Music Dealers
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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.musicdealers.com/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Accepting Submissions: | Yes | |
| Submit Via Uploads: | Yes | |
| Submit Via Mail: | Unknown | |
| Submissions Reviewed: | Yes | |
| Types Accepted: |
|
|
| Charge For Submissions: | No | |
| Up Front Money: | ||
| Royalty Free: (non-broadcast use) |
Yes | |
| Exclusivity: (Exclusive, Non, Semi) (Semi = Free to place on own but not with another library) |
Non-Exclusive | |
| Re-Title: | Yes | |
| Set Own Price: | No | |
| Contract Length: | 30 Days | |
| Payment Schedule: | Quarterly | |
| License Fee Split: (writer/library) |
50/50 | |
| PRO Split Based on 100%: (writer/library writer/library/publisher or writer) |
50/50 | |
| Requires Licensee To File Cue Sheet: | Yes | |
| Notes: | ||
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Categories: Music Libraries M to M | 
Tags: composer, music, music dealers, songwriter | 
157 Comments »
Have a few pieces with them and no placements but in all fairness they most likely do not have enough to work with. They are responsive though.
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No placements for me either, but unlike FMN Submitdirect and broadjam, there is no fee to submit your music to any opportunity, which is a big plus.
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I’ve been with them for a year and a half or so and have had one song placed, only to have the commercial fall through.
But they are very professional, have a newly updated site, and always have new jobs, just have to check in every day. Great folks!
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Been with them for just over half a year and had music placed once with an test spot ad for a very decent amount. Great, personable response through email too. These are good guys
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retitle business model.
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I’ve enjoyed working with them.. looks like they’re not in deep yet…, but I think they’re coming along.. easy to work with… I’ve got several songs there.. no excitement yet.
David
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I like them. They are very easy to deal with. Answer emails promptly. The business deal is fair. I have several songs with them. No placements, yet, but ….
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I know one of the guys who work fo Music Dealers and I can tell you that this is a First Class operation. The company is working hard to find placements all over the country and I know they just have some huge deals in the pipeline for artist placement ops. I also don’t know anywhere else that shows you what they’ve placed for members in an open forum right on their site. It takes balls to do that when you’re a young company. That’s a MAJOR trust issue that I haven’t seen answered anywhere else. You can see exactly who’s placed and how much they got paid. I haven’t won anything yet, but I understand their process and when an opportunity for my type of music is requested, I know I have a real chance based on the way their searches pull up applicable music. I’m paying close attention to them while they blow up quickly.
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Does anybody know how long after submitting something for a project it takes to find out whether you are the one who got the placement?
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fullbirdmusic, October 16th, 2009 at 12:34 am Reply:
You’ll only ever find out if you’re chosen for the job. Time frames vary depending on the client. HTH
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I received a placement through music dealers about 6 months after joining.
Here’s the spot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AsB9q6qhus
It played nationally for a month and continues to play at Target and Walmart stores nationwide…
The folks at music dealers are fantastic.
If you like writing to briefs, join music dealers.
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s r dhain, January 21st, 2010 at 5:10 am Reply:
Great job!
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Andy, July 22nd, 2010 at 2:58 pm Reply:
If you don’t mind us asking, roughly how much money was that deal worth?
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Music Music, July 23rd, 2010 at 5:40 am Reply:
Total deal was 4k plus backend. It’s a 50/50 split, so I received 2k, 25% publishing, and 100% writers. I received my first royalty checks for this spot a few weeks ago.
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I have a bunch of tracks with them, but no placements. Easy to sign with.
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I’m just starting this and I put two tracks with Music Dealers a few weeks ago. I wasn’t sure if I made a good decision. All your comment gave me much reassurance. Thanks and good luck.
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I am not really sure what to expect as I have uploaded a lot of tracks but not sure what happens next. Certainly no placements.
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guscave, February 8th, 2010 at 8:48 am Reply:
Other than the stuff that comes out on the Deal Board every now & then, I don’t know what else the company does to get music placed.
They do keep in touch often and seem to be well organized.
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Anonymous, February 22nd, 2010 at 10:08 am Reply:
I never hear anything. I was told a while ago that there is a short process of review and clearing for samples etc but weeks have gone by without a single thing happen. It’s all a bit of a mystery and I am not really sure what is supposed to happen.
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A, February 22nd, 2010 at 2:13 pm Reply:
If you ever have questions like this you should call the company. Nothing to lose.
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Anonymous, March 11th, 2010 at 1:55 am Reply:
To be fair, I understand how it works now and have even been told my music has been submitted for a job. Seems very promising.
