Need help with a podcast
March 1, 2012 10:10 AM Subscribe
Exploring offer for a podcasting gig with a music label, but I have no agent - how do I proceed?
I know this is a narrow area of inquiry, but I'm hoping someone on the green has some insight for me.
I work in radio, and I've been interviewing a musician based in my city over the course of the past couple of years. A music label will be re-releasing about 30 of his cds this month, and it's a big deal because they represent his entire career on cd to date.
The label has a podcast offering on their web site, so I queried them about possibly doing a podcast with this musician to coincide with the release dates of his cds. They seem interested. I've only just begun to correspond with them over email, and I don't want to make a wrong step.
So this is a project I'm trying to put over as my own - I want to interview the guy, I don't want them do take this over. I want to make sure of that.
The other piece is money. Truth to tell, I'd probably do this for free because I love it so much, but I feel that we should get some sort of payment for doing a podcast, especially if it becomes an extended series.
A third thing would be - how does my station tie into it? I'm sort of going rogue with this project. The radio station I work for doesn't really care about being associated with this record label, but I think it would be a huge profile boost for us to have a host on a podcast on their site with a famous musician. How do I manage the overlap - I feel my station should get some credit, but how much?
A possible problem area - my boss dislikes my random outside projects, and will probably try to put the kibosh on this, simply because he doesn't understand the value of being associated with the musicians whose works we play. But I figure it's my project - if he doesn't like what I'm doing, he can't stop me. But I work for the station, so I figure the label should credit me and them - right?
In my business most people have agents. I've been trying to locate one, but up to now I don't have an agent. So I don't have anyone to negotiate for me, but I feel sure that an agent would ask for payment for a project like this.
I'm just at sea on the details after having made this initial proposal. I imagine I should have a contract, but I'm not sure what the details should stipulate. Also clueless about how early in my chats with these folks I should even mention a contract. I suppose I could suggest putting one together, and it would include terms of payment for the podcast series. If they didn't like them, they could tell me and we could revise. Am I on the right track?
Does it sound like I might need a lawyer?
If they come back with "No, we're not going to pay you," should I pursue this anyway? I think a podcast on a major label's web site would be great exposure for me and the musician, and it would also be a way of drawing attention to our station and showing that we're relevant in the outer arts world, and not just to ourselves (we suffer from ostrich syndrome at the moment).
Is there anything else I haven't thought of?
I know this is a narrow area of inquiry, but I'm hoping someone on the green has some insight for me.
I work in radio, and I've been interviewing a musician based in my city over the course of the past couple of years. A music label will be re-releasing about 30 of his cds this month, and it's a big deal because they represent his entire career on cd to date.
The label has a podcast offering on their web site, so I queried them about possibly doing a podcast with this musician to coincide with the release dates of his cds. They seem interested. I've only just begun to correspond with them over email, and I don't want to make a wrong step.
So this is a project I'm trying to put over as my own - I want to interview the guy, I don't want them do take this over. I want to make sure of that.
The other piece is money. Truth to tell, I'd probably do this for free because I love it so much, but I feel that we should get some sort of payment for doing a podcast, especially if it becomes an extended series.
A third thing would be - how does my station tie into it? I'm sort of going rogue with this project. The radio station I work for doesn't really care about being associated with this record label, but I think it would be a huge profile boost for us to have a host on a podcast on their site with a famous musician. How do I manage the overlap - I feel my station should get some credit, but how much?
A possible problem area - my boss dislikes my random outside projects, and will probably try to put the kibosh on this, simply because he doesn't understand the value of being associated with the musicians whose works we play. But I figure it's my project - if he doesn't like what I'm doing, he can't stop me. But I work for the station, so I figure the label should credit me and them - right?
In my business most people have agents. I've been trying to locate one, but up to now I don't have an agent. So I don't have anyone to negotiate for me, but I feel sure that an agent would ask for payment for a project like this.
I'm just at sea on the details after having made this initial proposal. I imagine I should have a contract, but I'm not sure what the details should stipulate. Also clueless about how early in my chats with these folks I should even mention a contract. I suppose I could suggest putting one together, and it would include terms of payment for the podcast series. If they didn't like them, they could tell me and we could revise. Am I on the right track?
Does it sound like I might need a lawyer?
If they come back with "No, we're not going to pay you," should I pursue this anyway? I think a podcast on a major label's web site would be great exposure for me and the musician, and it would also be a way of drawing attention to our station and showing that we're relevant in the outer arts world, and not just to ourselves (we suffer from ostrich syndrome at the moment).
Is there anything else I haven't thought of?
That way, you get paid, because you're 'on the clock', and your station gets paid for license, and I'm sure someone at your station could handle the negotiations for that. Seems to simplify everything a great deal, to me.
posted by empath at 11:12 AM on March 1, 2012
posted by empath at 11:12 AM on March 1, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks empath, that might work. The interviews with this artist are not something my station is interested in featuring - we have an all-music format, and our artist interviews get posted online. It's considered a secondary part of what we offer, but I think it's important to feature the artists whose music we play on the air. Just seems like a no-brainer, yet I've been unable to persuade my manager that projects like these are worthwhile.
So I don't imagine he's going to give me the time at work to conduct interviews when he's not really behind this particular artist or project.
I'm wondering - if I present this to my manager as a postive for them, if they could receive some kind of payment from the label for the podcasts - that might be an incentive for them to participate.
I would love to just do the podcasts on my station's web site, but for some reason they're against this. I believe it has something to do with our limited budget, the fact that the hosts' primary job is on the air, yada yada. They're just not interested in expanding.
But it's something I could at least bring up...as for licensing our content to them, I have no idea what that involves. Do you know anything more about that?
Thanks for your input!
posted by cartoonella at 12:11 PM on March 1, 2012
So I don't imagine he's going to give me the time at work to conduct interviews when he's not really behind this particular artist or project.
I'm wondering - if I present this to my manager as a postive for them, if they could receive some kind of payment from the label for the podcasts - that might be an incentive for them to participate.
I would love to just do the podcasts on my station's web site, but for some reason they're against this. I believe it has something to do with our limited budget, the fact that the hosts' primary job is on the air, yada yada. They're just not interested in expanding.
But it's something I could at least bring up...as for licensing our content to them, I have no idea what that involves. Do you know anything more about that?
Thanks for your input!
posted by cartoonella at 12:11 PM on March 1, 2012
I did podcasts similar to this for three years for Sony Music. Feel free to MefiMail me for some advice.
posted by softlord at 8:18 PM on March 1, 2012
posted by softlord at 8:18 PM on March 1, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by empath at 11:11 AM on March 1, 2012