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Newbie Questions

One of our readers, Ev, came up with the suggestion to have a section devoted to newbie questions regarding music libraries, music licensing, copyright, music publishing etc. There a lot of experienced people on this site and many are happy to share their wisdom. So, if you are a newbie (or not), and have a question, try leaving it here.

Of course many questions have already been answered here. First try searching in the search bar in the upper right hand corner. Also Google is your friend! I have found one of the best ways to search a site is use site specific criteria at Google’s web site. In other words, to search for a specific keyword, say “contracts”, type it in at Google like this “contracts site:musiclibraryreport.com”. Do not use the quotes.

If you still can’t find your answer then leave a comment here and someone will most likely come to your rescue!

1,260 thoughts on “Newbie Questions”

  1. Hello there,

    I’ve just had tracks accepted by Pump Audio, Liberty music trax and Quest Media publishing. I’m totally new to this – is there anything stopping me submitting all my tracks to all publishing companies?

    It seems to me the more companies out there plugging my tracks, the more likely it is that they’ll get used. Nothing in the contracts I’ve been asked to sign indicates I can’t do this – namely they don’t seem to ask for exclusive rights to the track.

    Can anyone help?

    • Plugging your tracks?

      Unfortunately, they go into a humungous dark well where they join 16billion other tracks never to be used in any way shape or form.

      Actually, isn’t Quest exclusive? I really wouldn’t bother TBH. Last time I looked on the PRS databse Quest had 2 usages. Ever.

      Not good. And then there was all the business with those ‘briefs’…

      • I suppose that discouraging the “competition” is as legitimate a strategy as any.

        No one’s looking for rose-colored glasses, but fortunately, there are writers on this forum who are generous with their experience, and actually do try to help and encourage others.

        • Have you read my previous posts then:? You know, where I’ve provided help, encouragement and advice.

          And here I provided good advice didn’t I? If he’s thinking of punting tracks round to everyone (“is there anything stopping me submitting all my tracks to all publishing companies”) and some are signed with an exclusive library (Quest) then I’ve saved him from getting into trouble. I don’t see you being too much help, but then again, you’re anonymous so that says it all.

          • First off, I don’t see how ‘Jello’ makes you any less anonymous than ‘anonymous’.

            Secondly, no you did not help beyond questioning if Quest may be exclusive, and implying this might be important.

            However, the point you made was probably accurate, and did give me a laugh. That’s the library business…most tracks aren’t plugged anywhere, they’re just thrown on the landfill site with the rest of the sound-a-like crap. That’s why you need at least 100 tracks if not 1,000 to make enough money to buy your kids a new shirt each year.

            To the original poster and question: if you put the tracks with loads of libraries there are disadvantages – it is not as simple as you might think. For example:

            1. Shoppers then just type your name into Google and buy your track where it’s cheapest.
            2. More respected libraries will look at your profile on the web and perhaps consider it unfavorably if you apply to them.
            3. The effort of logging all your tracks on loads of websites would be better spent on finding 2-3 quality libraries…suited to your music.

            P.S If the Pump thread is anything to go by, it’s about 2 years from now till your music actually gets put up for sale there anyway.

            I’m not sure that signing off with ‘good luck’ is sufficient, so I’ll just say…’don’t give up’, perhaps.

            • “Secondly, no you did not help beyond questioning if Quest may be exclusive, and implying this might be important.”

              OK, let me make it very simple for anyone struggling to keep up.

              Quest are an exclusive library. You don’t punt tracks around if they are signed to an exclusive library. Will Quest sue you if you do? Errr, probably not but still, it ain’t the done thing.

              • @ Simon adding my 2 lawyer cents, Jello is correct. signing the same tracks to non-exclusive and exclusive libraries would be a bad thing.

                “is there anything stopping me submitting all my tracks to all publishing companies?” Well, for one thing any contract that you sign with an exclusive libraries.

                @ a different Anon’s advice, “The effort of logging all your tracks on loads of websites would be better spent on finding 2-3 quality libraries…suited to your music.” is good.
                What isn’t clear is where anon is on the exclusive v. non-exclusive route. I think we know that Jello favors exclusives. (although ..where do you stand on non-retitling royalty free sites?)

                Anon, are you referring to exclusives only, or do you think that there are worthy sites to upload and sell your tracks?