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I just requested deleting my two tracks I loaded a couple months ago. They don’t appear to be very busy with opportunities.
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Anonymous, February 22nd, 2010 at 2:21 pm Reply:
The odd job and it’s usually nowhere near my kind of thing.
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I believe they work with a few “darlings”. And as you look on their Facebook-Site they always celebrate parties. I wonder how to pay parties and staff when there’s not enough success stories?
I took off my music.
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I’ve uploaded 4 tracks so far.
-After my first one, I emailed them a legitimate question not answered in their FAQ. That was on 1/7/10. No reply.
-In early February I posted a remix of a track and requested they remove the original. No reply and the original is still there
-I emailed them early yesterday (3/8/10). No reply yet.
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Alex, March 9th, 2010 at 9:59 pm Reply:
Not positive… but I’m pretty sure that the music up on your page isn’t necessarily the music that is in their library. I would call them and talk to them about your concerns.
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Anonymous, March 10th, 2010 at 2:36 am Reply:
I always get replies.
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Nino, March 10th, 2010 at 3:42 am Reply:
Also had great communication with them. You should contact your C.A.R.E Rep at Music Dealers.
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Have to say that I requested a track be deleted from their site due to it being unavailable for licensing – and it was deleted within a week. Have always found them straightforward, enthusiastic and friendly over emails.
Nothing licensed yet, but submitting regularly.
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I like the fact that they’re easily reachable by phone and that they disclose the new titles that they assign to your tracks, which makes monitoring via your PRO much easier.
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I love musicdealers very professional and are going to take the licensing game by storm. I received a placement from them for a show on the CW called the beautiful life theyre good at what they do and i look forward to working with them more
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I love Music Dealers. Best cats in the game. Very professional but also very personal. Great staff. Both cutting edge and forward thinking. They are also open to any feedback. I wish them prosperity all day!
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Have alot of music up on Music Dealers – have yet to place but have been selected a few times onto a playlist. Great company to deal with so far though, very transparent and good with communication / service.
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Anonymous, April 28th, 2010 at 2:41 pm Reply:
Has anyone here received a placement or been put on a playlist without submitting to the deal board?
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Art, April 28th, 2010 at 4:03 pm Reply:
I’ve been put on a playlist without submitting to the deal board.
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Anonymous, April 28th, 2010 at 5:01 pm Reply:
I’ve wondered had that could work, other than the people there using their own memories of course, since there is not much metadata to enter. I don’t know how they search anything if you don’t submit to the deal board.
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Jerome King, April 29th, 2010 at 9:53 am Reply:
I drove from Wisconsin to go to Music Dealers Symposium on Tuesday night. They showed us the ways they catalog our music adding over 250 individual tags to each song on the backend, and this is all done by real people who listen to every song that comes in! I had no idea the process and what was involved. I thought my music just sat there but they showed us how the clients search the site and how they send out playlists all day.
They showed me personally that my songs are up for all types of jobs that I had no idea where even happening. All good humble people and an awesome system. I highly recommend Music Dealers after learning their process.
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Alan, April 29th, 2010 at 10:24 am Reply:
Thanks for letting us know Jerome!
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JJ, April 29th, 2010 at 10:58 am Reply:
Jerome, Thanks so much for the comments here. It is awesome when the facts are explained by an artist user and community member. We’ve worked hard to build a platform that is based on trust, relationships, technology and passionate people and we’re really happy that you took the time to get a first hand look under the hood. Your comments put a smile on everyone’s face at Music Dealers today. But now we’re back to work trying to get you out there and get you paid.
Thanks Again,
JJ Sheinkop
Co-Founder
Music Dealers
http://www.musicdealers.com
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Justin Crosby, May 11th, 2010 at 9:42 pm Reply:
This is Great! to know! I have a pretty substantial amount of stuff up there but was not sure how the stuff could even possibly show up in anyone’s search, knowing they listen and tag it makes a huge difference and is great news. Aesthetically it’s a great site and their deal board definitely has some very high payouts compared to alot of other sites, nothing placed yet however it’s only been about 2 1/2 months….
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Music Dealers is the Best licensing company I have ever dealt with by far. I often wish other companies I work with had a staff like them. They always answer my questions right away and help with whatever I need.
I’ve been to their parties in LA and they are the best networking events I’ve been to in the last 10 years. I actually went to one of their house parties, met a supervisor and licensed a song to them the following week. It wasn’t through the website but because of them no question. These guys get business and licensing deals from being some of the coolest and nicest people in the business.
