by FilmInk Staff
The Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) has launched the first-rate card for Australian composers who work on games. The rate card has been prepared to provide general guidance to composers, developers, producers, and the wider game community about reasonable fee considerations for commissioned game music.
The rate card was drawn from AGSC survey results and member consultation. They are not mandatory rates, minimum rates, or collecting pricing instructions. Individual composers must make unilateral and independent decisions about the fees and terms they offer for each project.
“This is an important step forward for games composers and is the result of requests from composers working in the field and seeking guidance of what rates should be charged,” reported Kingston Anderon Executive Director the AGSC. “We also wanted to provide funding agencies, both Federal and State, with guidance on what fees are expected by composers who are working on games in Australia.”
Launched at High Score in Melbourne as part of their annual games week, a panel comprising PASHA OSTOVAR (APRA), DMITRI GOLOVKO (Chair of the AGSC Games Committee), CAMERON LAM (Creative Australia), MIKA CORNELIUS (Games Composer) and KINGSTON ANDERSON (AGSC) answered questions and discussed the card with over 100 screen composers who attended the session.
“The AGSC games committee worked hard to put this rate card together.” Noted Dmitri Golovko chair of the AGSC Games Committee. “The way composers charge in the games industry varies greatly and you will see this reflected in the numbers. Our games industry in Australia is very indie-centric, and our hope is that this is just the beginnings of us all being a little more transparent with each other. This way the floor can be lifted and composers can start off on stronger footing when it comes to negotiating for their rates and their rights.”
The Australian Guild of Screen Composers Games Rates Card is a global leading guide for composers, developers and producers working in the games industry,” noted Amanda Brown, President of the AGSC. “We hope the card will be a useful tool that recognises and rewards original music for the added value that it brings to the gaming experience.”
The Games Rate Card will be distributed to all funding agencies and available to members of the AGSC.