                • I haven’t got enough experience to say much about non-excl vs excl (I’m only excl but I’m going to place some in non-excl to see). I think all you can do when starting out is to try out a few places which you have researched as being good for you, make sure you have ‘get-out’ clauses in your contracts and then pursue the place(s) that perform best… and by pursue I mean make more tracks for them than the others.

                  • I’m kind of in the same boat. I don’t have the luxury yet of picking exclusive I want to be with. I found that they set the bar higher in most cases so I haven’t been able to secure anything with them. I’m finding just the opposite that the time I’ve spent chasing exclusives was better spent submitting to non exclusives where my music has been accepted was the way to go for me.
                    Doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying but I definitely wouldn’t stay away from the places that are easier to get into.
                    Having to the meta data stuff isn’t fun but hey, if they’re accepting the music it’s a start. Gotta start somewhere before you can call the shots.

                    • I didn’t mean that non-excl are not worth the time, I just meant that whichever model of library you go with I think it’s best to pick out the libraries which you think will actually sell your music… it’s one thing to have your music accepted, it’s another, completely different thing, to have it promoted and sold.

      • “Last time I looked on the PRS databse Quest had 2 usages.”

        If you don’t mind, can you tell me how to look up usages in the database based upon music library. Is it possible to do the same on BMI and ASCAP? I don’t care about quest, but I’d like to know to research some others.Thanks!

        “I suppose that discouraging the “competition” is as legitimate a strategy as any.”

        BTW Jello usually posts some pretty helpful info. I highly doubt he’d waste time trying to kill competition by derailing other composers…do you really think that the tactic your implying would even be worth anyones time? Do you know how many composers are out there?

          • I think Musicman means looking up which libraries are getting the most usage, not how many of your tracks got used.

            It really would be a great tool to be able to see which libraries are really delivering good placements…statistically.

          • I thought he meant that he researched the companies cue sheets. I wasn’t talking about viewing my own cue sheets. Maybe I misunderstood him…. was he saying that he only had 2 usages with quest? I thought he said that the library was so bad that they only had 2 usages ever.

    • Wow – thanks to all (even anonymous who, to be fair, is perhaps simply trying to make me aware that this business is no walk in the park).

      Second question then – if my time is best spent sourcing one or two good libraries, how do I identify those from all those listed on this website, for example? Anyone got any tips on how they’d go about sorting the wheat from the chaff, as it were?

      Thanks

      • 1. Do they have a professional looking site. E.g. no stupid ads for ‘extra’ revenue.
        2. When you search for music styles on their site does it provide relevant results in an easy to digest fashion. Are songs easily previewable. Is buying a simple process for a customer.
        3. When you contact them about submissions do they reply quickly and professionally.
        4. Are they enthusiastic about your submission and believe your music will genuinely add something to their library instead of being extra fluff – and therefore do they care about your music personally.
        5. Do they actively promote tracks. If so, how. Don’t be afraid to ask them up front, and if they get unpleasant with you it simply means they’re crap, or arrogant, both of which are, in my book, bad.
        6. Do they already have 25,000 tracks in their catalog. If so, I’m not sure I’d bother putting music with them unless it’s something really special which will naturally stand out.
        7. Do they require customers to file cue sheets. Less important as it’s the broadcaster that should really get them.
        8. Do they have agreements with some other library who they’re going to sell your music onto without you ever hearing about it again. Do they look like they might or could do this. There’s something on this site about that, I think to do with 7-digital.
        9. Don’t worry too much about getting the highest license fee split. 40% of $10k is a lot better than 75% of $100.
        10. Is there a clause in the contract allowing you to remove tracks if you choose after a certain time period (e.g. 1 year). (This applies mostly to non-exclusives). If there isn’t, ask reasonably for one to be put in. If they refuse, think very hard if it’s worth it.

        Start with that..