Trust me, I have experience in this area and no one comes close to what Music Dealers offers musicians. Take advantage if you they accept your stuff.
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Alan, April 29th, 2010 at 10:30 am Reply:
Do they reject music? It seems like they take whatever is uploaded. Personally, I would rather know if they felt the music was not good enough for their library.
I’ve sent two e-mails to my Care rep. and both were replied to within 24 hours. Kudos to that.
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I have had music in Music Dealers for like 2 weeks now and I was contacted by my own personal rep the day after I signed up. It was amazing to speak to a real person!! Any email I send them gets responded within 24 hours and sometimes within minutes. It’s crazy. I have not placed anything but it’s still early in my time with them. I hope to get some songs placed soon in TV or movies.
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Music Dealers is excellente in my book. Great staff, and great to work with. Always great opportunities with them!
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We love Music Dealers!!! Great people, great opportunities, and they even know how to party!!!
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I’ve been with music dealers less than 6 months now. Just recently uploaded more songs to my profile. I currently have 7 tracks with them and I’ve submitted to about 5 opportunities. They don’t get that many instrumental opportunities. However, they have been very professional, and the site is very easy to navigate thru. Submissions are free which is always a plus, and they show you their placements with different clients. looking to place something soon.
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they have helped me alot with placing music , its been so helpful
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Music Dealers is the most organized and well managed music licensing site on the planet. They are extremely attentive to their clients needs and do a great job of securing placements that fit not only the brand of the client but the artist as well
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Matt, July 8th, 2010 at 9:45 pm Reply:
Nice… I’m assuming you’re someone associated with the library?
Keep in mind that this site is for composers and bands to share information about various libraries and services, not so much for libraries to brag about how great they treat their clients.
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Music Music, July 9th, 2010 at 8:32 am Reply:
Actually Matt, Charles’ thoughts are pretty much spot on. I’ve received a placement through music dealers, but even before I that, they treated me as if I had.
Quick follow-ups, artist care reps, easy-to-manuever site…they are top notch.
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Charles, July 9th, 2010 at 8:36 am Reply:
Hi Matt – I’m actually not affiliated with them, my boss Brandon Smith manages Hey Champ (http://www.musicdealers.com/artist/heychamp) and they’ve received a bunch of placements through Music Dealers (90210, The Beatiful Life, 2 Video Games, Chipita and something else I can’t remember). I didn’t mean for the comment to come off as insincere, they’ve just been really good to the guys. They’ve gone far and beyond what other companies have done for us which is why we currently only use their service to license the guys music. We’ve cleared 10K+ with Music Dealers in the last 6 months and feel that they are super at what they do. Again apologies if my comment rubbed you the wrong way but I stand behind it.
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Matt, July 10th, 2010 at 2:02 am Reply:
That’s amazing! My bad for assuming that it was another company tooting their own horn. Sounds like Music Dealers is definitely worth a look.
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John, July 9th, 2010 at 8:51 am Reply:
Matt, no offense, but you come across as very presumptuous, cynical here and holier than thou – sorry but it’s actually quite annoying and I’ve seen you do this on other posts.
We are all equal here!
Charles – I think your review is spot on.
I have been with Music Dealers for a long while now and I’m really impressed with their attention to detail.
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“Again apologies if my comment rubbed you the wrong way but I stand behind it.”
Charles – I don’t think you should be apologising at all – Matt’s post comes across as very cynical and presumptuous.
I’m really impressed with Music Dealers and their attention to detail is spot on.
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Matt, July 10th, 2010 at 2:10 am Reply:
Sorry for the cynicism, and for the annoyance! You’re right – I need to learn when to pull my head in. And sorry for assuming the worst – there have been some less than reputable companies posting fake praise and the words ‘…on the planet’ pricked my ears up.
I think this site is amazing, and really believe in sharing experiences and opinions… unfortunately every now and then I’ll cross the line and become a judgmental bore. Mea culpa!
By the sounds of it, this is a good company worth checking out.
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One aspect of this company I don’t like (and others like Pump Audio) is doing the contract work prior to submitting. If your track isn’t placed from the listing on the “Deal Board”, they still own it non-exclusively.
Pump Audio makes you sign a contract six months before you even know if your tracks have been accepted.
I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit.
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skip, July 12th, 2010 at 7:11 pm Reply:
John, you obviously don’t understand how these companies work.
People come to them to get music because they can turn it around hours or less fully cleared.
