Why should you, as a composer care? From what I have learned, and experienced, Scripps demands that all of the music for it’s shows be “direct licensed”. In other words they do NOT pay any performance royalties to composers. How do they get their music? Most likely from libraries that do a blanket license with the shows producers which, in most cases, means that you, as a composer, will not share in any of those blanket license fees. To be fair Scripps is not the only company that refuses to pay PRO monies. I believe ESPN is another company and their are probably more.
How will you know if your music is being used on these shows? You will probably never know unless you happen to be watching and recognize your music or have a Tunesat account. Occasionally these shows will air internationally and you will see some performance monies though it will be miniscule. This makes it more insulting as they do not have to pay in the U.S. but are forced to in other countries.
Music libraries have different points of view on this dilemma. Some refuse to work for any shows that air on Scripps Network. Others feel that because some production companies have shows on both Scripps and non-Scripps networks they they have to take the bad with the good. One library has gone so far as to start paying their composers a small royalty for any Scripps shows that happens to use their music. Certainly a step in the right direction and I applaud them. But really, shouldn’t Scripps be stepping up to the plate? I think the lack of respect for composers and their music is appalling!
Your thoughts?
It’s a question that has much to do with where you will draw the line as a music producer, and how you manage your music portfolio. Lots of different ways to see that, which depends on many both objective and personal factors.
I will not work with libraries that offers blanket licences like this, because I see it as a way to loose control over my portfolio. To me, a deal where a client offers money to a library for my music, and I won’t get compensated, is basically “hijacking” of my music. This means that I no longer are in control of my music portfolio, and consequently can’t manage it as I want. That’s where I draw the line. These types of deals breaks the trust I need in a professional relationship.
Now, I am also in a financially good position, because I can afford to be picky about the deals I make. I don’t have to take any type of deal that I’m offered in panic and desperation. I can sit back and wait for something better to come, or make no deal at all. I’d rather spend time writing new music, than spend time dealing with these types of companies.
For many this may seem too privileged, but for me this is where I draw the line and don’t cross. I see it as a way to create a robust business. If business can’t be robust, there really is no sustainable basis for business at all, imo, fwiw.
Hello there
anyone can tell me how looks the situation with HGTV (US) royalties at the moment after the whole action with Discovery who owns hgtv now ?
thx!
Discovery owns Scripps/HGTV. Some Scripps shows pay but not HGTV as far as I know. I have music on the new Property Brothers show Forever Home but doubt I will see any money from it.
you will but from other countries!
question is what about US…….. 🙁
I just got some music running on Property Brothers Forever Home also :0(
I have several new pieces of music running on the Food Network. Is this still a no $$ situation? Any hope of royalties? Thoughts?
Appears to be so. Oddly I get paid for one Cooking Channel show.
My January ASCAP domestic statement had a payments from a few placements on the Travel Channel. The amount was very small, a couple of dollars at most, but it IS money from Scripps. I also had a new cue sheet show up today from a 2012 placement on the DIY channel (also Scripps). Hmmm ….. are retroactive Scripps royalties in our future? I’m not holding my breath 😉
Anyone have any info on this?
I’m not holding my breath but we can hope!
I just want know in 2021, how do I get into this licensing business, I have lots of music but which music libraries do I start with..??? Anyone to say something..
That’s what this site is all about but it takes research. There is a ton of info here. As for libraries? Read the reviews and listings and start contacting them.
I’m also starting to see cue sheets showing up for placements on Travel, HGTV, etc. One just showed up for a placement I had on Travel many years ago. And I did get paid on a Travel placement in my January ASCAP statement.
So I’m also wondering if anything has changed. If anyone has any inside scoop here, please let us know!
😀
I also received a cue sheet for DIY and was paid a little for a GAC placement recently.
I had my first payment last statement for cue used on the Travel Channel. Show was Ghost Adventures, a 19 sec cue used in 5 episodes paid $9.21.
I have a bunch of Tunesat listings on HGTV that don’t show on BMI statements … does anyone report the broadcasts to their PRO (mine is BMI) and do you get any results?
Many of Scripps shows (HGTV, Food Network, Cooking) are direct license. Had stuff on their for years and never saw a dime in PRO money from BMI. I believe SESAC may have an agreement with them.
Did you ever try to get BMI to pursue/contact Scripps or did you enter a claim with BMI? Or does direct license mean they will never pay BMI? It doesn’t make sense that Scripps would pay SESAC but not BMI…
Yep, tried that but the company I was writing for direct licensed. All the PROs have the ability to make deals with networks. From what I have heard SESAC has, BMI has not.
Hey Art and whoever is interested…..
I recently have received a bunch of cue sheets for placements on a show called The Cowboy Way on the INSP network. Anybody know if they pay royalties? David Vanacore wrote a ton of music for this as well as he is listed with my credits so I assume he wouldn’t do this for free. Thoughts anyone?
I wasn’t sure where to post this. Hope this is ok :0)
Probably not much if they do Lincoman. From Wikipedia:
“INSP (formerly The Inspiration Network; the initialism is sounded out letter-by-letter) is an American conservative digital cable and satellite television channel that features family entertainment programming. INSP is headquartered in Indian Land, South Carolina, near Charlotte, North Carolina. It is wholly owned by Inspiration Ministries. Between 1991 and 2010, INSP was a non-profit ministry focused network. In October 2010, it was re-branded and launched as a socially conservative, commercial-supported family entertainment network with Nielsen C3 ratings status. As of February 2015, approximately 80,584,000 of American households (69.2% of households with television) receive INSP.[1] “
My last BMI statement had one 19 sec cue used on an episode of Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures” and I got $1.01 from it.
Travel Channel seems to be an exception. We can dream that they all start paying!
Has anybody else been getting back end from these channels? Just noticed some Cooking Channel placements on Tunesat. Have they turned over a new leaf? I haven’t seen any cue sheets yet, just Tunesat pings.
A Tunsat report does not mean you get paid. However I have seen some cue sheets for Scripps shows lately. The usually appear as “Booze Traveler Cues” or something like that. I also saw some royalties both domestic and intl for some of their shows. Nothing to get excited about as we are still getting ripped off. ScoreKeepers is the worst as they take exclusive music, give it away for free and then don’t collect any royalties. To me, part of exclusivity is the administration of rights and collection of royalties which they are not doing.
To add something to the thread, there are libraries that do pay on blanket licenses, usually if your music gets placed as a result of the blanket. There are some that will also cut you a % if your music is sold in a blanket license.
So when ever I am asked to submit music to an exclusive library, I make sure that they pay on blankets and don’t work with Scripps.
Ha, yeah I know Tunesat doesn’t mean I get paid. In fact, I’m ASCAP so it really means I don’t. I was just curious if others have been getting royalties, since you have that’s a good sign. I’m sure my few placements on CC are peanuts but if I get more placements on Scripps channels with no royalities showing up I may try to find out who’s placing them and ask about the blanket cash.