Freelance Classical Musicians Subsector
Do you ever make professional arrangements with a freelance classical musician? Or are you one yourself? Then it is important to consider fair pay. If the sector wants to become future-proof, fair pay is an essential condition. FairPACCT helps, providing concrete guidelines and tools.
Freelance classical musicians deserve better
Collective labor agreements (CAOs) exist for large symphony orchestras and music ensembles, which are also applied to the freelancers they hire. For other activities, such as project orchestras and studio recordings, it is less clear what payment a freelance classical musician can request.
Do you calculate a rate per hour or per performance? Do you include your preparation and travel costs? Who pays for rehearsal time? Many (freelance) classical musicians struggle with these questions. They do not have permanent contracts, are often not properly insured against disability, and build up hardly any pension. At the same time, they incur significant costs for instruments and other equipment, as well as for travel. How do we ensure they receive fair pay? This question is central to the Freelance Classical Musicians chain table.
About the chain table
The chain table was established in June 2022 and consists of fourteen professionals from the field. Among them are musicians, representatives of ensembles, programmers, mediators, and festival organizers. Under the leadership of chairman Noud van de Rhee, fairPACCT program manager, the chain table conducts its own research or commissions it. The chain table performs analyses and develops concrete guidelines and tools for practical application. Examples from the cultural sector and comparable sectors are used for this purpose.
Tools & downloads
Final Report on Starting Rates
The Final Report on Starting Rates, intended as an explanatory note to the calculation tool, provides an overview of appropriate fees for freelance classical musicians not covered by a collective labor agreement. The document distinguishes seven professional practices for performances and studio recordings and demonstrates how education, experience, complexity, and the scope of the assignment influence the fee. The rates are substantiated through objective research, using a comparison with thirteen related collective labor agreements as a reference framework.
Rate tables for freelance classical musicians
Here you will find the tables with fair pay rates for the seven professional practices for performances and studio recordings by freelance classical musicians up to and including 2026.
- Table Freelance Classical Musicians, Professional Practice 1, Performances, Orchestra or choir with more than 16 instrumentalists or singers
- Table Freelance Classical Musicians, Professional Practice 2, Performances, Orchestra or choir of 9 to 16 instrumentalists or singers
- Table Freelance Classical Musicians, Professional Practice 3, Performances, Chamber music with 3 to 8 instrumentalists or singers
- Table Freelance Classical Musicians, Professional Practice 4, Performances, Accompaniment of choir and/or soloists in an orchestra
- Table Freelance Classical Musicians, Professional Practice 5, Performances, Soloist with a choir or orchestra
- Table Freelance Classical Musicians, Professional Practice 6, Performances, Solo or duo concert
- Table Freelance Classical Musicians, Professional Practice 7, Studio recordings
Calculation tool
With the calculation tool, you can calculate your own fees as a freelance classical musician not covered by a collective labor agreement. The tool takes into account seven different professional practices for performances and studio recordings, as well as education, experience, complexity, and the scope of the assignment. This allows you to easily determine a rate that is appropriate for your specific professional practice and situation.