FirstCom
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| If you are a composer and/or songwriter, please leave your comments and experiences with this company. We want to hear the good as well as the bad! Please rate, from 1 to 10, by clicking on one of the stars. Below is some general information but we make no guarantee of accuracy. Check with the company for all details. Please contact us for any corrections. | ||
| URL: | http://www.firstcom.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Accepting Submissions: | Unknown - Contact at website. | |
| Submit Via Uploads: | Unknown | |
| Submit Via Mail: | Unknown | |
| Submissions Reviewed: | Unknown | |
| Types Accepted: | Unknown | |
| Charge For Submissions: | Unknown | |
| Up Front Money: | Yes | |
| Royalty Free: (non-broadcast use) |
Unknown | |
| Exclusivity: (Exclusive, Non, Semi) (Semi = Free to place on own but not with another library) |
Unknown | |
| Re-Title: | Unknown | |
| Set Own Price: | Unknown | |
| Contract Length: | Unknown | |
| Payment Schedule: | Unknown | |
| License Fee Split: (writer/library) |
Unknown | |
| PRO Split Based on 100%: (writer/library writer/library/publisher or writer) |
50/50 | |
| Requires Licensee To File Cue Sheet: | Unknown | |
| Notes: | ||
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Categories: Music Libraries E to G | 
Tags: composer, firstcom, songwriter | 
10 Comments »
I was one of the eary contributors to the Firstcom Library back in the 80s. Orriiginally, FirstCom was a first rate library from the composers viewpoint paying a nominal fee for material written for them as well as reporting the performance date to ASCAP
Later on, Firstcom was sold en masse to Zomba and then resold yet again to yet another conglomerate. ( BMG ?) The composer
still gets a small portion of the blanket agreements, but the performance reporting has seemingly become more spradic each time another merger occurs.
[Reply]
Hmm. You can try contacting them via the link below
http://www.firstcom.com/default.aspx?skiplaunchpage=yes
But again, there’s no real open door for composers on the site. I did also think, as per Phil Kelly above, that they were heavyweights from the feel of the site, and this was BEFORE i noticed Phil’s comments.
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Info from an anonymous source says they pay $1000 up front and split backend 50/50.
[Reply]
Dave, October 4th, 2009 at 11:44 pm Reply:
E. A. – can you be a little more specific about ‘backend’? Are you referring to just PRO royalties? Do you mean they give the standard deal of taking all the publishing and all of the license fees, or do they actually share the license fees?
Thanks!
[Reply]
“Back end” is synonymous with PRO royalties. I don’t know what’s being said here about license fees. Often when a library pays an up-front fee as mentioned here, there is no other share of license fees (but I don’t know… E.A. needs to clarify) .
“Split the back-end 50/50″ means a library takes the publisher’s share of PRO (50%) and you the writer’s share (50%).
[Reply]
Dave, October 6th, 2009 at 2:03 am Reply:
NW: usually, but not always… I have personally written for several small time trailer libraries that paid me a little upfront, and share the license fees 50/50 or 60/40.
Some larger library companies have agreements with their composers to first re-coup the cost of recording live tracks, and then split the license fees once that amount is covered.
Always good to ask about the license fees when negotiating with a library company, unless the upfront fee is large enough to be able to walk away with some dignity ($1000 a track or more)
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My information did not lead me to believe there was any other opportunity for income aside from the $$ up front, and splitting the PRO royalties 50/50.
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Dave, October 6th, 2009 at 2:04 am Reply:
Thanks for clarifying that – it sounds like their deals are in line with the other major libraries (Killer, Megatrax etc)
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I have a few CD’s with FirstCom. My experience with them was first class all the way. Great company to write for!
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Ingo, June 2nd, 2010 at 3:56 am Reply:
How do you get in contact with them to get this contract ?
and
do they pay upfront ( how much ?) – How is the deal ?
[Reply]