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So this week I signed the dotted line to compose 10 minutes of music for a driver/bicycle safety video from the Texas Dept of Transportation. Video is very professionally done. OK, I’m not exactly scoring it, but composing 4 tracks that will replace royalty-free music they had used originally. They now want the music to be theirs exclusively.
Of course, they will own the rights to the music… but it could go nationwide and I will be in the credits. Pretty excited to do this! Music is not complicated; typical corporate pop stuff. Being government based, their budget I was told is somewhat low, but I’m getting paid $1000… that’s $100 per minute of music. For a newbie, I think that’s a pretty good start!
How did I get this job? A friend who knew someone in a production agency in Texas.
Thoughts?
Congratulation David!
Make sure though that you only give them an exclusive Licence and that you keep the rights on the tracks (PRO): If it goes nationwide, and passes on TV, then you would get royalties.
100$ a minute is not that of a deal in my opinion. Some of my RF tracks have been out there for only a year, and have brought me more than 200$/min already just in licence fees…
Congrats David.
100$ a minute is not that of a deal in my opinion. Some of my RF tracks have been out there for only a year, and have brought me more than 200$/min already just in licence fees…
I agree with Eduardo on this, especially if they own the rights. $100 per minute is low, but if it’s your first job, then it’s a good start.
I charged $150 per minute for this kind of work 20 years ago AND kept all of the rights to all of the music, which is now forming the basis of much of my RF catalog. So, basically, I was paid upfront to compose my RF catalog.
Does this mean I can still file it with BMI?
Ask them if they plan to register the tracks with BMI. Usually the copyright holder will register the tracks. You will need to provide your writer’s share info.
Does the contract you signed have any statements about PROs and royalty splits? Most contracts usually lay those things out in detail.
Does this mean I can still file it with BMI?
Does the contract you signed have any statements about PROs and royalty splits? Most contracts usually lay those things out in detail.
My question would be why?
A 10 minute safety video for the Texas Dept of Transportation sounds like a non-broadcast educational product most likely shown to school kids, and in drivers’ training classes.
Going “nationwide” most likely means distribution through schools and civi organizations, etc, to be shown in classes and at meetings.
PRO’s do not collect money for these kinds of uses.
Take the money and run.
Of course, they will own the rights to the music
They don’t need to own the copyright to the music. Just a ‘license in perpetuity’ is all they need. As others have said, $100 per minute is not amazing money, and certainly not worth giving up royalties for the rest of your life on (and for 70 years after you die!)
I’ve given up my copyright (which effectively means the publishing royalties, and the ability to license the music on your own) on tracks plenty of times, but mostly at the start of my career (I made my share of rookie mistakes), and more lately, only when it made more sense. For example: being paid on a film project where I received an amount of money I could live on for a few months (and film producers are often determined to own all the ‘assets’). I sometimes still give it up if the upfront money is good – $1000 or more per minute, on projects like games and films. Writing for the top libraries requires it too, but they pay $1000 per track.
Regarding $$$ per minute of music… seems an odd way to charge. A simple one minute 3 track piece of just piano, bass and guitar will obviously take a lot less time and energy than a complex one minute 18 track epic orchestral piece. Yet, you’re saying it’s standard to be paid the same? Seems to me that being by the actual time it takes makes more sense.
That’s the way it’s done. This first time I scored a film / video like this was in the late 70’s. I’ve done hundreds since. The complex minutes tend to average out with the less complex minutes.
Set your per minute rate high, as if they’re all complex minutes, and if they turn out to be simple, good for you.
But,in reality, they’re all complex minutes.
Figure in the time that you spend communicating with the client, reviewing the film/video, getting approval of the music, possible rewrites, etc.Also, if you’re doing this right, buy that I mean syncing your DAW to the video and composing to picture, with appropriate hits and transitions, vs just composing 10 minutes worth of library music that they own, it will take time.
Ten minutes for this kind of project should take you 3 to 5 long days, max. So, $200 to $333 per day is not bad.
good points. yeah, as originally stated, this isn’t a true score synced with the video… simply replacing stock music with original music. i simply listen to the stock tracks and compose something similar, without ripping it off. so far, i’ve composed 4 tracks about 2 mins each in two days of work; guessing maybe 8-10 hours of total time. so far, the video people love what i’ve done!
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