I have my music with Music Dealers and others but I also supervise some indie movies on which I’ve used Music Dealers. Tim at Music Dealers was able to get my request fulfilled in 30 minutes so they got the placement over other companies that would have to go back to the label then publisher then artist.
You sign up to have your music represented non-exclusively. They can’t submit and rep your music unless you give them the permission to. Simple as that.
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John (the other John), July 13th, 2010 at 12:48 pm Reply:
You’re right Skip, I don’t understand how these companies work today. I’m from the old school where composers were given more respect.
I never heard of a film producer needing music in 30 minutes. Hmm, a fast-paced world we live in. And to think spoiled Danny Elfman needs at least 6 weeks to deliver music to a film.
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oontz oontz, July 13th, 2010 at 1:10 pm Reply:
You’ve never heard of a film being on the mix stage when a song clearance falls through?
Music Dealers is actually one of the most respectful companies out there today. They require your expressed permission before they can furnish your song to potential license opportunities.
Composers are given plenty of time to work. Composing a film is very different then licensing a source cue, song, bump etc.. to a film.
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John (the other John), July 13th, 2010 at 1:53 pm Reply:
“You’ve never heard of a film being on the mix stage when a song clearance falls through?”
Nope, never heard of it. I would imagine before a film gets to that stage contracts will already be taken care of.
“Music Dealers is actually one of the most respectful companies out there today”
Jeez, I’d hate to think about the disrespectful ones.
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the other Steve, July 13th, 2010 at 3:53 pm Reply:
A lot of films (and ad agencies especially) use initial tracks of what they want the music to sound like (but can’t afford) and replace them later in production. Some of my best submission opportunities have come when they are in a hurry to replace something that didn’t clear or they couldn’t afford. Lots of smaller films are even more unorganized with no idea what they want till post production.
Music Dealers is a retitling, 50/50 split, but they are right upfront about it and they are more direct and transparent about what you are pitching for than any other site I have tunes on. I don’t put things on there unless I think they are suited for the current pitch just because I don’t put all my eggs in one basket and I don’t send the same tunes to different libraries. They are extremely friendly, direct, and any time I’ve emailed them, I’ve been answered almost immediately. As far as the retitling model goes, they are the best I’ve seen on the net. I’ve never gotten anything but great service from them.
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Frank, July 13th, 2010 at 4:42 pm Reply:
I may be wrong, but it’s my impression that they pitch to a number of opportunities daily and not all of those pitches are not listed on the deal board. If you pitch only to those opportunities that are posted on their website, aren’t you losing out on many additional possibilities by not having more of your catalog uploaded?
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the other Steve, July 13th, 2010 at 5:02 pm Reply:
Yes. that is true, but I save as much as I can for pitching directly to supervisors and ad agencies. They don’t want material that is already re-titled with another agency, so I only pitch to the deal board since I consider it “tied up” once retitled. I treat non-exclusives as though they were exclusives just to avoid conflicts anywhere I pitch. I think it is a great place if you want to sign fifty percent away on the front end, but I try to do as much direct sales as I can. You might actually have more sales if you put all your songs on there, but I prefer to pitch to (and write to) defined subjects and keep as much of my back end royalties as possible. As I said, they are the best retitling/publisher model on the internet, but they aren’t the best deal if you pitch directly to supervisors and ad agencies (which is tedious and difficult at best. lol. they earn their money)
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What does that mean? “doing the contract work prior to submitting”?
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John (the other John), July 12th, 2010 at 12:48 pm Reply:
Try submitting a track on their deal board. Before downloading your track, you’ll have to review their contract and check a box to agree to the terms in the contract. I just tried to submit to the compilation CD, but had to click on a box agreeing to their non-exclusive agreement before loading my mp3.
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Andy, July 23rd, 2010 at 12:35 pm Reply:
Well, of course you do. you need to grant them a legal license to pitch your material to clients. How do you not know that???
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John (the other John), July 23rd, 2010 at 6:13 pm Reply:
Then the agreement should only apply to the specific listing. Once the listing is filled, then all rights should return to the composer if his/her music isn’t used.
If they want to act like the FMN, then they should use a similar business arrangement.
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anon, July 23rd, 2010 at 8:33 pm Reply:
I know of no music library that offers agreements for specific listings only. It would be a logistical nightmare. Most libraries have a very small staff, hundreds of composers, and thousands of tracks. It’s just not practical.
FMN is not a library, it’s a lead service with no financial stake in the acutal placements. You can’t compare business models. They are apples and oranges.
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John (the other John), July 23rd, 2010 at 10:30 pm Reply:
Actually I just noticed their contract length is just 30 days. That makes more sense. Now you know of one anon.
