This is the most common type of project we convert at soundBOX. CoEd contracts are the easiest and quickest to convert. These are generally productions for non-broadcast use which include: corporate training videos, e-learning, instructional/industrial videos or educational apps. The platforms or ‘usage’ for these types of projects can be corporate/company websites, schools, stores, conferences, non-broadcast award events or new media platforms. There are two types of CoEd projects – CAT I or CAT II. Category I programs are shown on a more restricted, in-house basis only and can have a usage period of up to 10 years. Category II programs are intended for unrestricted exhibition to the general public and have a usage period limited to 3 years. The new scale rates as of January 11, 2023: CAT I is $505/hour CAT II is $563/hour There is also a ½ hour rate for a project that’s less than three minutes upon completion. The new scale rates as of January 11, 2023: CAT I is $302/half hour CAT II is $333/half hour Anything more than a half hour defaults to the hourly rate described previously. We can convert a CoEd project the week of your session and even the days following your session. This is the ONLY contract we can convert if your session has already occurred.

INTERACTIVE Are you casting or involved in a game that could go union? Let us know. Again, the entire cast will have to go union. We also work with production companies casting AAA games and help them navigate union requirements for their project. Here’s a few questions I’ll have for you if you’re bringing a game to soundBOX Sig.

NEW MEDIA - The New Media Agreement covers original and derivative entertainment productions made for initial release on new media platforms. This includes all online and mobile platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo and TikTok. A NM project can come in many different forms. It can be a short live-action film produced for YouTube, it can be an animated pilot that you plan to share privately with producers in the hopes it gets picked up by a studio, it can be you as the voice of an app – there are many different flavors of New Media and many different types of contracts under the New Media agreement. Ask us! We’ll tell you where your project may fall among these contracts. Please review these questions for your NM project:

COMMERCIALS - We can convert the Commercials Audio-Only Contract. This means a commercial project with NO PICTURE for use on radio or audio-only platforms. We are NOT signed to the Commercials Contract and are NOT authorized to convert Broadcast/New Media Commercial Content that includes a video element. We’re sorry we can’t help you here. This includes regional/national political spots, YouTube or social media commercials – anything that is selling a product or service. The best method to convert these types of projects is to have your client (or YOU) contact the Commercials Department at SAG-AFTRA to go through the process of applying for an OPO or One Production Only authorization. In short, your client/ad agency/production company becomes the signatory for the project. All companies can do up to three OPO’s before being required to become a Union house.

DRAMATIC & NON-DRAMATIC PODCASTS – New podcast agreements are in the works at SAG-AFTRA separate from the New Media division. At the moment, the agreements for Dramatic and Non-Dramatic podcasts are still under New Media… Watch this space for new SAG-AFTRA podcast agreements! We can help you convert Dramatic or Non-Dramatic Podcast projects. Depending on which type of podcast it is, will determine the scale & P&H rates.

We’ve partnered with Noah Levine at Skywire Paymaster for ALL Audiobook conversion projects. He’s amazing and has this process dialed in perfectly. Please reach out to Noah via his website at https://skywirepaymaster.com/.

$26,470 – The amount of money you must earn in union work to qualify for health benefits in 2023.

Employer Contributions – these are the fees including social security, Medicare, state and local taxes that you are required to pay when running your project through a payroll service if you file as an individual. Your fees are based on the state in which the work is performed. Even if your agent and client are in Los Angeles, if you recorded from your home studio in Boise, Idaho, you’ll pay Idaho taxes. It’s important for us to know where the work is to be performed.

Distribution – what regions will feature your radio ad? What countries will see your project? Is it online and in perpetuity all over the world and universe or is it only a 13-week run in Chicago? These details help determine your rate.

IP – Intellectual Property – the person or entity that owns the content you’re producing.

Loan-Out vs. Employee – You are a loan-out if you’re incorporated or an LLC with an Employer Identification Number EID #. You’re an employee if you file your taxes as an individual with your personal social security #. Loan-outs will only be required to pay Worker’s Compensation along with the payment processing fee of $9.49. Employees will have to pay ALL Employer Contributions plus a WrapBook platform fee of 1.49% of all wages paid.

Licensing – Has the content/project been licensed by a company ie Sega, Netflix or Sony for distribution.

OPO – One Production Only. Type of SAG-AFTRA contract where the client or ad agency can apply to do One Production Only as a union house.

P & H – Pension & Health (also known as Health & Retirement) – these are your contributions! SAG-AFTRA has a unified healthcare plan BUT SAG and AFTRA each have separate pension programs. Each project contract will have different P&H rates. For example, a CoEd contract is based on 18.75% of your wages while an Interactive contract is 16.5% of your wages. Each contract has a different P&H rate.

Platforms – What platforms will feature your project? Is it on the internet only i.e. company website, Facebook or YouTube or is it also on an app-based program like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok? FYI, any commercial content used on TikTok or IG Reels is the Commercials Contract, NOT New Media.

Preliminary Form – This document applies to ALL Interactive, New Media and Commercials Audio-Only projects. This is the SAG-AFTRA document we submit with your project’s details to initiate the clearance process with the union.

Production ID – When your project is cleared by SAG-AFTRA to move forward with production/recording, it is assigned a Production ID. This number sometimes begins with an ‘A’ followed by 7 digits. Ex A0123456

Project Clearance – Project Clearance is required for all SAG-AFTRA contracts with the exception of the CoEd contract. Project clearance must occur weeks before a project begins recording and can take up to 6 weeks to be approved. We can usually get Interactive Projects approved much more quickly but New Media projects typically take the FULL six weeks. We can sometimes push things through quicker under special circumstances.

ScaleRate – This is the base rate of pay for a union project. Your rate of pay must meet scale in order to be eligible to be a union project. Scale is only the MINIMUM that the talent needs to make for the project and a higher rate can sometimes be negotiated.

SB Sig Form – This is where to begin! This gives us the basic details about your project so we can begin the process of determining if your job can be converted. This is available on our website at https://www.sbsignatory.com/ .

Station 12 – This is Cast Clearance. When we get a project’s cast list, we submit a Station 12 clearance form to ensure all union members are in good standing with the union prior to the start of production. Make sure your dues are paid up!

Usage/Duration – Where is your project being seen/heard and for how long? What platforms? This will be one of the first questions I ask you so please try to find out from your client. This determines what type of contract your project will be categorized under.

Worker’s Compensation – Worker’s Compensation is a payroll fee required for all talent being run through our payroll system. Even if you are incorporated and carry your own WC, you will still have to pay WC to use our Paymaster. Fortunately for our CA talent, the WC rate for VO is significantly reduced at 1.53% compared to the standard rate of 4.03%.