Sound Bridge Studio Policies

General

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- The mission of Sound Bridge Studio is to help artists create uplifting music. I do not to work on projects that would be labeled “explicit” on streaming services. This typically refers to projects with strong profanity, violent or sexual content, or other explicit material. If you have questions in this regard, please reach out to me and we can talk about the details of your project.

- I ask all clients to communicate through email, rather than text or DMs. Emails are much easier to keep organized, which means that updates and logistics don't fall through the cracks. I typically respond to all emails within 1 business day.

- I will keep your project files active for 1 month after delivering the finished files. At that point, they will be moved to an archive. If you think you might want to return to the project after more than a month, it is your responsibility to request a digital copy of the project within that time period. I never intentionally erase old projects, but I cannot be held responsible for storing your files beyond 1 month after delivery.

- I will keep your project private until it’s released. I do not share unreleased clips or songs without your permission because I want to preserve the excitement of your future release.​

- Artists are allowed to schedule up to 4 hours of studio time per week, with no more than 1 evening session per week. This keeps the studio schedule accessible to everyone. If your project has a tight deadline that would require more frequent sessions, please reach out to discuss that possibility. If a project has a rush deadline or would require sessions outside of my normal studio availability, it may be possible to schedule overtime sessions at an increased rate, or with another engineer. Overtime sessions are always scheduled manually, and their availability cannot be guaranteed.

- As we work on your project, you will always have access to the most recent versions and mixes (see "Billing & Payment"  for information about receiving finished tracks).​

- If an artist is under 18, their parent or guardian will need to sign a consent form before we begin working on their project.

- I do everything possible to keep your projects safe. I run auto-save on all of my applications while I work. I backup all studio files daily, both to cloud storage and a separate hard drive. If your project is accidentally lost due to circumstances beyond my control within 1 month of your last visit on that specific project, I will credit you back the cost of the studio time you used to create what was lost.​

- As the artist, it is your responsibility to secure permission to use any copyrighted material in your project. I do not take responsibility for any violation of copyright laws by you.​

- Artificial intelligence is a relatively new facet of music production, and is rapidly changing the industry. AI gives songwriters some useful tools, but it can also be unethical, problematic, and distasteful. I don't work on projects with any AI-generated sounds in the final product, and I don't use AI to make any creative or technical contributions to your project. If you use AI to generate your demo, we can use real musicians to create the final sound and really bring it to life. If AI wrote the melody or lyrics, I will work on the project but would encourage you to rework those AI elements to take more creative ownership of the sound. I have songwriters that I can connect you with if needed. But if AI has generated any of the instrumental stems or sounds that you'd like to include in the finished song, I'll need to connect you with another studio that's more comfortable with that workflow. This policy will likely evolve as the AI industry grows, but I want to be proactive and have some guardrails as we all figure out this new facet of the industry.

- If a third party or sponsor is paying for your session, I highly recommend that you sign a contract with them to outline who has access to your project in its partial and complete states. If I am not informed otherwise, I will assume that whoever is paying for the session has the rights to all of the mixes and session material that we've worked on. Please have the third party review these policies before we begin work on the project so that they are aware of my expectations regarding billing, delivering masters, etc. If there is a conflict between the artist and their sponsor, I still cannot deliver a master or otherwise finished product without complete payment.

- It is expected that you credit Sound Bridge Studio and any additional musicians or engineers when posting about your project on social media, just as you would with a photographer, filmmaker, or other artist.​

- I reserve the right to refuse service at any time.

During the Session​

- The studio is typically booked back to back with multiple artists throughout the day. To respect the time of other artists, please do not come into the studio more than 5 minutes before your scheduled time.

- Food and drinks are only permitted in the waiting room area of the studio. Drugs and alcohol are not permitted.

​- If an artist or their guest causes damage to the property or equipment of Sound Bridge Studio, they will be expected to pay for the repair or replacement of the damaged property in addition to the normal cost of the session.​​

Billing & Payment

- No deposit is required to schedule a session, and there is no fee to cancel a session with at least 24 hours notice. Cancellations within 24 hours of the session will be charged for half the scheduled time. If you miss a session entirely with no prior notice, you will be charged for the full scheduled time.

- Billing begins at the time you scheduled, even if you arrive later.

- If a project with an hourly rate continues for more than 1 year, I reserve the right to update the hourly rate.

- For projects with a total quoted price instead of an hourly rate, an initial payment is required before we begin working and complete payment is required before receiving the finished files.

- Because making music is so collaborative, there are often logistical tasks required to keep your project moving while we’re not in a session. These tasks might include:

  • Exporting files in a specific format for session musicians or mastering engineers.

  • Coordinating schedules, importing files, and paying collaborators.

  • Creating multitracks or stems of your project after it’s finished.

    If I spend more than 15 minutes at a time on logistical tasks for your project, that time is billable. I’m usually working on dozens of projects at once, and billing for the more time-consuming tasks allows me to maintain a reasonable working schedule and stay on top of the details so that you have a perfectly smooth and organized studio experience.

- If an artist accumulates a pending balance of more than $1,000 across their projects, future sessions will be paused until the balance is paid off in full. You do not have to pay for every session immediately; you can always pay for a project in larger installments. However, once we have done $1,000 of work on your project, the balance will need to be honored before beginning to accumulate again. Please be courteous by not booking or attending sessions that you cannot pay for.

- If there is still an unpaid balance on your project one month after I’ve uploaded a mix or master, an interest charge of $50 will be applied weekly. If the balance is still unpaid after two months, I will take down the files so that the project can’t be listened to or shared until the balance is honored. Please be courteous and pay for your projects on time.

- Payments are typically handled through an online file sharing platform called Filepass, which accepts all major credit cards. ​​​I also accept cash and Venmo payments.

Thank you for your cooperation with these policies! They are designed to create a safe and creative environment for all artists. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at landon@soundbridgestudio.com.