Spencer approached a band I used to play in offering to do a feature for like $300 or $400 a few years back. Our guitarist and I were down but our singer was adamant in not doing it so we didn't do it. Ice Nine Kills ended up blowing up not even a year later.
What may I ask was your singers reason(s) for being against it so strongly? Also it wasn't very clear from the post if you are still in the band and/or if you still speak to them. but if you do still talk how do they feel about that decision now? 🧡🦇 ~just curious.. OK just nosey 😹 sorry I *ne'er
And it could actually be more cohesive. sometimes when you get supergroups it’s not that great because naturally people have egos and their own ideas that they bring into it. Like, I remember being pumped for killer be killed and then it was just kinda meh.
Yeah shit if you are one of those musicians with a RU-vid channel that grew from doing covers or some other creative endeavor, you could write some crazy track like an Into the Hellfire, pay like 5k to get some of the industry best to record it, then put it up and pull thousands a month in adsense just from that video.
@@craftgarrett1 I live in a low income household and my parents rent doesnt even pass 1k, and even then they still struggle to pay the light bill sometimes. So to ME a grand is A LOT
@@Apollowram just because its alot to you doesnt mean its alot to everyone. These guys developed a skill that is now worth a value. Its supply and demand. Why would a guy sell himself short when he doesnt have to? So everytime i go to do a brick job i should say to myself well 1000 bucks is alot of money so ill just lose money and do it for half. Youre in low income housing because of that mindset
@@craftgarrett1 First you say "who thinks 1k is a lot" to "1k isn't a lot to everybody", which one is it? Don't know why you brought up the topic of the video since I didn't say anything about it (even though I agree musicians in the video should be getting paid for their craft) Plus, I'm still in high school, so I can't get a high paying job right now
Honestly, even $7500 for Spencer is reasonable. If you have any reasonable song I bet the ROI of having Spencer on there for iTunes sales alone would pay that back.
@@skepticinall ink went up probably like 600k monthly listeners after Silver Scream 2 since the last time i paid attention to that like idk, 2 years ago, they blew up a ton
Kellin has my respect for having his feature so affordable. He likes to work with up-and-coming talent, and will go out of his way to help promote smaller artists from his platform. Plus he’s cranking out a ton of them, if you’re making $900 a day, five days a week, that’s $230k a year JUST from features.
What Spencer is doing is EXACTLY what we do in the tattoo industry. The more painstakingly miserable a tattoo is to do the more our rate jumps up cuz it's better than just saying no. Might sound sleezy but it's why you work to build a brand, your name holds more value and gives you more options.
@@FinnMckentyPRMBA Smart man! I've always said to choose an artist you trust, then bring them something you both enjoy and you will always come out winning.
Yeah, people in bands crying about this also never pay anything for marketing and wonder why they’re “being zucced” on FB. Pay people. And also, I wish there was a way on FeaturedX to pay for a “band feature”, meaning, when you upload to Spotify you have a “feat. (Band name)” - that helps a ton with discoverability.
This 100%. Pay people or pay the time to knock on doors, hand out flyers, and struggle on the road to break your band. Most "musicians" aren't willing to do either.
I’m actually surprised these are so low. It kinda makes me sad. How much would Kellin Quinn have charged 11 years ago? I mean probably 50 times as much. I want my genre to be super relevant again 😭
The really higher prices are probably from people who don't WANT to do a feature or don't NEED to do it or need the money, but that's how much it would cost for them to do it. Seems fair.
Agreed. Sometimes people think expensive features are only because the person is a douche. Some people don't want to do them but they finally give in and say, "Fine, you want my work, it's gonna cost this much."
Was gonna say the same thing. The cost probably isn’t like “this is what I’m worth”. It’s more “this is the $ amount at which I would take the time out of my life to do it”. The first guy is acting like this is their primary business and they want regular customers.
I was slightly shocked at the Spencer Charnas price at first, but then after thinking more about it, it's not that shocking at all. I think your point is very valid where he probably does not want to do many of features, Ice Nine Kills is probably the busiest they have ever been as a band and to take time away from your main craft when you're at the peak of it all would need to be something really special. I also thought back to how many times I saw Spencer featured on some random carbon copy of the whole theatrical metalcore band style and he was like the only redeeming quality to the track, so he probably doesn't want spoil his image in some fashion or something like that.