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anon, July 24th, 2010 at 8:16 am Reply:
Music Dealers allows you to remove tracks at any time within 30 days. So yes, it’s a non-issue. It would also be a non-issue with libraries that have terms allowing tracks to be removed on request, though sometimes you have to wait 1 or 2 years. But the bottom line is if you don’t want to sign non-exclusive agreements which really aren’t giving way any ‘rights’ in most cases, you will have a hard time functioning in the music library world. What rights have you given up on a non-exclusive deal? The only POSSIBLE issue is you couldn’t sign an exclusive deal later unless you could pull the track. If a library allows for easy track removal, you’ve given up NOTHING… Rarely will a library pitch your tracks without a signed agreement in place.
Non-exclusive libraries were set up to get tracks from artists who are not willing to give up exclusive rights. Whether you agree with their re-titling technique or not, their whole deal is to be as friendly to artists as possible. What more do you want?
Honestly from reading your posts, you seem negative about everything. If you are making money as a composer on your own without libraries, keep doing what you are doing.
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John (the other John), July 24th, 2010 at 10:15 am Reply:
“Honestly from reading your posts, you seem negative about everything. If you are making money as a composer on your own without libraries, keep doing what you are doing” – anon
You haven’t read all my posts then. I’ve defended and given praise to several libraries and members here. I’m going to continue giving my honest opinions (and you can too). If you need sugar coating, go to Disneyland.
Non-exclusive not giving away rights? Hmm… then why do we have to sign those contracts?
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I have several songs with them. They have had interest in a few I’ve submitted, but none have hit the target yet. I can only imagine I am a needle in a haystack, but they don’t make me feel that way. I’ll keep punching, hoping to hit something some day. I haven’t had any bad experiences with them.
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Pros: Well organized website. Informative
Cons: Missing feature to easily update a song. No music reviews or critiques.
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The folks over at musicdealers have been more helpful than almost anyone else I’ve encountered in this business. I have placed 4 songs or so with them thusfar. The bottom line is that if your material is good they will get you heard. I have felt (since day 1) that I work for them and they work for me. It has been a good workng relationship. I will contunue to work with these guys and trust that they are working as well.
M-
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John (the other John), July 14th, 2010 at 12:49 pm Reply:
“The bottom line is that if your material is good they will get you heard” – Michael
If only it were that simple. It’s not.
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Ive been there since the start,but never got any job,,compare to other sites im on my 15th job this year,so im still waiting.to see.
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I went to their battle of the bands concert this past Thursday in Chicago. I had no idea how many people they have on staff. I was also blown away to see that everyone looked like they were in their 20s to 30s. Considering how professional my experience and interaction has been with them over the last year, I’m even more impressed now finding out their age.
I met their President Eric and VP John and feel more comfortable then ever having them represent my tunes. I’ve got two decent placements through them and I’m always hoping to hit the big 50k+ opportunities. I think it’s great that I could potentially make more then my annual salary as a teacher just by having my music on their site. I’m not sure how realistic it is but I always hope for the best!
I have to say they are the most personal, nice and well organized licensing company I’ve had experience with and I’m excited to be growing with them. I can see them becoming the industry leaders in the next few years.
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So far, the only thing I don’t like about Music Dealers is the lack of ability to replace a track with a new edit. That would be a great enhancement to their site.
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anon, July 22nd, 2010 at 12:53 pm Reply:
I think if you contact them they will arrange for you to send the new track and they will replace it for you… I’m pretty sure they did that in the early days, not sure now that they’ve grown and become busier.
(I could be mixed up with another library… not 100% sure)
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Rob, July 22nd, 2010 at 4:27 pm Reply:
I tried that and my first point of contact was great but beyond that nothing happened, so I uploaded it as a new song and requested deletion of the old one which worked, but created more work because they then would have reviewed the new track as a new track instead of just switching out files. Would be preferable if we could directly switch files ourselves, as that saves everyone time.
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Extremely professional and honest people who are truly dedicated to their work. They are personable and responsive, and most of all appreciative of the talent they receive.
Thank you
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Music Dealers is an extremely fair deal! Any and all types of independent musicians should take full advantage of what they are offering us. A free portal to jobs we would all otherwise not have access to. I highly recommend working with this company because they are responsive and honest. The industry is ever evolving and it’s quite obvious that MD is not only moving with change, but at the forefront of it. I have had 3 placements with them over the past two yrs and I couldn’t be happier! It’s certainly really nice to receive that check for putting your heart on a recording. They are growing & expanding rapidly, so get involved and upload your music!!!
