It’s been three months since I started this site. In those three months there have been over 1100 comments from music creators and library owners. Based on those comments and users varying degree of experiences, I started thinking about what the “The Perfect Music Library” would look like.
So here’s some things I would start with (in no particular order):
1.) 50/50 split license fee
2.) Writer retains all the back end PRO monies
3.) No re-titling
4.) Non-Exclusive
5.) Writer can set own sync fee
6.) Submit via upload for acceptance
7.) Once accepted, FTP upload. PLUS, the ability to upload a file to populate the database. No more pointing, scrolling, clicking and then waiting for the page to refresh!
8.) Option for library to create watermarked preview file or upload your own.
9.) Is diligent about cue sheets being filed
10.) If each submission is to be reviewed: There should be a quick way to submit, without filling all the data upfront, only to be told later that the piece was rejected.
11.) Letting you know if a piece is rejected.
I’m sure there are many things I’ve left out, so what would you like to see?
“He’s finally writing music for libraries that will generate him residuals, but today the difference between my friend’s royalties statement and mine is at least two digits, if not three.”
How many tracks does he have compared to you?
Michael
” Volume is the key to making big royalty checks. If you cannot put out the necessary volume, you should seek to get as much money upfront as possible and forget about royalties.”
Another way of achieving volume is through repetition, i.e. that same track used many times.
“If you have a guarantee for a network placement, would you sell your copyright for 150$? and only 50% writer share?”
It depends.
I did exactly that. The track has aired over 77,000 times (triple that or more if you count bumpers) in the last 11 years.
A single network placement, however, doesn’t pay that much. I had a three cues used in a CBS Sports Spectacular, a few years back. I think the royalty check was about $1,500.
Wow that’s a lot of plays…nice!
So maybe its a good deal to do, you never know.
Take the deal.
Thanks guys.
The perfect music library already exists. I think Universal Publishing Production Music is the best out there. They have just about anything you can think of and more. This is definitely where the bar is set. 🙂
Check them out: http://www.unippmglobal.com/
Add access for submitting to the list.
Synth,
Universal is the parent company to all of the featured libraries on that site. That’s why they have “just about anything you can think of and more”. They’re a company that acquired several libraries over the years and continues to do so.
I think this thread is more about the “perfect music library” from a composers pov. A lot of Universals libraries are tough to even find contact info on.
The perfect library at least lets me submit.
The Universal Music libraries are not hard to find or contact. I had some songs signed to a Universal affiliate a while back. Unfortunately, I did not get any placements with this group. You just have to search.
I guess I should have said that most of them don’t take unsolicited material therefore they’re a little harder to submit to (thanks to the internet).
Synth, you confuse me a little. You called them the “perfect music library”, then go on to say that you have music in one of their libraries that hasn’t gotten you a single placement. ????
The libraries that don’t take unsolicited material can hardly be called the perfect library imo since, and this is only my guess, they’re off limits to 90% of the composers.
Yes. I still think Universal Music is the perfect library even though none of my music has been placed. I know that once I do get placements, I will probably not have to worry about paperwork issues and PRO issues.
I actually looked up some of the songs that were in Universal’s library to see if they wre registered. Indeed they were. Many libraries wait until a song is placed to handle that.
Even if composers cannot get into the Universal Music library, they should at least listen to music in the genre of their choice to see where the bar is set. It helps to pick up new ideas.
I’ve written for some of the libraries owned by Universal. Though I consider myself fortunate to have been lucky enough to work with them – they paid nice upfront fees ($1000 a track usually), and have a great distribution system – I wouldn’t go as far as to say they’re perfect.
They don’t share any license fees (at least the ones I’ve written for) but of course these are buy out type libraries and a lot of composers would be happy to get $1000 per track. You can also say no one was forcing me to sign a deal with them (on the contrary, I was quite eager to get those nice upfront fees). However, it got a little frustrating when I heard tracks getting used on national spots, trailers etc and know fully well that the library is making 10’s if not 100’s of $1000’s of dollars off of the tracks. In addition, these high end usages are often devoid of any royalties income.
For me, the perfect library is one that pays a respectable amount of money upfront, say $300-$600, and then goes on to split the license fees with the composer. I wouldn’t mind if the upfront fee had to recouped first, much like an advance in the recording world.
Wow, that’s great! From my observation, most composers would consider themselves lucky to make $1,000 upfront for a track.
Royalties are not all they seem cracked up to be. I have received a few royalty checks and I am not impressed. Perhaps I am not getting my music placed on the right networks or at the right time. The royalty payments seem either hit or miss. I have one network TV placement that pays 50% of my check. Then I have about 5 other cable placements that pay the other 50%.
