I received an update today to the long standing copyright issue and… the grand total is a whopping $4710 per annum!! Now this is not the only thing, it would cost a couple $303 to do their own montage. This is really PAINFUL. I am supportive of licencing but I find the prices hard to swallow. Oh yes, if you wish to put 10videos online (10 songs) you need to pay a total of $5566.

A 15-25 wedding videographer would have to spend about $236 per job plus the labour hours of filming + editing. So a videographer charges $2000 on your big day, he spends 10 hrs shooting, 5hrs for the same day edit, 10hrs post editing, some transport cost, equipment depreciation cost, royalty music cost, DVD material cost, electricity, overhead cost  .. how much does it work out per hr? Does he really make good $ like everyone thinks so? Worst still a lot of people would pay a lot of everything else and ask for big discounts for their video as it is the last thing on their list. The video guy is basically doing a job for free. So you see, that is how people come and go. The industry standard doesn’t climb quickly.

The Breakdown (for videographers):
1. RIPS = 2000 x 1.07 (Record company + Singer)
2. MPS = 1500 (Lyrics + Composer)
3. COMPASS* = 1000 x 1.07 (Performance)

I have no issues about RIPS + MPS but I’m puzzled how COMPASS comes into the picture. I have reason to believe only a certain scope of songs fall under the scope of COMPASS. In any case, this would translate to a lot higher cost per wedding video. Our margains are already below other countries and now we get slapped harder. I will find out more from COMPASS when I have the chance but I am certainly happy to pay RIPS+MPS. In fact, MPS has done better than I thought at $500 less than MPS. I’m grateful. I will be happy to talk to COMPASS further.

The Breakdown (for couples):
1. RIPS = 90 x 1.07
2. MPS = 100
3. COMPASS = 100 x 1.07
Total = $303.3

This is a no brainer. I highly encourage couples to get yr videographer to do it. Pay them $500, they are really not making much and save yourself some trouble. I hear the freelancers wanting to use this one time licence. If you do 10 jobs a year, share the cost with your client. Get the full year licence. If you do more, you equalize more. This is something the client would have to pay. If you find yourself left with no margin, you are probably charging too low then.  Otherwise find some royalty free songs. The client would decide if they want to pay for a high quality production with popular songs or a low quality production with other songs. This is a free market.

Good luck everyone!

PS: The licenced list of videographers would be online at RIPS very soon.

Contact Info:
http://www.mps.org.sg/
http://www.rips.com.sg/
http://www.compass.org.sg/