Music Dealers Rocks***
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I have around 60 tracks with them, have been put forward to clients but as yet no placements.
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60 tracks and no placements? That’s scary.
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Anonymous, August 18th, 2010 at 10:56 pm Reply:
What do you mean scary ?
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Pat, August 18th, 2010 at 11:16 pm Reply:
Scary in that I have only a fraction of that much music. At least at first glance the odds seem much less for me.
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No placements here either but I’m 41yrs old and have never placed anything,I’ve have a few pieces out there but as yet no success.But you cant catch a fish without a line in the water,so I’ll keep going
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Pat, August 19th, 2010 at 9:07 am Reply:
I got you beat Blue Arrow. I’m 55 with no placements. I’ve had a few contracts but that was as good as it got but you’re right. I’ll always keep trying one way or the other. glty.
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The Blue Arrows, August 20th, 2010 at 6:15 pm Reply:
Just think how well we’ll handle the success when it comes our way in our autumn years
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I just checked out Music dealers and it looks very interesting. I’ve been with taxi off and on for years paying $100′s. I am curious that while they claim to supply music to alot of major players, there is no mention of what type recording quality is needed like broadcast, master, any ol thing will do etc. Just makes me wonder how you keep a good relationship with all these major people if you’re sending them any and everything or that those of us who do will have stuff just sit there. It’d be nice if they talked about it. Obviously, if you have a big bucks recording that would be better but to what degree is it necessary for TV/Film stuff?
It would be helpful if you folks that had some degree of success with them maybe share whether or not you had your music professionally done or you had enough knowledge to do it yourself or…..
Just that I thought most of these places set some kind of bar for what they deal with. Maybe I just haven’t found it yet.
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Pat, August 19th, 2010 at 11:44 am Reply:
Ok, found the answer to the quality question which thinking back is obvious. The better the quality the better the chances. duh. I knew that.
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Sonic Psyops, August 19th, 2010 at 12:18 pm Reply:
I guess the ambiguity of the phrase “Broadcast Quality” is the problem with regards to Taxi. What does that mean exactly? It’s the judgment of the reviewer I suppose.
I struggled with this phrase for the year I was with Taxi. Finally, a reviewer told me something to the effect of, Dude, These ROM based samples (romplers) that you’re trying to make orchestral mock ups with ain’t gunna cut it. If you want to play with the big boys, you gotta get the big boy toys (VSL, Eastwest, etc.). I have no regrets. I learned a lot during my year with Taxi. But maybe I should be posting this on Taxi’s thread?
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Pat, August 19th, 2010 at 12:59 pm Reply:
Great input Sonic. I decided to give Music dealers a try. The main reason is their business model. They make their money if the artist makes money. That is their incentive. With Taxi, they’ve made their money the minute you pay them up front whether you get placed or not. The already got paid.
We’ll see. The feedback here on Music Dealers seems pretty good and I just called them myself to find out where to upload music. The phone only rang twice. That’s a good sign.
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Anon, August 20th, 2010 at 6:45 pm Reply:
OK, sorry to do this anonymously. I guess nobody else wanted to.
The phrase “Broadcast Quality” is not vague. There are recognized standards in the industry — like 16 bit / 44.1K etc….
And yes, you’re better off with “big boy toys.” Your kid’s Casio ain’t gonna cut it.
Don’t mean to sound nasty, but I’d venture a guess that anyone earning a living here has invested thousands of dollars.
It’s going to take a lot of placements to get back what I just invested in a 12 core Mac.
Please don’t be discouraged. Keep writing, but know that quality of sound, if not always writing, matters.
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John (the other John), August 20th, 2010 at 7:03 pm Reply:
Yes, it’s fairly obvious when a track isn’t broadcast quality. However, “borderline broadcast quality” can go either way, depending on the reviewer.
Expensive equipment? Just my Mac, Logic Pro, EWQL samples, and Motif ES8 was ten grand. But just because you’re using good equipment doesn’t mean you’re making broadcast quality tracks.
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Anon, August 20th, 2010 at 7:17 pm Reply:
Excellent points.
I suppose, as “they” say.. it’s not the tools it’s the carpenter.
Good equipment won’t make bad writing good. And, if you don’t have a handle on the engineering good equipment won’t matter much either.
Regarding “big boy toys” … EWQL and VSL a definite leg up over Garritan.
So yeah, Sonic and Pat, it costs a few $$ to get in the game.
