It seems like a good time to wish you Happy New Year!
It’s taken me a while to come up with pricing for my services. I’ve published a rate card here and I’m hoping it gives potential customers an indication of the pricing they can expect. It’s flexible as it’s a consultancy and I don’t believe in the one-size-fits-all approach.
It’s not easy finding out what other music consultancies charge. I still don’t know what they charge. I want to be different where possible. Being upfront about indicative cost can help potential customers decide what level of service they require. An introduction for any level is £100. I know it might put some people off, seeing the cost upfront. Whilst making the pricing obscure then surprising the customer with the cost after a sales pitch might be more traditional, I believe the service is good value and the sales pitch is really the existing playlists to hear the quality of music selection. Having an idea how much it might cost, especially at the moment, can surely only be helpful and aligns with my policy of being straightforward.
I guess the cost from other consultants or agencies depends on a lot of factors and my pricing will probably change when the country is available to return to some sort of normality and hospitality can resume. I hope those businesses close to the edge can keep going and if you own a business that could use a little help when you reopen, get in touch. There are some things I’m sure I could offer free of charge if they were helpful, such as short playlists, suggestions, or just to tell me where I can get the best cup of coffee in North Staffordshire!
I’ve tried to pitch my pricing based on the number of hours of concerted effort I think are required to complete the consultancy properly, and staged the payments throughout the customer journey. I hope to also make a donation to Brain Tumour Support where I can; complete a HumanPlaylistr customer journey and the initial £100 consultancy fee is returned as £50 cash back to the customer and £50 donation to Brain Tumour Support.
I’ve also added a section to the rate card about independence assurance. I have friends who are professional musicians and composers and I think their work is pretty awesome. I’m not affiliated to any artist (or label) and receive zero commission for any track selection. If a track fits the playlist, I’ll highlight it to the customer and they can decide whether to include it. Tracks are chosen on merit and fit alone.
Time will tell if this pricing is correct or wildly out-of-tune with what customers might be willing to pay and their perception of value for money. However, what I can provide as sole trader, owner and music consultant, is my personal interaction and care over playlist curation. There isn’t anyone else, and I’d be really delighted if you wanted to get in touch with your requirements.
At the moment it’s all quiet with no enquiries, understandably, and I don’t think that’ll change for the foreseeable future. But that’s fine for now; I’m lucky to have a job which I’m happy to continue with and give all my energy to. HumanPlaylistr started as a hobby and can continue as such for the time being.
