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All of my music thus far has been non-exclusive with a small handful of libraries, but I have been reading about the pros and cons of having exclusive material with just one publisher. I just recently finished a small batch of cues that I’m really proud of, and I would like to get them into an exclusive library, but I have a question about the submission process:
Since it is commonplace for libraries to take a while to review music, is it acceptable to submit the tracks to more than one librarie simultaneously while waiting for them to get back to me, or is it proper to only approach one at a time?
I want to be professional and foster good relationships, so I do not want to put any library owners out by having them waste time listening to works that have already been picked up by another publisher who happened to review quicker. However, if library A takes 1 month to review and decline the tracks, library B takes 3 months to review and decline, etc, it could be a long time before these tracks get picked up.
Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
There are a lot of libraries that will never contact you back. So, while I understand your trying to be nice and fair about the whole thing, several of them will not be courteous with you and let you know one way or the other. Therefore, having just submitted to one library, you could be waiting for a very long time thinking (hoping) they will let you know. It’s the don’t contact us, we’ll contact you if we are interested approach. It can be rather maddening, but this is where great patients is needed.
Personally, I submit to several exclusive’s that I have chosen at one time. Take the time to research which libraries you want your music in, submit to them all at once and wait and see what happens. Don’t worry about hurting their feelings because you won’t. You can always resubmit to them in the future with new material.
This is only my approach. There are three publishers that when I submit something to any one of them (I don’t send it to anyone else for about a month or so). In my experience, hearing back beyond four weeks has a very diminished likelihood of occurring. The hottest bites usually occur within a day or two.
If I haven’t heard back from a submission to one of those particular libraries, I will then try the other two. After that, I will shotgun it out to a larger circle of exclusives that I want to work with. Still no bites? Is there something ‘stinky’ about the cue? If yes, I’ll either try to address it or relegate it to the archives. If there doesn’t appear to be anything ‘wrong’ with the cue, I’ll then use it for non-exclusives. Since most of my work is being taken by a few exclusives, my non-excl. catalog is growing at a snail’s pace.
There is an exception with one particular exclusive company I work with whose business model is radically different to others. I always know whether or not they accept or reject a cue because of the way the submission process works. It’s not dissimilar to Crucial.
That’s just my approach. It won’t necessarily work for others.
Ultimately, you are trying to ‘sell’ your product. How badly you want in to a particular library will shape how long you are willing to allow them to respond before moving on. In some cases a very polite follow up email after an appropriate period is worth while. One specific publisher I can think of states on their website that a follow up after four weeks is acceptable.
On the other hand, you may want to simply take the shotgun approach and it’s first exclusive that bites gets your work. I don’t think there’s a right answer as such. But whatever you decide to do, be professional about it.
Etiquette? …Politeness?… Tippy Toeing?…Ass kissing music libraries? Are you kidding me? Is this where composers are now at? Are we desperate fools hoping than an exclusive publisher will bless us graciously by allowing our music compositions into their sacred libraries?…Please, give me a break. There is no “etiquette”…you worked hard at writinng a cue right? You submit it to the libraries. They either take it or they don’t…you just move on. Exclusive libraries should be paying an advance for cues they want to publish and market as “EXCLUSIVELY” their track forever in perpetuity.
Don’t ever feel as though you are doing something harmful by writing to them and asking if they want the cue or not a week after submission. Remember, you are doing them a favor by asking them to publish YOUR music so THEY can make royalties and revenue from your hard work…your creation…your intellectual property.
Please composers…there is no reason to bow down to exlusive libraries…no reason whatsoever…do not empower them by showing any form of weakness…do not allow yourself to be taken advantage of, or feel as though they have power over you…they don’t! Just submit the cue ask if they want it…and move on if they don’t.
Don’t ever feel as though you are doing something harmful by writing to them and asking if they want the cue or not a week after submission. Remember, you are doing them a favor by asking them to publish YOUR music so THEY can make royalties and revenue from your hard work…your creation…your intellectual property.
Please composers…there is no reason to bow down to exlusive libraries…no reason whatsoever…do not empower them by showing any form of weakness…do not allow yourself to be taken advantage of, or feel as though they have power over you…they don’t! Just submit the cue ask if they want it…and move on if they don’t.
what he said..
Without the agressive tone of some of the posts I see here… When people talk about a-kissing, not bowing down, not being taken advantage of, etc, a red flag goes up for me as far as the professionalism of that composer. Too much attitude for my taste.
If you KNOW that any of the libraries involved has a fairly short response time, it would be better to go one at a time with any of those first rather than deliberately create a situation you could avoid. Also, if you have established relationships, they often respond faster and you may want to check with those first, unless you are purposely seeking to branch out.
In general, when there are long response times anticipated, I see nothing wrong with submitting a track for consideration to multiple exclusive libraries and then making a decision based on the results. If you sign the track with Library A and Library B contacts you after, you can politely tell Library B the track is no longer avaialble and ask if you can submit other similar ones. As long as you are polite and professional, it should be fine.
Follow the one simple rule… Just don’t be a jerk about it.
😀
Without the agressive tone of some of the posts I see here… When people talk about a-kissing, not bowing down, not being taken advantage of, etc, a red flag goes up for me as far as the professionalism of that composer. Too much attitude for my taste.
+1…once again good, mature, advice from Advice.
@ producer composer, I have known, dealt with, and met a lot of library owners, particularly of the exclusive variety. They are all pretty much regular human beings, who have never been rude to me, or required any a-kissing or bowing down. To the contrary they have all been complete professionals who have shown interest in my work, and nothing but the respect that you seem to find lacking.
Well written, well produced, functional music in the proper format, along with a professional attitude can open doors and move mountains. I am speaking of exclusive libraries, that pay up front, where it is possible to develop relationships. In the cattle-call market of non-exclusives, where relationships are nearly non-existent, all bets are off.
_MichaelL
Even in the non-exclusive market, the library owners/representatives whom I have had contact with have been very helpful, personable, appreciative, accomodating, etc. I have seen no treatment that would warrant an “Us VS. Them” mentality.
Yup, that’s the point. 🙂
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