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Matt, August 20th, 2010 at 10:06 pm Reply:
OT here, but regarding your 12 core purchase – what software are you running that will be able to take advantage of the 12 core? From what I’ve read so far, Logic, Pro Tools and most softsynths are a long way off having the ability to utilize the power of a 12 core. Seems like a crazy amount of money ($5000 without any extra ram or hard drives) to spend waiting for the software to catch up to the hardware. If you have that much money to spend, I think a couple of Mercury Extreme Pro SSDs would be a great alternative, and would definitely give you a speed boost.
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Anon, August 21st, 2010 at 5:50 am Reply:
I have to say that getting a new computer was out of necessity, not just wanting to be the first kid on the block with 12 cores.
My almost 4-year old dual core, w/ 16 GB RAM, isn’t cutting it with DP7 and Bidule. It is also starting to have some problems. So, I don’t see adding SSD drives as the solution. If I already had a 2008 8 core, I would probably go that route.
I suppose the question is — what’s a long way off? If a long way off is a year or two from now, I don’t want to buy an “interim” computer, and wish later that I had 12 cores.
I looked at the new Macs and Vision DAWs (which aren’t cheap). The price differential between the base 8 core and the 12 core is only $1,500. I don’t buy RAM or hard drives from Mac, which saves some.
Only time will tell if it was a good choice. At least (here in the US) it’s a good tax deduction!
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Matt, August 21st, 2010 at 11:38 am Reply:
I feel your pain, I’ve been trying to work on a G5, waiting for ages for the new Mac Pros to come out! Sounds like you’re doing really well, to be able to afford the 12 core, so congrats for that! And I’m sure within a year DP etc will be utilizing the 12 core’s full power.
I actually needed to get two new computers, and after some deliberation ended up going with Apple’s business lease program. Some composer buddies of mine thought it was crazy to pay Apple each month and not end up owning the computer. To me it’s like a club I pay dues to each month to have pretty much the latest computers (renews every 30 months). Leasing is also great for tax.
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Anon, August 21st, 2010 at 1:04 pm Reply:
I’ve leased equipment several times during my career. Yes, it is a good tax deduction, although the interest rate tends to be a little higher. You’re not stuck with a boat anchor at the end of the lease. But if it’s not obsolete, you can usually buy it for a small percentage.
Man, I admire you for getting along with a G5. It’s just my writing style that I need to hear everything at going on at once. If, I should say when, more instruments like LASS and HS become the norm, we’ll need the firepower.
I try to place it in perspective. My first sampler (emulator) was over 6K , in 1983 dollars. I can’t begin to calculate how much more powerful the 12 core Mac is, but I’ll guess that it’s the equivalent of thousands of that original sampler — for the same price! And there’s no comparison on quality — I mean 8 bit?
As to whether, I’m doing really well, that’s yet to be determined — but i have a very understanding wife!
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Art, August 21st, 2010 at 1:13 pm Reply:
LOL! I remember that Emulator. Paid about the same in the early 80s. When I sold it a years later I think I got $200 for it! Technology moves so fast! Great machine for the time and place and certainly paid for itself.
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Anon, August 23rd, 2010 at 11:38 am Reply:
LOL +1
I had a Linn Drum — paid about $2500 sometime in the 80′s. I sold it for about $250 in the 90′s. In 2000 it became a hot retro box and was going for $3000 on ebay.
Go figure!
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John (the other John), August 23rd, 2010 at 12:12 pm Reply:
I had one of the early Moog Synthesizers. Sold it for $250 in the 60′s. Ten years ago it was going for $25,000. I almost slit my throat.
One other time that I could have kicked myself is when I sold my Hammond B-3 organ for $1,000.
I don’t sell anything anymore.
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Anon, August 23rd, 2010 at 1:40 pm Reply:
But you have to admit, NI’s B4 II is a lot lighter!
What I like about Music Dealer is that you can go on the Deal Board and listen to stuff that’s gotten placed recently. It’s a nice reference point.
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I just signed up and am looking to see what I want to upload. I also think this site MusicLibraryReport is excellent. I ran into it by accident. Really great site.
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I’ve got over 100 tracks and have been with them since close to the beginning and no placements yet either. It seems they tend to favor artists and bands who are making albums and touring etc rather than media composers just from seeing who gets placed and their ‘artists of the week’ on their facebook page. Stll, looks like they’re making good money for the artists that do get placed so i’m gonna hang in there.
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Anonymous, August 19th, 2010 at 5:53 pm Reply:
Don’t quite agree. Just saw that on Aug 12 they had 9 placements in which 5 were instrumentals from media composers.
