Home › Forums › General Questions › Music agents vs RF sites
- This topic has 30 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 2 months ago by Kubed.
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September 19, 2014 at 4:53 am #18095ChuckMottParticipant
A nice position to be in, really. You can maybe be one of those guys who just refuses to do the royalty thing, I am assuming if you start getting deals that are getting you those kinds of fees consistently enough , you might start looking gat the 50/50 $50 splits and form the opinion that it is really not worth your time. On the other hand, others are of the opinion diversification (kind of like a stock portfolio) is the key. I have to tell you, I have been following your stuff, and if I am right you have a relatively small collection of tracks, BUT your stuff is really pro sounding , and you seems to have accomplished already what composers are still looking for, which is finding a unique voice and I really believe the combination of those two things are what is putting you over. This series of posts you are putting up on this topic is real food for thought for the rest of us I think, in several ways. Thanks for posting.
September 19, 2014 at 5:09 am #18097MichaelLParticipantif this is ok to ask (Art) would AS be considered a lower tier RF? (or similar) ?
Not IMO. They’re prices tend to be higher than many RF sites. I would think, “lower-tier RF “refers to micro-licensing sites, like those on AS “banned list.
Depending on where you put the emphasis in the sentence, lower-tiered RF sites could mean all RF sites, but I don’t think so.
September 19, 2014 at 5:10 am #18098JayGuestawesome…thanks Michael..spending the morning deleting RF stuff 🙂
September 19, 2014 at 5:33 am #18100MichaelLParticipantawesome…thanks Michael..spending the morning deleting RF stuff 🙂
Ironically, I’m doing the opposite. 😉
September 19, 2014 at 6:15 am #18102ChuckMottParticipantAfter a year and a half uploading to them, I think I am going to at least look hard at the ones I’m keeping (RF sites). I would think a minimum 2 year commitment to see how others do, possibly as long as 3. See what works , switch it up. If none of them are take a long hard look at what I am doing :). Any other recommended strategies?
September 19, 2014 at 6:38 am #18104Art MunsonKeymasterIronically, I’m doing the opposite.
+1.
Not going to kill my RF stuff as I’m close to averaging $1k per month (that’s across 4 RF sites). What I am doing is re-mixing/re-editing and tweaking my older tracks. All new music is going to an exclusive library.
September 19, 2014 at 6:42 am #18106Art MunsonKeymasterBTW I allot around 6 hours a week for the tweaking of older tracks.
September 19, 2014 at 6:46 am #18107ChuckMottParticipantSince the stuff is out there and is a reflection of what I do and I have (I hope) gotten better over time especially in regards to production, mixing, picked up decent mastering software< doing that for select tracks would probably be time well spent.
September 19, 2014 at 7:07 am #18108MichaelLParticipantIronically, I’m doing the opposite.
+1.Not going to kill my RF stuff as I’m close to averaging $1k per month (that’s across 4 RF sites). What I am doing is re-mixing/re-editing and tweaking my older tracks. All new music is going to an exclusive library.
I’m following a variation on Art’s theme, except that I will continue to create music specifically for RF libraries. I see it as a viable format for access to a vast array of non-broadcast consumers, who far outnumber broadcast users.
I believe that some music as best for RF and some that is better for exclusive.
September 19, 2014 at 7:15 am #18110AdviceParticipantI agree with Michael that the best approach is to have separate music catalogs for different markets, e.g. high end film/TV sync, RF, etc.
That being said, **IF** you want to place the same track in these different markets (non-exclusive deals of course), you probably want different titles and artist names (use a pseudonym on RF) for each usage to strongly minimize the odds of this happening. I’ve heard of folks doing that.
September 19, 2014 at 8:37 am #18111Art MunsonKeymasteryou probably want different titles and artist names (use a pseudonym on RF) for each usage to strongly minimize the odds of this happening. I’ve heard of folks doing that.
I don’t know. I tried that for awhile but didn’t see much of a difference so I stopped. YMMV though!
September 19, 2014 at 8:46 am #18112ChuckMottParticipantI’m not not going to upload to RF sites that work, that would be silly at this point. I am going to probably close out RF sites that aren’t working in the very near future. Some libraries have caused me to set expectations that others haven’t lived up to – 2 to be exact. But I am not in a lot of them anyway. There is ne more I think I’d like to get into eventually other then that, I would have to see a good argument made for joining another. By the time I hit the five year point, if I haven’t made substantial progress in placing stuff in NE and Exc. libraries that work for me, I may then focus on RF sites, who knows.
September 19, 2014 at 11:40 am #18113AdviceParticipantFirst, Congrats Kubed on the deal. You are lucky that it didn’t all fall apart and it went through at the right price!
Being in RF libraries, to itself, can’t hurt you IMHO. It’s a market segment like anything else. But competing against yourself with such a wide price difference could (as you found out) be a problem.
We would think that in most cases, a sup considering a $3000 sync deal to use your track wouldn’t also be looking at lower budget RF libraries. That’s usually true– these folks generally don’t have time for that or care to bother. However, something as simple as Google-ing your name can turn up all sorts of stuff. So a sup could Google you for other reasons and all of a sudden stumble on a $3K track being offered somewhere for $49.
I have not followed this advice completely myself but that is where the whole unique title and pseudonym could come in to play.
Or, as Michael said… If you are really concerned, don’t mix your apples and bananas to begin with.
September 19, 2014 at 1:53 pm #18118JayGuestIronically, I’m doing the opposite. 😉
I write indie rock/folk/pop songs etc. and my stuff just doesn’t sell in the RF market…but I do real well w/TV and indie film placements/sat radio…I always felt I was cheapening what I do being in RF sites but never really thought it could hurt until now…1 more site to clean up and I’m RF free 🙂
September 19, 2014 at 2:21 pm #18120MichaelLParticipantI write indie rock/folk/pop songs etc. and my stuff just doesn’t sell in the RF market…but I do real well w/TV and indie film placements/sat radio
A perfect example of music doing well in one arena and not the other.
I don’t do indie rock/folk/pop. My catalog mostly comes from music composed, over the years, for non-boradcast clients and is tailored for their needs. I wouldn’t waste my time trying to market it through broadcast-oriented libraries…the opposite of what is a good choice for you!Best of luck!
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