Lowest Sync fee for a National TV Ad you've seen…

[Advice]

I hope the owner of the library will come on here and give their side.

On the surface, it’s easy to say the library stinks. But we need to be careful. We really only know what the original poster’s side of the story is. While I have no reason to doubt what the OP is saying, I’ve seen enough (in general on forums) to be careful about jumping to any conclusions.

[MichaelL]

@Advice…I don’t think we’re jumping to conclusions. The sync fee is sort of secondary to me. The larger issue is the lack of response by the library to the OP’s repeated inquiries. He has a legitimate question and they’ve stone-walled him, which is not good.

[More Advice]

I’d also like to say that I am concerned because my tracks are in this place because a publisher is also sub publishing my works in this catalog’s search engine. So they too, can license my content into spots if their client discovers my music (our music) for those who are also in there.

These guys know what they are doing and they have been around the block and in the music for advertising business for some time now. I believe the company was conceived from a traditional music house called
http://www.musikvergnuegen.com/

I want these places to succeed, but please succeed with integrity and truthfulness. I know the woman who licensed the track at the ad agency in New York City, not personally face to face, but I have spoken with her on the phone, and I have her direct dial. Let’s set the record straight and come clean as to why the composer is not getting paid and why the license was granted for seemingly $250 to be split 3 ways.

Did Proctor and Gamble REALLY only have $250 left in the budget?

[songloft]

Hello all. As the OP I wanted to chime in.
I usually earn a few thousand annually with this library for past few years.
I ended up hiring an attorney for this. Sometimes for me it’s a matter of principal and I will pay lawyer fees — even if I know it’s a net loss money wise.

With the attorney CC’d the library president finally responded.
It was underwhelming to say the least. He hadn’t really looked into what I was talking about and asked if we could follow up after thanksgiving break. He apologized for blowing me off as well.
I am going to follow up with them tomorrow and I will update this thread.

[Walter Werzowa]

Dear Chris Villepigue,

I did receive a link to this blog today and please let me rectify.
$250 was billed for testing of the spot. A $5,000 license was billed
06/19/13 when it turned into a national spot. This invoice was not collected in the following 10 days until end of statement period (Which is 06/30/13). Like every composer in the library, we will pay moneys according to our contract. You will receive your share (please note you cowrote this track with Mr.Shaw) according to agreed terms with you.
I hope you can appreciate that you even get paid for testing the spot.
I am sorry if this created any confusion and a lot of commotion. I wish I had heard about this earlier to avoid stress and hurtful comments in the blog. Please contact me directly if there is any further question. I will meet with Luke as to why you did not get a quicker response to your question, I am truly sorry for that. Please understand with administering over 21 000 copyrights, researching billing can take some time.
sincerely, Walter Werzowa

[More advice]

This is very positive news Walter and you are an honorable person to come here and clear the air. I would not hold anything against Chris as he did nothing wrong. When you see your spot airing and airing away on national TV and you make basic e-mail inquiries about a license and those inquiries are met with silence and avoidance…it is quite normal for composers to get concerned. You too know this as you write yourself.

I am glad to hear that P & G paid $5000 for this spot. This is positive news. I think Art can now clear your name here at MLR and it’s a shame it had to come to this. However, this was your staff’s fault!

I want MB to succeed too, my tracks can get licensed through your company. Thanks again for coming here and restoring confidence in your company (and this business of music for media). Just ask your staff to be more responsible to these types of inquiries. If a writer sees his spot on the air he/ she is going to want to know what the license fee is, and when he’ll be paid. Everyone needs to understand that, especially your staff.

[SongLoft]

Hi Walter. I appreciate you taking the time to comment here.

My purpose for posting on MLR was to check in with other composers on the general state of sync royalties.

My issue with Music Beyond is that, I know I am owed a statement and payment, dating back to late September (my co-writer received one)
To date, I still haven’t received a statement or a payment for that period.

So this is a separate issue altogether from what the sync fee amount was.

Please know that my goal here is to create great music for you ( like the kind that gets picked for P&G spots!) and not spend energy on complaints.
Composer often get the short end of the stick — I’m used to it . However, the lack of response here was something I couldn’t accept.

-Chris

[wilx2]

Nice one Songloft!

I had a feeling it would end up something like this…

[Walter Werzowa]

Thanks for wrapping this up. I am glad we could resolve this together.
I will look into your statement request asap. As promised I will talk with my team as to what happened in which time span. I see your first post on November 11, today is Dec 3rd. – This is 3 weeks, one of which was Thanksgiving. I do not want you to feel neglected, please consider research does take time and effort. November/December our asset management software is getting updated with new features. We will put you on the fast track for all future concerns, I hope there will be none though.
sincerely,
Walter

[More advice]

Absolutely, wilx and you have our support SL. No one wants this type of outcome in our business, so Library owners who may be listening and reading this thread: now you know that there is a policing mechanism out there for composers with MLR.

Libraries, we all know that your ideal business model is this:

– Composers’ will send in great tracks and never bother you again
– you pay us when you want to, usually 6 to 9 months after the project
– don’t ever contact us to ask any questions about license fees for our music.

This is unrealistic.

Just remember that you all, as library owners and music licensing sites, made the choice to manage a truck load of intellectual property from hundreds of different people. You will have to communicate with these composers (us guys) from time to time, especially when the music is being heard frequently on a national spot. If you do not have a simple database infrastructure in place to field e-mail inquiries about licenses sold and fees to be paid, you may want to create the infrastructure, especially if you have the success of selling 21,000 licenses a year.

[Art Munson]

Yes, thanks for responding Walter. Much appreciated by all!

[Walter Werzowa]

-More advice – This entry comes across very frustrated. I did re-read my response and it does not indicates that I nor other libraries do not want to talk with you (or composers). The Libraries I am familiar with and Beyond do not just pay when they want, the follow a standard of collecting over a 6 month period and pay composers their share within an mutually agreed timeframe. Lets keep this blog productive and let libraries know what and how we should do things differently. You can share that with the Production Music Association or I can do that on your behalf.
Best,

Walter

[MichaelL]

now you know that there is a policing mechanism out there for composers with MLR.

I think the phrase you’re looking for is vigilante mechanism…fanning the flames of revolution with half the facts, and incorrect assumptions.

The only questionable practice by the library, as it turns out, was the failure to respond following an inquiry. The rest of the thread about, what the client really had to spend, and that the library was possibly charging more, but pocketing the unsuspecting composer’s money, was way over the top, out of control speculation.

What libraries should be aware of is that this forum is becoming a place where they get profiled and vilified before the facts are known. They might as well be wearing hoodies.

[wilx2]

Well said, Michael L.

I would also add that, in my experience, I simply can’t make good music when I’m pessimistic. Very important to keep at least some optimism alive in the creative process.

[Art Munson]

This thread will be closed as Walter was kind enough to come here and clear the air. The fact is we should all be aware of not over reacting (myself included). It’s easy to take shots at someone (or company) when you are anonymous so those of you who are, please take heed. Most people are trying to run an honest business and because they are human mistakes will be made.

BTW I have removed the library’s name from this thread.

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