Hi friend, Robby Valderrama here!

Our team is thrilled to be working with you on your FULL SONG PRODUCTION! Please review the below text so you have an accurate understanding of the process moving forward with Spring Hill Studios (SHS).

OWNERSHIP / ROYALTIES:

• “Recording” royalties. Unless stated otherwise in writing, you own your sound recording 100%. The sound recording is the final project of what we create for you - the recording itself.

• “Composition” royalties. Unless stated otherwise in writing, the publishing/songwriting (i.e. “composition”) ownership is split evenly between all writers and their respective publishing companies, which may or may not include SHS personnel.

• For an overview of how music royalties work, including a detailed breakdown of the difference between “recording” and “composition” royalties, you may find this article useful.

PERSONNEL:

• All songs produced by Spring Hill Studios are produced or co-produced by Robby Valderrama, and will been overseen by him and have his stamp of approval. When you sign up to have a song produced by Spring Hill Studios, you are giving Robby Valderrama permission to bring in whatever combination of co-producers, producers, engineers, software, etc needed to best steward your project. In the “Process” below, the term “SHS” will be used to refer to tasks that may or may not be done personally by Robby Valderrama. To be clear, working with Spring Hill Studios does NOT guarantee that Robby Valderrama will be the sole producer or engineer for your project.

PROCESS:

• All communication will happen via email, Zooms, or Loom videos, instead of text messages or phone calls. A response is expected within 48 hours from both parties.

• Unless otherwise agreed upon in writing, the first 50% of your total cost is due upfront (a.k.a. $1,500 due of $3,000 total).

• Process Documentation & Sharing: In the course of production, SHS may take audio, photo and/or video recordings of Zoom meetings, in-person sessions, or internal working sessions while producing your song. By moving forward, you give SHS authorization to, at our discretion, and with good taste, use these media, along with your song/video/content to promote your song and/or SHS services. This is not a guarantee to promote to your content, and we do not promise to publicly share every project we are involved with.

• Songwriting & Song Map: SHS will work with you to get the songwriting finished. This includes finalizing tempo, key signature, time signature, and song flow.

• Scratch Track: Once the songwriting is finished, SHS will either create a “Song Map Worktape” incorporating the song as laid out in the Song Map, or will send you a guitar or piano track for you to you to record scratch vocals to. This can be iPhone quality. Please use headphones to listen to the music as you record (so your voice - but not the music - gets in the recording).

• Production Draft: Once we have the scratch track, SHS will use the song references you’ve provided us to create a Production Draft to get your feedback on. Based on your feedback, we’ll continue adjusting the instrumental (a.k.a. non-vocal) portion of your track until it’s ready for you to record your lead vocals too.

  • Included Layers:

    • Piano/Keys/Programming

    • Acoustic/Electric Guitars

    • Drums

    • Bass

    • Programmed Strings

    • Common digitally available instruments

    • BGVs recorded by artist in same session as lead vocal recording

  • Layers available at additional cost:

    • Multiple lead/featured vocalists

    • BGVs tracked separately from lead vocals, including with other vocalists.

    • Live Strings

    • Gang Vocals / Choir Vocals

    • Obscure instruments

    • Anything that requires us to book a studio space other than Spring Hill Studios

• Vocal Tracking: There are three options for lead vocal tracking:

  • #1: Record at Spring Hill Studios outside Nashville, Tennessee

  • #2: Fly Robby in to record at a studio near you. This requires additional compensation to Robby, as well as travel expenses.

  • #3: You record at a studio in your hometown while Robby vocal produces via Zoom.

  • NOTE: For options #2 and #3, SHS must talk beforehand with the engineer and virtually tour their studio to approve it. Artist is responsible for cost of engineer, studio rental, etc.

• Vocal Editing:

  • Vocal Comping: SHS will meet (typically via Zoom) with artist to review their vocal takes, and to decide together which takes are best for each section of the vocal performance.

  • Vocal Timing & Tuning: Once the comp has been decided on, SHS will adjust the timing and tuning of your lead vocal take.

• Pre-Mix Approval:

  • Once the vocals are edited, they will be placed alongside the instrumental portion of your track, and submitted to you for your “Pre-Mix Approval”.

• Mixing: Once the song has your “Pre-Mix Approval”, SHS will mix the song and send you an mp3 file for review. Up to 4 mix revisions are included.

• Mastering: Once the mix is approved, SHS (or a SHS-recommended mastering engineer) will master your song and send you an mp3 file for review. Once your approve the mastered mp3, the remaining $ balance will be due. Once that balance is paid, WAV file of master (as well as Instrumental version of master) will be sent to artist. Up to 2 master revisions are included. Instrumental revisions, if needed, are subject to additional cost as described in “Extra Work” below.

  • Mastered stems are available for an additional $125 to $300, depending on level of detail needed.

• EXTRA WORK: If artist asks to do the above process in a different order than listed above, the resulting additional hours of SHS’ time may be added to remaining $ balance due at a rate of $90/hr. This includes mix/master revisions above and beyond the number of included revisions listed above. We will be as flexible as we can be, but we have learned from experience that having this policy encourages artists to thoroughly evaluate each step. As a result, this policy protects our team members’ time and helps keep our pricing reasonable.

  • Example #1: Pre-Mix Approval is given by artist, and song is sent to mixing engineer. Artist says, “Hey, can we actually use a different piano sound?” In most cases, we are happy to work with you to “backtrack” to make this type of change. However, this oftentimes means that our team will be doing the same process twice, which costs us time and, sometimes, money (i.e. if SHS is paying a mixing engineer a per hour rate).

  • Example #2: Artist approves Vocal Comp, and vocals are now being timed and tuned. Artist says, “Hey, can we actually use a different take of my voice on Chorus 3?”

  • Example #3: Artist approves Song Map Worktape. Song is produced, and sent to mix. Artist asks, “Hey, this is feeling fast, can we slow it down a few BPM?”.

TIMELINE:

• Typically songs take around 3 months from once the songwriting is finished and the rest of the song production begins. This is by no means a guarantee, and is subject to personnel availability and SHS-workload.

CODE OF ETHICS:

• Read our Code of Ethics here.

Questions? Send us a note!