Yeah. And he does the same on cameo. He's a busy man and I doubt he wants to do 1000s of features and cameos a day. And I mean he has a fiancee, people do wanna spend time with their family and friends
These prices are amazingly less than I expected by a wide margin. I was expecting 10s of thousands of dollars. Had no idea some of these guys are cheaper than a G-Shock watch.
how do people feel entitled to features from artists who are so out of their league they would never organically cross paths with them? selling features is making collaborating MORE attainable not less
I mean.. it's all about offer and demand at the end of the day.. imagine having someone like Oli Sykes or Corey Taylor selling a feature for 50 bucks.. every garage band in the world would be signing up for that shit, there's not enough hours in a day for that to work, ever. Even rejecting offers they would still have to hear the materials first.. It's expensive but the price kinda makes sense.
This site is pretty awesome and almost all these rates are great. I agree, Kellin Quinn’s rate is far far too low. Should probably more in line with Craig Mabbit.
This is great, these artists deserve every dollar that someone is willing to pay. If you think $3k is a lot, imagine what rappers pay to have someone like J. Cole on their track.
For $800, you can have a guy who sings in a band that I've heard of, despite not listening to this genre AT ALL, sing on your record. Seriously, seems pretty damn reasonable to me.
This is a business, and metal doesn't pay for shit unless your Metallica. I saw something about the lead singer of Born of Osiris doing features for under a grand...that's a goddamn steal. You're also paying for exposure and that's invaluable in an era when having a major name on a track could make your band. And also, these dudes mostly don't have regular day jobs and this is there only income. Don't like it? Get your shit together and make a name for yourself.
@@summeronio9751 Maybe that's because people balke at paying justifiable rates for things. That includes performances and the tickets to view those. cheap tickets and tshirts isn't enough to make an area viable so think of all the talent who go elsewhere to earn a living? The difference between metal fans and seventeen year old girls is where metal fans will buy a tshirt, they'll drop 15 bucks on it, a 17 year old girl will gladly drop 40. i know who I'm gonna try sell tshirts too
I actually looked up the requirements for the request and the artist must approve of the song before money is even handed off, which makes sense. This prevents the featured artist from wasting time on a track they shouldn't be on, and it prevents the band that requests this to lose out too hard. I'm sure Featured X keeps the processing fee, but all in all, this is a really intelligent business venture. What would be really cool is if they allowed smaller bands to select the region they're in and charge features that way it builds their local scene.
I mean just getting their name attached to your song is mega valuable. Also I wouldn't worry about the songs being bad, if the band has a budget of a 1k for these vocalists + whatever they're spending for production and mixing I'm sure the songs are at least decent
I remember when I use to play in a Metal band 🎸 and we played shows with Ice Nine Kills and Sworn In and Attila and at best I got 5 bucks or played the show for free and that was 2011 and 2012! So this is a good thing for known underground musicians!
$800 for Kellin Quinn is a steal, given how popular every artist he collabs with usually gets. I've discovered at least 4 new artists I like because of a Kellin Quinn feature
LOVE your last point! I didn’t start getting paid until I was charging more than what made me comfortable. As soon as I charged what I’d really like to get and what I think I’m really worth, people started hiring me because they knew I was a professional. It was almost immediate.
I'm sorry but you're 100 percent right on this. Like these guys are worth every penny especially Spencer. He's an absolutely amazing vocalist, writer and person.
On the Josh Manuel option, for Perspective; my band paid £420 for a day of recording at the start of the month. $600 for the dude to play and mix his drum parts is dirt cheap considering it’s a pro drummer with his own studio setup as well
I feel like paying someone you don't know personally, who has clout, to do a song with your band would risk a very dispassionate feature. Whereas features from artists who genuinely want to work together has a better chance of being something great. Some of the best feature I've seen in recent memory were LANDMVRKS singles for their recent album's deluxe edition. Or the several features BMTH has been doing. And yes, I know features are always paid in some way, but my point is about shelling out a ton a money for someone you don't know and could look at things like just a job instead of a genuine creative collaboration.