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mellowstu, August 19th, 2010 at 6:04 pm Reply:
Fair enough, i’m sure a lot of composers do get placements through them it just seems like they promote their commercial artists more.
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That’s reason enough for me to keep looking though at least there’s nothing to lose by uploading the music. Sure, even if Music dealers takes 50% that’s 50% of something. With Taxi I’m getting 100% of nothing and paid hundreds for the privilege of them listening to it.
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How do you know if your music is being submitted for a listing?
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mellowstu, August 19th, 2010 at 6:30 pm Reply:
You get an email. They seem like a great company, just haven’t had any placements yet.
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Pat, August 19th, 2010 at 6:40 pm Reply:
Thanks for the info. That sounds like the equivalent of a TAXI forward.
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Rob (Cruciform), August 20th, 2010 at 5:45 pm Reply:
Yeh, but the big differences are you don’t pay and in many cases you know who, or at least what the client is about, prior to submitting through MD.
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Why are Music Dealers so highly rated ? I have had not one single placement in 8 months with 60 tracks.
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Matt, August 25th, 2010 at 3:32 pm Reply:
Well, this goes back to what has been said about other companies like Audiosparx and Yooka. It looks like people give high ratings to the companies who have great communication. Maybe people are rating these companies before they see any sales. To me, the library and licensing business is all about the $$$! The most important comparison of all is surely how much money you can make?
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Jello, August 26th, 2010 at 1:50 am Reply:
I have been saying exactly the same thing ad infinitum on here. Nice to see someone else sharing the same view.
It’s like reviewing a resaturant and giving them a good rating because they have good car parking facilities.
It’s all about the $$$$$$$$ – it’s a business.
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Art, August 26th, 2010 at 7:38 am Reply:
@Jello. Ok I get it. You have been ragging on the ratings ad nauseam for awhile. Obviously it’s subjective and has flaws. It was put to a vote and the majority of readers voted to keep the ratings. So please, unless you have a “workable” solution. Enough already!
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Sonic Pysops, August 30th, 2010 at 4:10 pm Reply:
Yes, it is a business but the bottom line isn’t always the most important aspect of the business. Good communication is essential for building long lasting relationships which pay off “$$$$$$$$” in the long run. Think of your tracks as seeds that grow to fruition over time which is why it’s important to spread them out as far and wide as you can. It’s a fact that some of the folks licensing music tend to go where they know. Meaning that they tend to solicite from the same composers time and again. That’s why communication is important because that library is the only link between you and them. Do you see where I’m going with this?
Knowing how much and how often a library pays is kind of like trying to know how much and how often a casino pays. My tracks may do very well here while your tracks go nowhere so what good is it knowing how well my tracks do and how much $$$$$$$$$ I’m making? How do you know if your tracks will do the same?
Food for thought.
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Art, August 26th, 2010 at 8:33 am Reply:
Music Dealers encourages it’s composers and clients to come here and rate. That’s probably the main reason. Hopefully the new rating system with multiple criteria, and the ability to weight the criteria, will smooth out the data. Still, subjectivity and anonymity will always be a problem.
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anonX, August 26th, 2010 at 9:41 am Reply:
Regardless of any judgement about this particular library, 8 months is still just a blink of the eye in this business.
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Andrew K., August 30th, 2010 at 7:36 am Reply:
Maybe your music’s no good or at least not good for licensing? You need to think about that possibility once in a while.
Just because you make music and upload it doesn’t mean it’s going to work well for licensing. There might be people who make similar styles of music but just do it better. Just saying… it’s a possibility.
I know a few people who signed up and got an immediate placement. But the person who referred me to this site had her music up for over a year before she got a placement from Music Dealers. It’s all about having the right music at the right time. If this industry was as simple as uploading 60 tracks and waiting a few months for a check, then it wouldn’t be real. This is the real world music industry. To hear about your 8 month process lets us know you haven’t been doing this long. 8 months is nothing in this industry.
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I just joined them and I really haven’t seen much on their deal board at all. Wondering though these dealboard “jobs” mean you’re supposed to use their budget to hire people and go into a studio and reproduce what you submitted? No interest or knowledge of how to go about that. Just wondering if I should be submitting to those with my home recordings that I had mastered.
One other question, do you guys typically keep your uploads public or private.
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John (the other John), August 31st, 2010 at 9:02 am Reply:
No Pat, they expect you to supply them with the finished product. Though, if the client may ask for changes.
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Pat, August 31st, 2010 at 9:16 am Reply:
Thanks alot John.
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