Questions about album artwork

[Shift]

My band is working on our debut album right now and we've been looking
for a visual artist to do the album cover. We already know what we want to do.

The guy I'm talking to about doing it wants $100 (a good deal for me for his quality of work) but it's not as much as he would like. I offered him a percentage
Of royalties from what we make off selling copies from our website. What percent should he get, if any?

 

[sage]

Is he looking for the $100 + a percentage or a percentage in lieu of the c-note with hopes that it will eventually garner more than the original $100? You're stating that his original quote is for $100, but he'd prefer to make more than that. If he'd rather make more, he's going to have to quote more. I can't imagine that putting a visual artist on points is a good idea.

Look at it this way: If you were signed to a label, they would pay the visual artist as part of the advance against your royalties. Then, each album you sell would go against the overall advance for your recording, design, manufacturing, and promotion. No label in their right mind would pay an graphic artist a percentage. If your artist isn't willing to do the work for $100, either boost the cash offer or find a different artist.

 

[Winspear]

Might be a good place to ask - how do you conventionally even pay royalties anyway? Say he did get a percentage, how would you pay him?

 

[Shift]

I worked it out with him
Thanks