Questions and Answers About Music Services
Music Services Q&A
Questions we hear most from artists, labels and brands about mixing and mastering, ghost production and music production at He Calling Us. If your question is not here, write to us at hecallingus@proton.me.
Our Terms of Service always apply to music services and are the final word on each point. Your quote or booking confirmation may add details for your project.
What services do you offer?
Mixing and mastering, ghost production, full music production and label releases. You can see the details on our Services page.
How does a project work?
You send us the files, we work on them, and we send back music ready to release. Everything happens online, so you can work with us from anywhere in the world. The scope, price and delivery date of each project are agreed in writing before work starts.
How do I start a project?
Write to us at hecallingus@proton.me and tell us about your project: what you need, your references and when you want to release. We reply with a quote.
How do I send you my files?
We usually exchange project files through file-transfer links such as Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer. Once you book, we tell you exactly which files we need and in what format.
How long does a project take?
It depends on the service and on how quickly we receive your files and your approvals. We confirm a delivery date in writing for your project. Dates are estimates unless we confirm them in writing.
Prices and payments
How much does it cost?
We quote each project individually, based on what you need. Write to us at hecallingus@proton.me and we reply with a quote. Quotes are valid for a limited time, which is stated on the quote.
Do I have to pay a deposit?
Yes. A non-refundable deposit confirms your booking. The remaining balance is due before we deliver the final masters, and final files are released after full payment. The exact amounts are on your quote and in our Terms of Service.
What currency do you work in?
US dollars (USD). You cover any bank, card, currency-conversion and payment-processing fees and any taxes that apply in your country, so that we receive the full amount quoted.
What happens if I cancel or postpone?
The deposit is not refunded if you cancel or postpone a confirmed project. Our Terms of Service explain the details, including what happens in cases of force majeure.
Revisions and approval
Are revisions included?
Yes. Each project includes revision rounds, and further rounds are charged at our current rates. Changes to the supplied demo or production need to be agreed before mixing starts, and changes to a mix before mastering starts. This keeps every stage clean.
What counts as one song?
A song up to a set length counts as one song. Longer songs are charged as additional songs. We confirm this on your quote, so there are no surprises.
What happens after I approve the final masters?
Approval means the work is accepted. Please listen carefully before you approve, because a later error in files you approved is the client's responsibility.
Rights, collaborators and AI
Who will work on my project?
He Calling Us works with a network of independent producers, engineers, session musicians, vocalists, composers and arrangers. We assign the right people to your project and manage their work from start to finish. You never have to hire, pay or deal with them: that is on us, and it never adds to your price.
Can I ask that no outside collaborators work on my project?
No. Working with collaborators is part of how we deliver every project on time and with the right skills. You always work directly with He Calling Us.
Do your collaborators work from other countries?
They can. Our collaborators may be located in any country. By hiring us you agree that your files may be handled by them for your project.
Who owns the work?
Every collaborator signs a work-for-hire agreement and assigns all rights in their contribution to He Calling Us. What you receive, including ownership of the final master and the stems, is set out in the written agreement for your project.
Do you use AI to make the music?
No. Our music, vocals, compositions, arrangements and performances are created by people. We also do not use your files to train artificial intelligence models.
Are my files confidential?
We handle your files with care and use them only to deliver your project, which includes sharing them with the collaborators who work on it. We do not offer non-disclosure agreements as part of our standard services.
Will I be credited?
Credits for you and for our collaborators are decided project by project and agreed in writing.
Ghost production
What is ghost production?
We produce the music and you get professional tracks without building a studio from scratch. Every project is built to spec for your sound. It is not a catalog of premade beats.
How is ghost production priced?
A base fee plus royalties on the revenue the finished work earns. The details are set in writing for each project before work starts: the royalty percentage, how revenue is calculated, how often royalties are reported and paid, and whether credit is given.
Who owns the master in a ghost production project?
It is defined in the contract for each project.
Demos and files
How do I submit a demo to the label?
Use the form on our home page. Include your name, the project name and a short description of what makes your music worth our attention.
Will you reply to my demo?
Submitting a demo does not create a contract, a promise of a reply or a promise of a release. We read every demo and may or may not respond. If we want to work with you, we propose a separate written agreement. We do not return demos, and we use them only to evaluate them.
How long do you keep my project files?
For a limited time after we deliver the final work. After that we may delete them, so please download and keep your own copy of everything we deliver. The exact period is in our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
What if my files include samples or loops from other people?
Tell us when you send them. We may ask for proof of the license or permission to use them, and we may pause the project until we receive it.