Facebook / Instagram Building Catalog of Music

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  • #31681 Reply
    Tbone
    Participant

    I just saw Facebook and Instagram are building a catalog of music, which among other ways, will be able to be used by people in their Instagram ‘stories’ – videos and photos that they upload to share with others. You can see this news at Distrokid’s website: https://news.distrokid.com/facebook-507b5e567593

    I can’t believe the way this is worded! For example:

    “Bonus: You didn’t ask… but yes… you will potentially be paid if someone uses your music in an Instagram story or other Facebook product.”

    On the one hand I do see potential for more publicity for artists, but on the other it just seems like a further devaluing of music. “Potentially paid” from your music being used?!

    What are your thoughts?

    #31688 Reply
    BEATSLINGER
    Participant

    Hmmm, it sounds to me like they are about to go the way of LinkedIn. You have a standard service that is free (That possibly soon to change) Then, you will have something to the effect of a “Much Enhanced, and/or Professional Account(s)”. Sounds like some “Pennies will be trickled down thru a subscription service”..

    I don’t think monies will/would be generated through these social media sites the way they currently are setup..

    ALSO. I am hoping that Legislature will be put in place to prevent Companies/Branding, Professional Media, and ANY Media with Monetary Revenue Streams from being able to use devalued/bargain rate music!! This should ONLY be made available to the general public, and people that are using Production Music for non-professional applications!!

    #31689 Reply
    Music1234
    Participant

    T Bone, a royalty will be paid by Harry Fox. I received $225.60 from Facebook via Harry Fox. This business just gets more and more overwhelming each year. It’s at a point where we need to spend 60% of our time registering our titles at PRO’s, Harry Fox, Sound Exchange. We need to manage ISRC codes ISWC codes, UPC codes

    https://blog.songtrust.com/songwriting-tips/isrc-iswc-whats-the-difference

    If we do not release our music onto the digital streaming platforms through distributors, we are not in line to collect these kinds of royalties. Harry fox has been sending me money for Spotify streaming, but the facebook royalties are a bit confusing…I have no idea how they determine the amount to pay or how my music is getting used. I do “opt in” to HFA’s distribution deals if I feel as though it makes sense, but the funny thing is, HFA does not have my music files….I just uploaded spreadsheets of Albums released on streaming platforms.

    Indeed, it’s all overwhelming and never eneding and one feels like your always behind with registrations at all these places. One thing for sure though, if we do register and release our works everywhere: PRO’s, HFA, Sound Exchange, ADREV, Tunesat, now I am looking into Soundmouse, money does fall from the sky. There just is not enough time to do all this admin BS. When you have a mountain of admin in front of you and a burning desire to create new music with your time, it does not make a compatible formula for success. The end result is that you have to work non-stop. It really is challenging on the brain. Think of all the logins and passwords we have to manage!

    Well now that this rant is over, I better remember to:
    – release 2 new albums
    – register them all at PRO’s, HFA, Sound Exchange, Sound Mouse
    -Write meta data, descriptions, and keywords for all titles
    -manage a mountain of spreadsheets for all these places
    -upload new music to stock sites
    -chase unclaimed performance royalties at foreign PRO’s and file claims for music on spots.
    -Manage all this data on my own computer

    it’s really just overwhelming. But if you don’t do the work, you don’t earn money!

    #31695 Reply
    Tbone
    Participant

    Music1234: That’s really interesting about how you got paid royalties through Harry Fox for Facebook! I’m so curious about the process involved in that. I wonder how they calculate the royalty rates, and what the uses were. Did they tell you which tracks of yours it was for?

    #31696 Reply
    Music1234
    Participant

    No. The only thing I can think of is that because all my albums are distributed to all digital streaming services (AKA DSP’s) Spotify, Apple, Deezer, YOUTUBE, Google Play, etc….for consumer listening, perhaps a lot of commercially released music is in the facebook deal through Harry Fox. Harry Fox pays streaming mechanical royalties. I really do not know how the facebook scenario is worked into the royalty distribution. No idea which tracks were “used”. The only thing I see on facebook is AI creating 60 second photo memory videos with cute little songs in the background. Maybe I had some cliche happy ukelele cues getting used for those kinds of streams? I certainly do not expect to make a killing from the Facebook deal! But every few hundred bucks matters so I’ll take it.

    Maybe some answers are here:

    Facebook Is Finally Putting Music Back Into Social Networking

    https://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-users-will-be-able-to-add-licensed-music-to-their-videos/

    #31706 Reply
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    I’m putting up a more simple thought. Any opportunity that tells me “This is potentially good exposure” as it does at the distrokid link makes me sure NOT to partake. I’ve been hearing the dreaded “E” word since I first started in the music business playing in bands, and all it’s ever meant is someone gains and I lose.

    #31707 Reply
    Music1234
    Participant

    Michael, I agree that the “exposure” card is always BS, but for 21 year kids making tunes and doing their social media dance “exposure” may very well work for them. Think of a hip hop artist, a 20 year attractive pop vocalist emerging out of nowhere because her obscure instagram video goes viral. It can happen. It will certainly not happen for us older music for film and tv guys. That is not our market at all.

    The instagram and snap chat world is a whole other world that teens are incredibly engaged in. All teenagers know how to edit video and create and upload content. They do it relentlessly from their phones and i-pads and macs. I have a couple of teen girls in my house. There are crazy things going on in youtube internet land with teens and they are living their lives on social media. (I suppose we all do these days) I know a 16 year old boy down the street who earned 30K in 2018 buying and re-selling nike shoes on some underground market. The “hobby” grew into a business and his mother had to manage the “shipping” department!

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