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We’ll all drive ourselves nuts going in circles, like the old guys who gather for lunch at McDonald’s everyday to complain about the way things are, and how much better it was “back in the day.”
To be honest, when I was getting $1,500 or $3,000 to produce a 30 second spot, after I paid the musicians and the studio, there wasn’t much more left for me than what songloft got paid. And… I didn’t get backend. But, in most instances, I balanced that by retaining ownership of the compositions.
I don’t want to see $1 fees either, which is why I don’t put cues into those libraries. I just licensed a RF cue for $169. It was a cue that I wrote five years ago, so to me it’s pennies from heaven, which helps to pay the bills, while I write more.
Music, like many other things, has been commodified by competition. It’s like selling suits “off the rack now,” witness the plethora of U2/Coldpay soundalikes. We’re well into what Alvin Toffler predicted 40+ years ago in “Future Shock.”
That being said, I think we’re experiencing a lot of what I’ll call the local evening news phenomena. Local news tends to focus on the negative, like who got shot at 3am walking home from the subway. Repeated exposure to those stories, makes suburbanites, far from the violence, fear for their lives, irrationally.
There was a composer interview last year, in which the writer said that he/she was making 100K from RF libraries alone. It hardly caused a blip on the radar. But,the more I look around, I notice a number of people doing fairly well. I think what’s happening is that many of those doing well simply don’t post here, or participate in these circular debates. They are too busy.
The same thing happens on another forum, where a handful of “old” flim composers dominate to conversation, which tends to be about how bad things are now, compared to the “glory days.”
This is not to say that things aren’t different now than they were before. I’m just not convinced that things are worse. Because of the way I work, and the way that I’m adjusting to the business, I see opportunity.
Unfortunately that is often the case, what one person sees as decline, another sees as opportunity.
I agree with you Michael L. Trying to buddy up with that powerful creative director and executive producer at the agencies I mentioned above is a very tall order. I’ve played that game before. If people want 20K post score assignments, you’d better become best friends with all the CD’s at the biggest ad agencies in the world and hope they are nice enogh to set aside that coin in the budget. Otherwise leverage your catalog to generate as many RF sales as possible, needle drops, and as many back end royalty placements into TV shows as possible.
The 100K earners in RF land, though, are really only about .001% of all the players playing this game. Jared is probably making 500K a quarter in royalties. You all know who I’m talking about…
NOBODY worked that spot for pittance except the music providers.
MichaelL’s point is well-taken. That’ll teach me to choose my words with more care, unlike my quote above! I should’ve stressed the service, the JOB the music was providing as an element of the spot without commensurate compensation. Touche!
More Advice wrote:
It all sucks, but like I said earlier $1 pay days are right around the corner for the 30 second commercial. It’s probably already happened.
Then we’re in a whole lotta trouble, aren’t we? There’s no living in that and little economic reason to create those tracks. It reminds me of what Groucho Marx said after the Crash of 1929, “The jig is up.”
-Mark Holden
How long has it been since you first contacted them and they haven’t replied?
Just contact the agency producer and ask if the spot officially aired.
ask: can you please transfer me to the producer for Dawn, I love the music on their new commercial and I want to find out who composed it?
Until the license term is divulged there’s nothing to discuss.
Just contact the agency producer and ask if the spot officially aired.
I would NOT do this …yet.
First of all, it IS airing (see above). and second, its first air date was june 17. That’s less than 5 months ago. a tiny bit late, but definitely not unheard of to be that late on a sync fee or a notification. It may still be on the way. maybe.
Until the license term is divulged there’s nothing to discuss.
Faux man, don’t be calm and rational. We’re adopting scorched earth policy around here, burning bridges and all. 😀
Wilx 2…if it did air, the music was decided on 1 week before the air date of June 17, and someone cleared the music. A license was granted PRIOR to the spot going to air, and even the most lame agencies will pay up within 60 to 75 days so my guess is that the library was paid in August. You know I listened again, and what makes this even more disturbing is the fact that there are background vocals on the track which usually means a SAG contract can get filed so the vocalists can collect residuals and get paid “per play” for network airtime….especially for PROCTOR and GAMBLE!!
This really is a big turn of events, P&G has always been a company that hires agencies that are signatory to the SAG union. All on camera actors and VO Talents will earn residuals, but the singers won’t get paid because the track was discovered in a library…or…. Hmmm…. perhaps the library decided to make themselves be the singers on the SAG contract? I’ve seen this kind of stuff before guys! I am not accusing…just thinking out loud of all the possible things that can happen and I’ve seen happen. Keep up the investigation especially since your calls are being ignored…The library has to be straight with you.
Songloft, do you live in the USA?
Has the license been divulged or is the library still dodging your e-0mails and calls hoping you will be satisfied with $62.50 for a national P&G spot?
So they haven’t actually paid you for this placement, but they have paid your cowriter? Is that correct?
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