Quality of Production Music Today

[MichaelL]

@the Dude…(apologies to Jeff Bridges)

I’ve been writing for exclusive AND RF libraries for 35 years. I think my point was that they are both viable revenue streams. And, if you read my follow-up, comparing the two is really apples and oranges.

I actually don’t believe in “ranking” one above, or below, that other, because they serve different functions in the food chain. My argument, if any, is against the knee jerk tendency to argue for or against one or the other….more or less what you said, when you quoted yourself. 😉

Cheers,
Michael

[woodsdenis]

[audio src="http://www.sample-modeling.com/Demos/An_Awfully_Big_Adventure.mp3" /]

On the subject of real v samples check out the above link.

[More advice]

[Removed by moderator. Please do not hijack threads!]

[Art Munson]

I just removed content in the last post from “More advice” as it was not appropriate to the thread. Please keep on topic.

[Mr.composer]

Hey Michael,

You’ve been writing for exclusive and non exclusive for 35 years, got your own library, give hours of advice on here and are a lawyer too! Wow, that’s amazing! You must be supremely talented! 🙂 I find it difficlut enough just writing for an exclusive. Very time consuming… Going to sessions, recording orchestras, getting musicians round.

Just amazing you are able juggle all these things so well! Be great to hear some of your music btw! Have you a website we can visit? I have been a big fan of your insightful postings for some time. It would be great to hear what you can do!

[MichaelL]

Hi Mr.Composer

Thanks for the kind words.

There’s an easy answer to that riddle. I didn’t /don’t do it all at the same time. I composed documentary scores and library music for about 25 years. Then, I went to law school and practiced law, which took a chunk of ten years. Then, I left law and went back to composing a few years ago.

If you add all that up, you’ll realize that I’m no kid. If you’re around long enough, you’re bound to learn a thing or two, or to at least sound like you did. 😉

I’m no Daryl Griffith, Donn Wilkerson or Mark Petrie. And…I’m more or less starting over. I think my website (a work in progress) would be anti-climactic at this point. There’s probably a good story in all of this.
Maybe I’ll do one of Art’s interviews…down the road.

Back to renovating and selling my house, which is that start of the next chapter. 🙂

Cheers,
Michael

[Mark Lewis]

“if you don’t like royalty -free, you are clinging to the old model”

Yes, that was very paraphrased and you threw in a bit of a major Obama gaff there just for good measure. Well done.

I think I said “leave us alone to disrupt your industry”. The two people in the discussion seemed to be so angry and abusive that I was thinking there must be some underlying reason for their vehemence against a business model and a class of composer they have nothing to do with. Why were/are they so angry? I still don’t get it.

It’s that there’s no need for anyone to put down or judge anyone else because of their opinions about differing business models.

Exactly. Maybe you could quote and paraphrase where RF composers are calling names and putting down the musical integrity and business decisions of mr composer.
You will be hard pressed to find any.
On the other hand mr composer seems to have two talents, one to be incredibly successful in his musical career and the other for making anonymous composers who aren’t as successful as him feel like a piece of crap.

[MichaelL]

All well said Mark.

In my experience attacking those with lessor skill or lessor success comes from basic insecurity, which is somewhat of an oxymoron, when coming from those who are more skilled and more successful. Maybe then, it’s just an ego stroke.

Whatever the reason, it’s certainly not helpful to those further down the ladder, who are no threat whatsoever to the more successful person.

All of the pros that I know, who are confident in their place in the world, are gracious and helpful to others. They are also confident in their creative decisions and pragmatic when necessary.

Cheers,
Michael

[Art Munson]

In my experience attacking those with lessor skill or lessor success comes from basic insecurity…

So true. Robin and I have been observing some of this behavior and it’s not hard to see the fear lurking behind the rhetoric.

[The Dude]

Mark, if I’ve paraphrased and offended you, I am sorry. Though I’m not sure how to interpret my “major Obama gaffe” (paraphrased to correct spelling). While of course you are free to defend your composers and business model, I find some of your comments condescending and insulting towards those of us that choose not to go RF (I explain my motivations in a bit). As if we’re all a bunch of dullards who don’t understand YOUR business. Perhaps I’ve been guilty of blanket statements as well, but I don’t believe I’ve been abusive or insulting to composers. From what I’ve heard on RF sites, there’s some top quality arrangement and production.

I choose not to go the RF route because I don’t have thousands or even hundreds of tracks to make money by volume. It only takes one placement on cable or network TV for me to make $250 – 1000 up front, if I go with a “traditional” library (or if it’s a buyout). If I were to sign that same track to an RF library that sells it for $50 (of which I get $25), then I have to sell that track 10 – 40 times to make the same amount of money (and depending on the usage, perhaps $0 in royalties). I’m doing pretty well with fewer tracks, I just work with companies that have higher asking prices. What’s wrong with that?

[mark]

I’m doing pretty well with fewer tracks, I just work with companies that have higher asking prices. What’s wrong with that?

I didn’t say anything was wrong with that. Why would I?
And I have never been insulting to composers who do not place their music in RF sites, that would be ridiculous.

I also never said you were abusive. I thought your comment was funny.
Obama had a major incident in his first run for president where he said some Americans were clinging to their guns and religion. Apologies for the obscure reference.

-Mark

[Author]

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