I know that some composers believe that royalties are the holy grail of music licensing. But it seems that I could make money faster if I solely relied on upfront licensing fees. Waiting 6 to 9 months for royalty money is not that alluring any more.
Do you guys think getting 300$ per track up-front is fair?
100% writers share.
Thanks!
I wouldn’t say no. You have to get what you can in this economy. Some composers may scoff at that idea, but it is tough out here. I myself would gladly give up the copyright, publisher’s share, and writer’s share for many of my songs. All I would want is a hefty buyout fee.
Royalties are beneficial if you have a huge catalog. If you are not the type of composer that can write at least 200 or more songs a year, you really do not have a shot at living off of music royalties. It really is a number’s game.
Publishers make a lot of money because they control the rights to thousands or even millions of songs. Volume is the key to making big royalty checks. If you cannot put out the necessary volume, you should seek to get as much money upfront as possible and forget about royalties.
Thanks for the comment Synth Player!
Yes, definitely a numbers game.
You never know what track will play a lot and make you a lot of money.
If you have a guarantee for a network placement, would you sell your copyright for 150$? and only 50% writer share?
Thanks!
$300 upfront is a good deal depending on whether or not it’s a buy out.
I respectfully agree to disagree with SynthPlayer about a few things he mentioned:
1) It’s ok to sell everything, even writer’s share for a good upfront fee
I disagree
I’m fortunate to be in a position where I made enough mistakes early on in my composing career to get stung a few times, but moved on from them quickly enough to be much better off today. One big mistake I made was giving the writer’s share to a composer who paid me off (basically to not tell anyone I was scoring his TV shows). He went on to make many times what he paid me because not only was he a cheapskate, I also wrote the theme to one of his shows!
I only wrote for this person for about a year, but a friend of mine unfortunately kept writing for him for several years. My friend loved the steady paycheck, but never thought much further than next month’s rent check. He’s finally writing music for libraries that will generate him residuals, but today the difference between my friend’s royalties statement and mine is at least two digits, if not three.
2) “If you are not the type of composer that can write at least 200 or more songs a year, you really do not have a shot at living off of music royalties. It really is a number’s game.’
Somewhat agree with this, but not entirely
This is true for the bottom end of the business – in the royalty free world, and cable TV royalties. Royalty free prices are so low that you need to sell a lot to make a decent amount each month and with cable you need lots of airtime.
However, you can still make good money even if you lack quantity, as long as you have amazing music, written and produced at such a level that it stands up against what the top composers and record producers are putting out. One really good track could get used literally hundreds of times on one show, if it’s perfect for it. Sometimes library music gets used as a theme, like Curb Your Enthusiasm. Other times high end library music gets used as a recurring theme (segment theme) like in America’s Got Talent (Two Steps From Hell). They must have made hundreds of thousands from that show alone!
Quality also plays a huge part in the trailer world, which is getting more competitive. The license fees can be amazing, over $20K for a theatrical trailer license is not unusual (another reason to seriously consider buy-outs).
So my advice to any aspiring composer that is trying to work out how to make money from writing music is this: figure out what kind of composer you are – can you churn out decent stuff day after day and be happy with it? Or are you a perfectionist? There’s room for both types, you just have to connect with libraries and publishers that are appropriate for your style and skill set.
Excellent advice Matt…and so true.
Like you, I got stung early on (ghostwriting etc) for a steady paycheck. Fortunately, it led to better things.
Thank you for your thoughtful and knowledgeable answer.
All the best,
Michael
“…figure out what kind of composer you are – can you churn out decent stuff day after day and be happy with it? Or are you a perfectionist? There’s room for both types…”
I agree with that.
I am not very patient and I am definitely no perfectionist. I try to make songs fast and get them out there to the libraries and production companies. I am sure that my royalties will grow over time since I have a few hundred tracks out there.
I do not have the problem of getting my music placed anymore. I am at the next stage where I am getting frustrated by waiting for royalty payments to come. Sure, the money is coming. But in the meantime, I wouldn’t feel bad at all selling all rights to some songs for a hefty upfront fee. It would be no different than a regular 9-to-5.
Really interesting and inspiring post. I needed that.
Thanks
Pat
Yes, I agree, definitely.
Thanks for the comment.
I really wouldn’t want any music library to publish any tracks of mine that they didn’t think could be placed.
As far as “many were stylistically similar ” Art. I would assume that film libraries prefer a variety of tracks rather than a bunch of similar ones.