  2. Happy New Year to one and all!
    I have a couple of questions requiring the thoughts of those with more experience than myself.
    A friend of mine in Japan was married to a well known musician who was quite successful in the field of relaxation and healing music. He passed away a few years ago and his wife now sells his work in the asian market and still does fairly well. It is all professional with everything going through JASRAC (japanese prs)
    She has about 100 cds in her catalogue.
    She has now given me permission to try and exploit his works in the western world and so I am thinking production music would be the best way to go.
    Any thoughts as to how best to do this. For example should I set up myself as a publisher and put the works thru that way and knowing how uptight JASCRAC get about the concept of ‘royalty free’ should I be looking at only sites or companies that go thru the Perf. Ri. socs ?
    Any thoughts and ideas would be welcome
    Cheers
    Ian

    • Hi, mylesthebaker,
      I’m from Japan.
      I think it’s really hard to negotiate or somethin’ to JASRAC. They never talk to Individual. Probably their answers will be “Ask your company”. So, most of all Independent musician says “JASRAC? Rotten apple!!” and hate them. Only BIG WIG can talk to JASRAC.
      And ahhhh….., worries about China. China never respect copyrights, No royalty payments.
      I’m not sure but via ASCAP or BMI is much better about the issue JASRAC?

      • Thanks for that PP
        One thing I am worried about is if Ihave something registered with JASRAC or any other PRS that if they see it on a royalty free site they will have some legal recourse or sanction to act on me or the music I represent.
        Has anybody on this site ever had problems like this from the BMI or any other cllection agency?
        Also Does anyone here have an English version of the standard JASRAC Agreement?(A long shot but no harm in asking!)

  3. Just discovered this wonderful site today . . . great way to start the new year.

    I’m not new to writing music for hire, but I am new to the international aspect of it. I’m now living in Canada, but originally registered with BMI.

    Getting ready to turn over 16 trax to StockMusic.com (here in Ontario) under an exclusive contract and was wondering if I’m responsible for listing the trax with BMI or is StockMusic required to do it? Which means they would do it thru SOCAN. A bit confusing.
    Any insight.

    BTW . . . Ill report back as to my experience with SM . . .

  4. Kind of a dumb question for musicians who do this instead of having a day job at all and actually making a living at this so please bare with me here.
    I was wondering how you guys handle your medical insurance. Are you actually earning enough to pay these ridiculous medical insurance premiums or are you part of some kind of musicians union or group that helps you get discounted medical insurance?
    What are you guys doing who are just able to making a living at it but not one of the top of the heap guys?
    Just trying to see how realistic this endeavor is to make a living at this once you through individual medical insurances costs into the mix as part of the kind of money you need to be able to earn.

    • Hi dblock, There are folks on this site making up to six figure incomes and all levels in between. It all depends on your age and physical condition as to your premiums. And to your living expenses as to affordability. A lot of variables to consider.

      • Thanks Art. Even 50k would be fantastic and would afford me insurance since I have no real debt anymore though I realize the chances aren’t great for even that much.

        • Don’t sell yourself short dblock, there is always hope. I’m a long way away from a living wage with library music and I do get discouraged but I keep banging my head against the wall anyway. I guess it just feels good!

          • Jeez, Art! You’re a long way from making a living wage?!! I see comments of yours dotted around where you’ve got placements on big network shows and all kinds of stuff. If you are a long way off, then what hope is there for most of the rest of us!! I say ‘most’ because I am also aware that there are some around here who make buckets. I believe they could probably be counted on both my hands.

            • Yep, incredibly frustrating, at least for me, to make a living wage. Even though my last BMI statement (Jan. 14, 2011) was my best ever and included daily placements on a network game show as well as numerous other shows, I still have a long way to go. A few things constantly mentioned here are so true.

              1.) It’s a business of pennies.
              2.) You need at least 1000 – 1500 pieces of music.
              3.) Patience and persistence!

              Up to now it’s always been fairly easy for me to make a good living in music or any other endeavor. The music library path is probably the hardest I’ve ever had to work, with the least amount of reward. Then again YMMV!

              • It’s been a long and bumpy ride for me too. I think that I am going to stop submitting to libraries for a while. It is becoming a time-waster for me. Making songs has been more of a chore since I started chasing the music library thing. I would never reach 1,000 songs within any reasonable amount of time.

                    • Alternate mixes of existing tracks – DnB (drums and bass), Beds (no melody), different combinations, say bass and guitar only. Or broken down further into individual instruments so a music editor can do their own mix. Sometimes called stems, the sky is the limit but DnB and beds are a good place to start. There are a lot of folks here that have much more experience than I, so maybe they will weigh in.