@@dantesinfernal Yea, my point is basically built around some people might be shit heads. But Finn makes a great point that nearly all the people on that site have the integrity to not be a shit head. I'd just worry if I was trying to get a feature, it could be half-assed
@@colling.7023 The artists get to choose which songs they want to do though. It also goes against them if they do a shitty job, just like any other creative job. When thinking of paying a graphic designer to make art for your project, do you sit there and worry about getting a half assed product because they aren’t personally invested in your brand? No, because the artist’s job is to make you a great marketing package/logo/whatever you hired them to do. If they do a bad job because they aren’t personally invested, why would anyone hire them? If you hire a vocalist to feature, and they even get to pick whether they participate or not, they’re going to do a good job on it because not only is it their literal job, but they know their name is going to be tied to that end product. I guess I don’t understand why you just assume these musicians are going to be lazy because they aren’t in your band? These guys aren’t the local musicians you’re used to. They’re professionals who have worked really hard to get where they are and have a reputation to uphold. I’m sorry for ranting, but it frustrates me that so many people view creative jobs like this differently than any other job and just assume the person has to be personally invested or they won’t try. I’m not personally invested in the company I work for, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to show up and do a good job. Same goes for the musicians offering their services on the site.
How can anyone be mad at this? These are extremely reasonable prices for some of the biggest names in metal. Imagine being in the hip hop game and trying to get a feature by...well...anyone unless you've got like 10k right off the bat.
We contracted Mac Smith from Krosis and Alterbeast for our track Can't Keep Up. It was by far the most we paid for a track and we are so happy. He was an amazing guy to work with, open to comments, quick and helpful. Would definitely do again cause he really brings something that we don't have.
I've bought 2 (rap) features and i thought i got my money worth and would definitely do more in the future! Its always a good look when somebody whose also worked w them sees that. I dabble in metal tho so this is interesting lol
Feature X the wave! We had the privilege of getting Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills on our newest single ‘world is gone’ along with a dope anime music video check it out guys 😈🌎 the sky is the limit invest in yourselves
What about bigger bands who get features from these same type of vocalists? Like, Courtney LaPlante has featured on about 100 metalcore songs in the last couple years, but most of those are bands who are already fairly well known. In that situation does the label pay for the feature? Or do they know the song will make enough that their cut of the royalties would be enough?
if i'm not mistaken they usually cowrite the parts so they get some royalties too and thats the label that pays for it, to record and write usually its up to the artist, for example if bmth asked spencer to write a song with them i doubt he would charge 7k or even charge at all
The overpricing to NOT get work extends out of the creative sphere. My step father is a busy tradesman and will give quotes for anything that is going to be horrible way, way over what he’s normally charge. Gotta make it worth your while if it’s gonna suck.
Art demands a subjective price so people will either think it’s totally worth it or it’s not. Let market forces dictate as you say! Thanks Finn for more great stuff!
12:17 I received a quote for a feature from Courtney in 2018 for 300 without writing and 400 with writing. It was a missed opportunity because she was certainly worth that then, and worth whatever she is currently asking now.
amazing prices from amazing musicians! Didn't knew the platform, and I found it amazing for what it is, simplifying and bringing bands to feats together, Also I was taking a look at the Photographer session to see how much I can charge next time. lol amazing professionals there too
Damn 500 for a "professional" "known" musician vocals... thats like almost free quality vocals, sounds like smart investment . He probably has good mic and room where he records. I hope he won´t just send you a phone recording. Anyway there were very reasonable price.
But, if anyone cares. This was a troll post I made on my lunch at work. NOT AT ALL trying to get all this attention. I literally do not give a fuck who gets paid what for what. This post was around for nearly a whole day with mild interaction from my own friends. Then it had to get all this traffic, which is doesn't deserve. But hey, it guys are going to get paid and new collaborations form from it, that's cool. Personally, I think paying for clout is lame and a cheap way to get recognition, you should get it on your own and not ride someone else's coat tails, but what the hell do I know.
These artists have spent time and money building their brand and creating their value. So they are not only charging for the 5 hours of writing and recording, they are charging for all the work they put in to get to wherever they are.
If I had the money and I had a band I think all of these are fair, and I think getting one of the higher end ones like All That Remains, Escape the Fate, Ice Nine Kills, etc. can get you more into the mainstream.
I will never forget my animation lecturer coming down on me for charging too low for art comissions (I was charging roughly $10) last year. A few weeks ago he had a lecture on how to make a living and get a job in the animation and art industry and the ups and downs that entails. He also mentioned how employers will try and cheat you out of paying full. The fact that this came up pretty much reaffirms it. I may disagree with you on many things involving metal, but I will agree with you on the idea of artists getting compensated.
