For Love of Music…

[johnnyboy]

Wondering… it seems the priority of members on MLR, are more concerned with making money than composing. How many of you would be composing if the money train came to an end? I think of all the poor great composers, that loved their art. It was their life. The music to them was the reward. Maybe change the name of this website to “Music Money Report”. Any music lovers out there?

[Art Munson]

Wondering… it seems the priority of members on MLR, are more concerned with making money than composing.

That’s a bad thing? There is idealism and common sense. To make the leap that if you are interested in making money with your music you are not a lover of creating music is ridiculous. I have been writing music for over 50 years and much of it has never made any money. Making money, or not, would never stop me from making music.

[johnnyboy]

Not ridiculous Art. I see the question angers you. You and I are from another generation. Many younger music creators are more focused on making money. No, making money isn’t a bad thing, but if that’s the top priority, it will definitely affect the music. It becomes merely a product and not art, Art.

[mikevan]

Writing music for the sake of writing music is wonderful. Alas we have to pay our bills and gone is the age of patron of the arts willing to pay for our compositions… If you’re in a forum for licensing music, you probably want to make money out of it. I’ve been a professional musician all my adult life and what I noticed since the advent of digital studios and the internet is that a lot of composers are willing to compose and sell music for little or no money cos it’s just a part time job or a passion for them. A lot of musicians are willing to play live for little or no money for the same reason… Don’t want to open a can of worms but we all know how the story goes… So, I guess that people on MLR should be interested in making money out of their music, a lot of it, actually… sorry for the little rant…

[johnnyboy]

Yes, it’s a trade-off Mike. Musicians/ composers have always needed to wear many hats. Teaching, playing, selling CD’s, or even a job at the local grocery store.

I’m thinking of the track creators that knock-off a hundred tracks in one day. Then flood music libraries with thousands of mediocre tracks. Thus, creating a situation for cheap music. Thank goodness some libraries limit the number of submissions now. I read where one guy was complaining, he had a couple thousand tracks and the library would only let him submit a few at a time. He said, it will take years to load my tracks into that library.

So, here’s my priorities:

1. Compose the best, most thought-out music I’m able to do (even if it takes two days to achieve one track). Took me two weeks of full-time daily work composing a sonata.

2. Interested in where my music was placed and how it was used. More important is whether it could be heard well and the duration.

3. And last, how much money my music is making.

[mikevan]

Hey Johnny

tons of mediocre tracks is very bad too but the problem is solved by curated, serious libraries. Surely, a lot of more ‘generic’ libraries that used to do well for me have been swamped by that tide so you hardly get any play, let alone sales…
I always tried to go for quality too, I think is what may make you stand out, I used to add a guitar solo section to my rock library tracks, just for the fun of it and I still spend the extra hour to get the right sound or chord progression or a tiny bit of originality… But when I work on library music I have to think about selling the track, not satisfying my ego or artistic needs… It has to serve a purpose…

[johnnyboy]

“But when I work on library music I have to think about selling the track, not satisfying my ego or artistic needs… It has to serve a purpose…” – Mike

I like to think both can be accomplished. A lot has to do with finding your niche. Something you do better than others. Of course, then the library may pigeonhole you. Anyway, you sound like you’ve got your hear together – ha, ha. Best

[MichaelL]

I started composing when I was 9 or 10. Making money wasn’t part of the picture. Yes, I would still write. If you only write for money, there’s a lot of music that you’ll never write and there’s a good chance that you’ll write a lot of music that you don’t care about. That said, if you’ve chosen this path find a way to be passionate about it.

[Music1234]

Of course we like composing, but we also like making money and we come here to discuss our business.

Maybe change the name of this website to “Music Money Report”.

I started and joined a band for fun, but I was surrounded by people who made a living making and playing music on a professional level. My father, uncles, grandfather, brothers, sister, even cousins. So I was born into the make money while making and performing music concept. I quickly began to make money from performing then writing and producing for ads. I always made a bunch of music and never knew if would make money or not make money. I actually always thought library and stock music would end up being extra “hobby” income at most, but then it became full time income. So in summary, I made music for fun, then for money, then for fun again, then to make money again. This forum is called “Music Library Report”. It’s a place where professionals come to exchange ideas about how to make money off of production, film, tv, advertising, and trailer music. Production music by nature engages in commerce, that is the main purpose, to service the media industry with useful compositions, scores, soundtracks, catchy tunes for all media.
So yep, we are here to make music and make money. I almost never am getting paid money to compose new music soundtracks, but then I bring those tracks to market and it eventually makes money. It’s the best of both worlds.

[boinkeee2000]

I like to make music PERIOD. whether its for a brief, for the challenge, for therapy, for art, for purpose, and yes for money. same way i like to do gigs whether its a big event for big bucks, a hole in the wall for some change, or a friends bday party for some cake. Im not sure if anyone does any type of music solely for the money. dont misconstrue someones financial determination (or desperation) derail the fact that this is still passion at its core, only priorities change not the means. in fairness the guy who does loops and assembles songs still gets a kick out of making something.

and if theres ever a Music Lovers Report i’ll join that too lol.

[LAwriter]

Maybe change the name of this website to “Music Money Report”.

That works for me. Hey Art – do I still get my lifetime subscription?? 🙂

Seriously – everybody has to eat Johnnyboy. And other than the EXTREME difficulty of “making it”, I see no downside to making a living writing music. If you want to be a “soul surfer”, great – but don’t blame the uber-talented professional athletes who get sponsored and become celebrities in their own right in that sport. Being a composer is not really much different. Being a professional by definition means making a living at it – and that requires the ever evil $$$ that you seem to believe corrupts art. Sorry if it sounds harsh, but from my experience, it’s usually sour grapes that bring on that reaction from those who can’t compete…

The most artistic and gifted folks I have ever met have been extremely business savvy, and DO in fact focus on making a living with their art. And the folks I’ve met who despise the corruption of art for the sake of art….eh…they are generally either educators or not that great at the art part of things.

I’m proud to have earned the right to call myself a professional. It was difficult, and yeah, I’m focused on money when I create. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about the music. And BTW, I earned the right to be called a professional the old fashioned way. If you want to be a hobbyist I say go for it!! Maybe lobby for “Music Hobby Report”.

Oh, and a 100 tracks a day? LOL Exaggerate much?

And yeah, I’d still make music if I had another job that paid my bills. There are occasional days when I do regret taking a music career over another path. With the same skills I’ve put into my art, if I put them into virtually any other “real” business I’d be living on an island in the pacific by now. Only a fool goes into music for the money.

[johnnyboy]

Well, if nothing else, my post provoked you guys to bare your musical souls. LOL

Best, the Hobbyist Composer

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