Yep, that’s probably true but I would have known earlier in the process. A couple of other libraries I have been submitting to let me know what’s been rejected. I then have a better feel on what to submit going forward.
These suggestions are all great and I’m sure the library owners will go over them and give them consideration.
Composers should be aware though that if a library owner has a budget to improve the functionality of their website they are probably going to go with improving the customer experience before adding more features for the composer.
Improved customer experience benefits the composer where it counts the most… in his/her paycheck.
Out of all the suggestions above (which many we already have implemented) I might add tracks plays vs sales stats and a more intuitive upload system.
Suggestion for Art:
Along with your suggestion list for library owners maybe start a discussion of how composers can best build their catalog and submit their music, what genres are popular, what types of edits and packages sell well, how to title and describe your music, etc.
I’ll bet the library owners would be glad to contribute.
A music library wishlist might be more beneficial to the composers visiting your site in regards to earning money than a composer wishlist for the library owners 😉
Great feedback Mark and great idea for a topic on how best to build a composers catalog. I do have one suggestion for musicloops.com and that is a mechanism for the composer to be notified when a track is rejected (some other sites do this). I have uploaded a number of tracks and a few of were rejected. It would have been nice to know about the rejected ones (I found out by accident) as it would help guide my future submissions.
Thanks again for the feedback and for being so pro-active!
I really don’t really disapprove enough songs to warrant the cost of implementing an entire feature to show how many tracks I haven’t approved. We are very picky about who we let into the library so there are not many tracks that don’t make it.
I also don’t like to advertise that I haven’t approved something because then I get the inevitable email from the composer asking why and giving me reasons why I should approve it. Sometimes the composer becomes obsessed with the perceived rejection and it gets pretty weird.
That being said I’ll have my programmers investigate, if it is easy I’ll see what I can do.
I can appreciate you being picky and I like that. It’s just that out of the 36 tracks I submitted 10 were rejected. As many were stylistically similar it would have helped to guide me, on your preferences, earlier in the process. Having a notification system might save everyone some time. Just a thought but it would be my vote.
Thanks for looking into it!
– No submission or uploading fees
– A regular, accurate accounting of licensing fees, including if there were none. (How many of you guys are getting back end from the PROs but never saw one licensing fee?)
– Cue sheet information (not sure if this one was already mentioned.
Maybe those wish lists should be separated into the different kinds of libraries (royalty free, license based, royalty based). All those things mentioned are great, but not applicable to all forms of music libraries.
For example, while it would be nice for royalty-free and license based libraries to let us keep all the writers and publishing income, it’s not applicable to companies that only receive performance royalties and base their whole business around receiving the publishing.
In the case of royalty based companies, confirmation of cue sheet filing would be amazing. In fact, it would be good for the publisher too, as the writers would be double checking the info is correct, and able to follow up with the PROs as well (extra pressure on the PROs when there’s money missing is always good)
Thanks again for a great resource, I check the site daily!
you guys have covered the whole shebang, methinks 😀
Shorter waiting period on accepted or declined submissions – let us know earlier if we’re in or out
Here’s a few more – we can always dream!
Standardized contract. Contract is either delivered to creator as a word doc, so it can be edited (not hand written), or contract is online, with electronic signature (available now – standard for realtors, etc.) Schedule A is either online as a standardized excel file.
Language of contract is simplified, in standard English, and not too long.
Composers can view status on all tracks (like Musicsupervisor.com) Listens, downloads, licenses, etc.
Quarterly reports of income are available online.
Payments to creator are made as fast as possible, within 1 week of the end of a payment period.
Complete information about where a track was used is available to the creator, so the creator can see the placement, and possibly use a clip in their reel.
Confirmation of cue sheet filing to creator (via email).
No fees for creators, including uploading tracks.
Ability of library to create short versions of cues (10, 15,30, 60, ringtones, etc.) automatically.
Online archive available to creators for of all reporting periods (Audiosparx does this well), along with any personal information stored (editing).
Careful pricing of music, appropriate for the market.
When putting out a call for needed music, the descriptions are clear, specific, along with true sound alike samples available easily online (Itunes, etc.)
Ability to cut short versions? Is anyone doing this well? Seems daunting and problematic to me offhand.
I cut my own.
I would think. Otherwise they’re just cut downs at best. No alt versions. Iffy chirping loops. But if someone is doing it successfully, swell.
Sorry… don’t mean to get bogged down on one item.
Automatic editing of versions isn’t really feasible unless you just want fade outs at the end of every edit which the customers of course would not go for.
Automatic looping with any type of quality seems impossible.