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“before any more composers want to go over their library’s head and hound multiple producers and music supervisors at big shows over measly sums of money, they might want to do a reality check.”
+100
I’ve heard that this is a problem from several libraries AND producers. It happened to a producer that I work with, and he was not happy. It is just one of the many reasons that libraries are developing exclusive catalogs, so there is no question where the track came from.
Someone needs to start a “boot camp” on how to navigate these waters in a businesslike and professional manner. Failure to do so is the musician’s Achilles heel.
“Someone needs to start a “boot camp” on how to navigate these waters in a businesslike and professional manner. Failure to do so is the musician’s Achilles heel”…
So true about non-professional behavior… Sadly, within any large group of people, there will be some a-holes who make it bad for everyone else.
Whoa! Name calling is a little over the top, isn’t it?… It’s debatable whether submitting music to JP is a “professional” pursuit. “Crowd sourcing” is what it is. JP (and others) take freely provided content and sign blanket agreements with it that they get paid for without sharing the proceeds with anyone and they also give the content away when it suits them. In this scenario the composer is hardly being treated as a professional. Even though contacting the production company is *not* the way to go about it I can hardly blame someone (who might not be very experienced) for wanting to find out why they aren’t being paid. I think that maligning that person, especially in light of the treatment they are receiving from JP, is a bit unfair and certainly unproductive.
Just sayin’…
“Whoa! Name calling is a little over the top, isn’t it?…”
I agree Kiwi. I think everyone should take a deep breath about all of this. Here’s a quote I came up with a few years ago that might put some things into perspective. It can apply to both music libraries and composers.
“Music is business, business is war, war is hell, adapt or die!”
Name calling? I was referring to people who hound music supervisors directly about placements from libraries. Did it seem otherwise?
It that was inappropriate, I apologize. 🙂
@Kiwi, I agree. Â Whether “crowd sourcing” ala JP is professional pursuit is debatable, and I agree with respect to name calling.
I was, however, referring to one’s conduct in business in general (which btw includes name calling.. good call on the apology Advice), not specifically submitting to JP. There are unwritten rules that you learn over time…a long time.
What I’ve observed, over the past few decades, is that the most successful composers are the ones who get it…who understand that this is a business and all that entails.
>Name calling? I was referring to people who hound music supervisors directly about placements from libraries. Did it seem otherwise?<
No, it didn’t seem otherwise. You referred to people who contact music supervisors directly as “a-holes”. That’s what I was referring to when I used the term “name calling” and I think that’s unfair in this context.
I apologize. Art, feel free to delete that comment.
Ok. I think we’re moving on now, right?… For the record, I love you all for taking the time and effort to have these sorts of conversations here regardless of whatever little detours happen along the way. I learn a lot from these exchanges and I don’t know where else I could get this…
I think this whole exchange illustrates part of the complexity I was talking about earlier in this thread. The whole non-exclusive re-title model opened up this crowd sourcing aspect of music licensing several years ago and plenty of people have been lured in with the promise of “get your music on tv”. Now there’s a “wild west” atmosphere surrounding it and you have a landscape filled with a few seasoned professionals and a whole lot of people that are doing it on the side or dreaming of a career that likely won’t be possible. In the example of contacting a production company directly I certainly understand why someone would take that route in the current climate despite the fact that I have the experience to know it’s not a good move. On the other hand, I really can’t feel any sympathy for JP or other people who have signed with them when someone does this. We’ve all create this reality together (JP and all the other libraries and the all the contributors) and these types of reactions are just natural manifestations of a marketplace that has gone a little nutty.
I think MichaelL said something similar previously but I’m wondering if we’re not seeing the start of an era where the floodgates get closed a bit and professionalism starts to have a value again. I pretty much hope that’s the case but I bet there will be some discomfort along the way as many of us start to feel the squeeze.
I think Art’s comment is right on the money: “Music is business, business is war, war is hell, adapt or die”
Maybe it’s just me as I’ve always been the guy who sees the glass half full instead of half empty. All of the hand wringing about JP, the state of the library business, non-exclusive or non-exclusive, etc is just so much speculation and conjecture. Interesting conversation, for sure, but I think it’s better to be looking for the opportunities that lurk within instead of getting mired in what was or what should be. Those who can find those opportunities will be the winners going forward. It’s why there was an Apple, Google and even JP. They found a niche and filled it.
I’m filled with quotes today so here’s another from a few decades ago.
“Nothing changes but the changes!”
@Scott “Too bad if some think that was unprofessional and resort to name calling. I don’t think it was unprofessional of me to do the research.”
For the record: I would probably have done the same as you.
My comment with the now infamous “name calling” was not directed at you, Scott. If someome has a very specific situation to resolve, in can be very appropriate to contact a music sup or production company directly.
I was referring to more generic, unprofessional behavoir– calling music sups for minor, trivial things or hounding them with many phone calls, emails, etc. A number of libraries have sent out warning emails that their clients have been annoyed with all sorts of calls and inquiries. Libraries can even lose good clients this way.
Common sense… Professionalism… Always needed.
😀
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