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orchester.ch-SMV-USDAM Tariff Agreement

orchester.ch (Swiss Association of Professional Orchestras) and SMV-USDAM have concluded a tariff agreement for the hiring of extra/deputy musicians. All members of orchester.ch, i.e. all Swiss professional orchestras, are obliged to hire their extra/substitute musicians according to these guidelines.

• Tariff agreement orchester.ch-SMV-USDAM (in German)

SMV-USDAM Tariff Scales

For the payment of services rendered by musicians who are not subject to the orchester.ch-SMV Tariff Agreement or a CLA with a different regulation, the SMV-USDAM tariff scales, which are binding for the entire territory of Switzerland, shall apply:

• Tariff scale A, live performance orchestra (large formations of 13 musicians or more)
• Tariff scale AK, live performance with up to 12 musicians (small formations, ensembles, bands)
• Tariff scale B, audio recording orchestra (large formations of 13 musicians or more)
• Tariff scale BK, audio recording with up to 12 musicians (small formations, ensembles, bands)
• Tariff scale C, audiovisual recording orchestra (large formations of 13 musicians or more)
• Tariff scale CK, audiovisual recording with up to 12 musicians (small formations, ensembles, bands)
• Tariff scale D, recording for theatrical performances

All tariff scales apply to any musical style.

The flyer on Tariff A gives explanations and information on the tariff scales in particular for organisers, and a calculation example for the correct use of the tariff.

The rate calculators allow organisers to determine the effective cost of musicians involved in an concert and/or recording project in accordance with the SMV-USDAM minimum rates. It thus allows musicians to calculate their minimum fee.

• SMV-USDAM tariff scales (in German)
• Tariff flyer (in German)
• Rate Calculator

Indicative tariff SMV-USDAM-ASCO

SMV-USDAM has reached an agreement with the Swiss Association of Managers of Pubs, Cabarets, Dance Halls and Discotheques (ASCO) on an indicative tariff for the hiring of musicians, bands and DJs in restaurants, bars and discotheques.

• Indicative tariff SMV-USDAM-ASCO

SMPV music education rates

For music teaching, SMV-USDAM recommends the application of the indicative fees of the Swiss Society of Music Pedagogy (SMPV)

• SMPV Music teaching rates

For payment according to the SMV-USDAM tariff scale, the organiser receives the work performance of a professional musician who:

• is available to the organiser for 1 service of maximum 3 hours duration. This duration results from the average duration of most works. Paying for a full service, even if a performance/rehearsal is of shorter duration, is justified because in this case it is not possible for the musician to accept another engagement in the same period;
• involves a very long training on the instrument, which begins in childhood, requires the renunciation of many things that are normal for other children due to lack of time, and ends at the earliest with the Master’s degree at a music college;
• continues his education and keeps himself in shape throughout his career by practising daily;
• has prior orchestral experience but never receives seniority bonuses;
• prepares individually for the engagement, i.e. works out the music to be played before the compensated working period;
• generally arrives at the place of work some time before the compensated rehearsal or performance in order to be able to play in and prepare in peace;
• provides his/her own instrument, the purchase cost of which is usually in the five to six figure range, free of charge, pays for its insurance and maintenance costs  and spends some unpaid time on its care;
• procures and maintains the necessary professional clothing at his/her own expense;
• has to take care of occupational health protection at his/her own expense and is left entirely to his/her own devices in the event of occupational illness;
• does not receive child allowances;
• has to organise his/her work with a considerable amount of unpaid time, acquire engagements and be extremely flexible in terms of time;
• in practice, usually has to independently take care of  the legally required social security;
• is only rarely covered by unemployment insurance during lean periods of employment;
• accepts great restrictions in social life due to short-term and irregular working hours.

Let us consider an average freelance professional musician who is paid according to tariff: Because hardly anyone is able to fill the entire theoretically possible weekly working time with engagements in the long term due to scheduling conflicts and different work locations, we assume 5 services per week, which corresponds to 235 services with 47 working weeks per year. If we further assume that the mix between rehearsals and performances is 50:50 and we add the compulsory holiday allowance of 8.33%, this results in an annual gross salary of Fr. 50,915, i.e. Fr. 3,917 per month (with 13 monthly salaries). From this sum, the musician has to pay for private expenses, insurance and maintenance of the instrument, professional clothing and possibly a practice room, as well as the expenses of self-promotion. In good times it is quite possible for the freelance musician to play a few services more, but in bad times it can be significantly less.

By way of comparison, the average gross salary of technical college graduates or that of a teacher with a university degree (excluding seniority allowances) is more than twice as high.

Professional musicians combine the skills of an artist, academic and craftsman. This highly qualified work deserves to be valued accordingly.
The tariffs therefore represent the minimum of fair remuneration for the professional group that makes music audible and musical projects possible in the first place.