related to deliverables. 

so if you client gets the jist that you will hold hostage the deliverables for more money they will not be happy at all. but i dont know the background situation so its up to you. maybe they paid verylittle to begin with... every situation is different. im just letting you know that giving split audio is very normal if you are mixing dialog muic and fx.


----------



## Greg (Feb 15, 2018)

Suddenly demanding more money for stems seems like a great way to piss off your client. Attempt at your own risk. Myself and many other composers would deliver whatever the hell format they want, when they want it, no questions asked.


----------



## R. Soul (Feb 15, 2018)

Greg said:


> Suddenly demanding more money for stems seems like a great way to piss off your client. Attempt at your own risk. Myself and many other composers would deliver whatever the hell format they want, when they want it, no questions asked.


I agree. This is such a small amount of work, it's really not worth risking a good working relationship for.


----------



## X-Bassist (Feb 15, 2018)

When they ask for a multi-track, I would normally deliver stems (stereo tracks of dialog, music, effects at mix level (sometimes I split out the bg fx) since many times that is what they are expecting. Rarely (ever?) do I get a client coming back for an actual multitrack (60+ tracks) as their systems are not usually prepaired for it. Also it gives them the ability to do basic editing with the track, but a more detailed job would come back to me... eventually.


----------



## luke_7 (Feb 15, 2018)

Stems are always part of my work.


----------



## Patrick de Caumette (Feb 15, 2018)

Always prepared to deliver stems here.
Charging extra to deliver stems is not a wise decision...


----------



## vicontrolu (Feb 15, 2018)

Thank you everybody for the opinions.

Stems i get it..but they want multi track..every single sfx by itself. This wasnt a full buyout thus my concerns. I'd say theres a big chance they reuse the audio in any other media (even film).


----------



## gsilbers (Feb 15, 2018)

vicontrolu said:


> Thank you everybody for the opinions.
> 
> Stems i get it..but they want multi track..every single sfx by itself. This wasnt a full buyout thus my concerns. I'd say theres a big chance they reuse the audio in any other media (even film).



ah no. dont do that. maybe double checkif thats exaclty what they want. if thats so then invoke some eula shit and say your licnese for the sounds cannot allow that.


----------



## JonAdamich (Feb 15, 2018)

Eh, on my end, I wouldn't charge. I'd get a few beers, throw a movie on my second screen, and just start exporting.


----------



## Desire Inspires (Feb 15, 2018)

R. Soul said:


> I agree. This is such a small amount of work, it's really not worth risking a good working relationship for.



Lmfao!

No wonder composers can’t make a full time living. Too worried about keeping a relationship instead of keeping money in their pockets.

Oh well, just do what the client wants. They have all of the power and deserve to get whatever they ask for, no questions asked. So work hard because: “The check is in the mail.”


----------



## gsilbers (Feb 15, 2018)

JonAdamich said:


> Eh, on my end, I wouldn't charge. I'd get a few beers, throw a movie on my second screen, and just start exporting.



i guess.. it depends on the the relashionships, etc. its always hard to tell by a few post commments. and its hard to tell the whole story


----------



## Desire Inspires (Feb 15, 2018)

Man, I need to hire some of you guys to work for me. Seems like a compliant bunch of guys who will work hard and do whatever it takes to satisfy the boss. That is what I like!


----------



## chillbot (Feb 15, 2018)

Desire Inspires said:


> Man, I need to hire some of you guys to work for me. Seems like a compliant bunch of guys who will work hard and do whatever it takes to satisfy the boss. That is what I like!


I'm with you. Clients are a bunch of pansies that need to be put in their place. Amazing the results you get with a firm "f**k you, b**ch... I'll get to it when I get to it!" I've got a whole pack of clients lined up right now, fighting over who gets to pay me more.

I'm also a big fan of delivering everything 2-3 weeks late. Ha ha, screw you, client.


----------



## givemenoughrope (Feb 15, 2018)

Ha!^


----------



## givemenoughrope (Feb 15, 2018)

I just gave a client stems from almost 12 years ago. 12 years! They asked in the early afternoon and needed them EOD. I was just happy that I had them and could do it.


----------



## Jeremy Spencer (Feb 15, 2018)

Patrick de Caumette said:


> Always prepared to deliver stems here.
> Charging extra to deliver stems is not a wise decision...



Me too, it's pretty much the norm these days. And with any modern DAW, it's a simple process, you can export the stems in one go.


----------



## nordicguy (Feb 15, 2018)

chillbot said:


> I'm with you. Clients are a bunch of pansies that need to be put in their place. Amazing the results you get with a firm "f**k you, b**ch... I'll get to it when I get to it!" I've got a whole pack of clients lined up right now, fighting over who gets to pay me more.
> 
> I'm also a big fan of delivering everything 2-3 weeks late. Ha ha, screw you, client.


Please, make some videos/tutorials of “getting real with clients”.
Always looking for the right words to communicate with them.
Last time I call them f****** %!!**$&**! It didn’t work as expected.
Cannot figure what was happening except not choosing the right words/attitude.


----------



## JohnG (Feb 15, 2018)

It works best if you dress in some kind of costume, like maybe D'Artagnan from The Three Musketeers. With the right panache, conversations like, "it's SUPPOSED to have a 60 cycle hum, duh!!" go much better.


----------



## Desire Inspires (Feb 15, 2018)

chillbot said:


> I'm with you. Clients are a bunch of pansies that need to be put in their place. Amazing the results you get with a firm "f**k you, b**ch... I'll get to it when I get to it!" I've got a whole pack of clients lined up right now, fighting over who gets to pay me more.
> 
> I'm also a big fan of delivering everything 2-3 weeks late. Ha ha, screw you, client.



Ah, I get it.

Whatever works for your situation.


----------

