In addition to the resources that we have created for our Anatomy of a Commission series, we recommend the following resources from our friends and partners:
New Music USA Commissioning Fees Calculator
https://newmusicusa.org/nmbx/commissioning-fees-calculator/
An enduring resource in the new music community, New Music USA’s commissioning fees calculator has been an essential and frequently cited reference. The interactive form allows artists to input musical genres, instrumentation, and duration in order to receive a suggested price range for a commissioning fee. Each recommendation also includes additional considerations that may affect the quoted price.
Canadian League of Composers Schedule of Minimum Commissioning Fees
https://www.composition.org/resources/commissioning-rates/
Every January, the Canadian League of Composers issues new recommendations for minimum commissioning rates, which are adjusted for inflation. The guidelines offer suggested per-minute rates for chamber ensembles, orchestras, choirs, and electroacoustic works.
Dance/USA Equitable Contracting Resource
https://www.danceusa.org/technical-and-standardization-documents
Prepared by the legal clinic at Stanford Law School, Dance/USA’s Equitable Contracting Resource includes documents to help support dance touring, including a cover memo, engagement agreement, examples of additional provisions, and a cheat sheet of key contract terms.
National Performance Network Moral Documents and Enforcement Tools
https://npnweb.org/moral-documents-and-enforcement-tools-modeling-equitable-contracting/
The National Performance Network’s Creating New Futures initiative views contracts as moral documents and enforcement tools. The documents produced by their Contracts Working Group include an engagement contract, a presentation participant agreement, a presentation information form, and a production agreement.
Mission: Commission Podcast
https://www.missioncommissionpodcast.com/
Mission: Commission is a podcast that aims to demystify the process of how classical music gets made. Produced by Miller Theatre at Columbia University, each season follows the artistic journey of three composers as they create new works.
Producer Hub
Producers Hub is a connective space provides producers with community, mentorship, education, and resources. Activities include hosted events, webinars, grants and funding, a job board, and more.
OPERA America Template Agreements for New Works
Available to OPERA America members, this series of templates offers a starting point for the following types of agreements:
- New Opera Commission
For establishing a working relationship between a commissioning company and creators. - Composer/Librettist Collaboration
For establishing a working relationship between the composer and librettist of a new work. - Underlying Rights Agreement for Literary Work
For establishing rights with the owner of an underlying work of literature.