What Featured X does is so great! I mean, unless you have some sort of name or know somebody, the chances of getting in contact with someone with a big name to feature on your song is so low. I mean, if you look at larger artists that have featurings, it's always someone they've toured with a lot or they're on the same label or something along those lines. Featured X helps to bring new artists up and connect them with larger artists to grow and learn from, whilst also giving recognition and paying these artists who have worked their butt off for years in the scene. They deserve to charge thousands of bucks to write and record, and, like you said, some of these prices are even too low!
Snoop Dogg said he charges $250,000 for a feature, but I remember Lil Wayne asking half a million at one point. Don't have a source on the Wayne one but I remember him stating it in an interview around '08.
Like bruh, whatever you have to pay Spencer to get a feature for the name value alone is worth. Man has a rabid fan base who’ll listen to whatever he puts out
To anyone getting mad about singers charging this much. Remember, you are coming to them to ask them to take time out of their lives to help you with something. They aren’t doing it because, “your song is so fucking good bro!” They’re doing it because it a a job. You wouldn’t ask someone you didn’t know to help you move and not pay them. This is you paying to slap someone’s name with recognition on your song to help promote your song. And yes, you have to spend money at the end of the day to properly promote your band.
I've become friends with a couple of the prominent rappers from around the Toronto area, and a few of them have reached out to rappers bigger than them asking for features and have been told it would cost $15,000 - $20,000 for one verse, so these prices are amazingly reasonable lol
I’m going to be totally honest, this is about vocalists knowing their worth. Regardless of the size of the band getting the feature the singers still need to get their fair share
This is so cool! Collabing with a person who can write quality shit, then lay down a killer track. It’s totally worth the money. Playing a dude $5,000 to promote it too. Like come on if the song is great and your other stuff holds up, that’s a great way to get introduced to a new audience. Just brilliant marketing all around and great for musicians to get paid what they deserve.
Also, there is one thing I feel really strongly I feel about in life: never complain about the price of art… in any form. Don’t like the price then move on. End of story.
Aye!! My comment made it on to the video!! Let’s go!!! I’m on featured X as well and honestly these dudes are pricing there stuff fair. Underground rappers charge around this and then mainstream ones yeah they charge a lot more. If anything people should be grateful the artist are extending out some form of a hand to work with smaller artist
I checked a while back, and she used to be on there, and her rate was maybe a little over $1000. Don't quote me on that, I'm not 100% sure. She took her profile down though, since she's been on tour with Underoath recently and is probably already starting on new Spiritbox material. Give it a few months or a year, she'll be back.
I think $7500 for Spencer Charnas is a bargain, given that INK are a top-10 band who opened for Metallica, and any feature he does gets played on Octane (which only boosts bands even further).
another thing with this is in most cases the artists themself most likely has nothing to do with the website, id assume its mainly the band managers that deal with these sort of things
I have 17 years in lyrics and 8 in vocals but I have no idea how to value my input when the music industry is over saturated. I just do stuff for people I like for free and ghost it namelessly. If I start charging, I can’t imagine more than $100 a song because I know most people in metal don’t have much money to spare, which is usually a result of our circumstances within the system in the first place, and why we’re drawn to the rightfully furious counterculture. Make it good AND accessible.
Kellin for under a rack is such a steal. That young man is unbelievably talented. What's to stop a new band from dropping 60k and have an all star record?
Damn, I didn't know about this. That's actually pretty cool that this service exists. 🤘🤘 I agree Finn, complaining about the pricing is hilarious to me. It's not like they -have- to do this, and they have some big name recognition. As a nobody, getting the chance to even hire them at all is a privilege.
I still hold like a trophy the songs of my solo project which mieszco from nasum sang for me after the massacre they did at csa dordoni in Turin with cripple bastards, nasum, yacopsae, rotten sound and the mighty regurgitate. wow he asked for nothing I gave him 2 grams of ganja and man I was destroyed when the news of miessko dead during the tsunami. respect!
I actually think some of the bigger features we’ve seen in the last couple of years between larger scene artists might have actually come about because of this website. Like I think it’s also a good way for bigger artists who may have wanted a feature from one of these guys but were to scared to ask because they didn’t know them to get a feature.
Honestly why are people shaming artists of these bands for features? Rappers charge thousands upon thousands for features when they’ve been out for a year or 2. Some of these guys in these bands have been putting in work for over a decade and have gained fans on a global scale they deserve to set these prices at what they want and even then when you compare these numbers to a rappers features it’s chump change.
