What to Charge for a Feature
Published · updated · by Loopin
There is no rate card, but there are ranges, and there is one rule that matters more than the number: agree the terms before you record.
The ranges, by where you actually are
Under 10,000 monthly listeners: usually a swap or a split rather than a fee. 10,000–50,000: roughly 100 to 300. 50,000–250,000: 300 to 1,000. Above that the number stops being about audience and starts being about what the record is worth to the person asking.
These are for a written and recorded verse delivered as a clean stem. Add for a topline you write for them, for a video appearance, or for anything with a deadline under a week.
When to take a split instead
Take the split when the other artist has a larger audience than you, when you believe in the song, or when the fee on offer is small enough that it is not worth the paperwork. Take the fee when you need the money, when it is outside your genre, or when you do not expect the release to be pushed.
A split is a bet on the song; a fee is payment for time. Both are legitimate — the mistake is taking a small fee on a song you believe in and watching it do well without you.
The four terms to agree before recording
Master split or fee. Publishing split on your contribution — usually 50/50 on the section you wrote. Who releases it and under whose name. And whether you can use the song on your own profile and in your own promotion.
That last one is the one people forget and the one that hurts. A verse you cannot post is a verse that does nothing for your audience, and it is very hard to renegotiate after release.
Charge for revisions separately, or cap them
Two revisions included, anything beyond that billed. Without a cap, a hundred-pound feature becomes a week of work and you will resent it, which is worse for the relationship than charging properly would have been.
Say it in the first message, casually, alongside the price. Terms stated up front are administration; terms introduced later are a dispute.
Deliver so they never have to ask
A dry stem and a processed stem, both starting at bar one of the song rather than at your first word, at the same sample rate they sent you, named clearly. Include the BPM and key in the filename and a text file with your name exactly as it should appear in credits.
This is what makes people come back and recommend you. At the level where features are priced in hundreds, delivery quality moves more work than the verse does.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for a feature?
Under 10,000 monthly listeners, usually a swap or a split. 10,000-50,000, roughly 100-300. 50,000-250,000, 300-1,000. Above that it stops being about audience and starts being about what the record is worth to the buyer.
Should I take money or a split for a feature?
A split when the other artist is bigger, you believe in the song, or the fee is trivial. A fee when you need the money, it is outside your genre, or you do not expect it to be pushed properly.
What should I agree before recording a feature?
Master split or fee, publishing split on your contribution, who releases it, and whether you can post the song yourself. The last is the one people forget and the hardest to renegotiate afterwards.