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[Dinomaniak]

Hello to all Audiomancers !
We're currently working with an artist that we absolutely love and respect. We're extremely happy with our collaboration.
As our current location is within SE Asia, and he is located in a Western country, I cannot help but be worried that we are not recompensating him up to par.
We are paying 133% of what he has requested initially, however our list of feedbacks is extremely useful ( the songs are turning out incredible - after review ) yet it's becoming a bit too extensive even for our taste, so we're a bit worried of hurting our collaboration.
I'm considering adding funds, and at the same time I'm not sure if the content the artist is delivering prior to feedback should be more on-track with the rest - honestly I'm not sure how fair of a question that is...

As such, I'd like to inquire :
1) What is your location and how much do you charge/minute ? ( asking this to see if we are paying on par with international standards )
2) What do you think are the factors that should affect the rates ?
3) How should we deal with the situation ?

[Gutto Ze]

Rate/minute is a complicated subject because it is heavily dependant on the complexity of the music, style and instrumentation and how the music will be used in the game.
Sometimes you need just one  track with a couple of variations for different states in the same level. These things are also taken in consideration when budgeting.

Based on what you're describing, I guess you're working on a track by track deal. Is this correct?
If so, it's easy to go over the budget because you're not seeing the full picture and possibly not accounting for future needs related to music cohesion. You might be getting into a trap of revising new music to fit with whatever has already been done.
But, if you're working with a full structured deal (you planned the kind of music you'll need for the project beforehand, even if it's just an estimate), then it's really hard to know what the problem might be without having some examples.
It also depends on what stage you are in development.

Anyway, I believe you would benefit from asking for drafts for most of the music and try to get cohesive pieces. After having a listen to the tracks, then you start tinkering with what is not working. Because now you'll have a solid grasp of the sound of your project.

I hope I was clear with my attempt to illustrate things haha. It can get tricky to communicate these things. That's why I believe having a structured plan so everyone can see the full picture works best.

In the end, what matters is if you're happy with the results.