              • That’s a bit discourageing for those of us new to the field of selling our music.
                I guess it does also depend on what you define as making a living as that obviously varies.
                If you feel Library/Production Music is one of the most difficult ways to make money from music what other ways would you recommend?

    • Good question. My wife and I are in our thirties, and we pay about $600 a month for the two of us. That’s fairly good insurance for her and pretty basic coverage for me.

      The good news is that you can write it all off as a business expense, including doctors fees and other costs that your insurance doesn’t cover.

      The situation with healthcare in the US is such that talented people stick to their day jobs in order to hold on to good health insurance. It’s a real shame, and I know several talented composers (not to mention a lot of other non-music related creative types) that are stuck in jobs for this very reason.

      The sad fact is that a day job isn’t nearly as steady or reliable as some people think. Being self-employed means having lots of bosses (clients), and if you lose one you’re still probably going to be ok money wise (especially if you’re a composer and have good royalties coming in).
      If you lose your ‘steady’ day job, you lose 100% of your income (and benefits).

      • Great info Matt. That’s the kind of stuff I was looking for. I think it’s fair to say that for composers making 6 figure salaries health insurance is a non issue financially.
        Never thought about tax write offs and possible group rates through a pro.
        It’s too soon for me to say traditional employment is overrated SINCE I’m not doing better elsewhere yet but you’re right, I wouldn’t have quit to try even though I was hating it. I lost my job and insurance so I have 3 or 4 years to make a go at this.

    • Hi dblock,

      As Art says,there are a lot of variables. For example, location and lifestyle are big factors. A 500K house in SoCal would be 100K here. Do you need a BMW or are you OK with a Subaru? Do you live in the city, or do you live in the country?

      As Matt also points out, there are tax benefits in the US to being self employed that can defray some of the cost. In addition to health insurance, if you work from home, you can deduct a portion of your expenses, like real estate taxes, utilities and repairs, based upon the square footage of your workspace. However, there is also or a “self-employment” tax. Check with an accountant for the tax implications.

      The days of job security are long gone. A day job, while steady, is by no means a guarantee. To make a living wage writing library music, you need to write a lot of tracks — hundreds. I do custom scoring and have other composing commissions, as well, always have.

      As far as discounted insurance goes, I think that ASCAP offers group health insurance as a member benefit. I don’t know who the carrier is, how good the coverage is, or what it costs. Check with your PRO.

  5. I just created a bunch of stingers out of tracks that I already have in libraries – having never done this before I was wondering if I needed to register them with my PRO (ASCAP) ? –

    I’m assuming yes,but not sure ?

    thanks..John

    • Call your PRO for the official answer, but my advice is that it’s a good idea to register them separately, if the full mix of the track is already registered.
      When I register a track (usually a library does this for me), I list all the edits and sub-mixes as alternate names. That way when someone fills out a cue sheet with something like ‘Track Name – No Melody’, there’s a better chance that I’ll get the royalties for it.

  6. Does anyone have any music placed with companies who pipe music into department stores, bars, on hold music, etc. Would it be lucrative if you had 30 to 50 tracks with a company like MUZAK?
    Just curious if anyone has had dealings with companies like them.

    • A number of libraries have deals with Muzak and do place tracks with them. If your music DOES get in their rotation, I’m told it pays well on performance royalties. Audiosparx is one such library.

      I would go to the Muzak site and sample their music to see if what you have might be on target. That’s step 1.

      🙂

      • Just go in stores and listen to the music being piped in. Muzak even provides music at our local jail. My wife works for the County and sees the ASCAP jail billing.

        • “That’s the sound of the men… Working on the chain… ga-aaaa—nnng…. Hooh! aah! hooh! aah!”…

          Oh and, “Prisoner of Love” gets a lot of play too!

          🙂 🙂

      • I need to find some other system for networking. – that’s the thing that is under-developed with the sporadic music output I’ve been doing. I need to work Myspace or make a website I guess. Just haven’t had time for the outplacement, or knowledge of what works best.

  8. Just wondering –

    is there a way to get any peer review by other more experienced library musicians? I would like to find out more about styles and production and what kind of adjustments would be desired. Can links to music be posted on any of these blogs?

    Thanks for any info.

    Mike

    • I’m sure if you give a link to some examples of your work and invite some comments and feedback – you’ll probably get some.

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