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@ Daniel. Thank you for your input here. I’ve been writing library music for 35 years. I’ve written for 8 exclusive libraries in the US, the UK and Australia. Plus, in the 1980’s I put 200+ cues into a royalty free library.
I have always been paid upfront for exclusive music. Does your library pay upfront, or is it one of the new “exclusive” libraries that does not?
Also, in all that time, I’ve never had an exclusive library express any problem with me having music in royalty free libraries. They don’t view themselves as competing.
With respect to making money longer in an exclusive library. In my experience that is based more on the kind of music that you write, rather than the business model of the library.
Cues that are “trendy” have a shelf-life, no matter what kind of library they are in. Technology changes, and eventually some cues just sound old. That’s why I ask composers who only write in one style based on a current trend, what will you be doing 5 or 10 years from now?
Just my thoughts.
_Michael
@Desire Inspires…how about if your employer hires someone to do your job at 1/10 your salary, just because they are only doing it for “money on the side as a supplement?”
You OK with that? It’s just business.
It doesn’t matter what I think about it.
If a business wants to hire cheaper labor, there is nothing I can do to stop them unless I take an even lower salary. Companies outsource and offshore labor all of the time. It isn’t right to the employees losing their jobs, but it will happen if it benefits the company.
Music licensing is a tough business. Arguing about right or wrong will not change anything when money is at stake. I have realized that for a while now. I just have to either find new ways to compete or choose a different line of work. No one is immune to being laid off or suffering a drop in income. The world economy is vicious.
I am no revolutionary. I would rather focus on finding ways to make money than working to change the world.
@danielkafer, Are you really concerned about the royalty free sites impacting your ability to charge 20K for a worldwide branded image spot? Do you really think P&G, for example, and their agency creatives would even consider spending $50 for a “Worldwide Spot”? The answer is definitively 100% no. I know these people and how they think. I once worked in ad agencies and experienced the 20K pay day many times in my career for a custom post score or jingle. These people WANT to pay 20K because it makes them feel important and it makes them feel that they’re getting something special and uniquely original. RF libraries are completely shunned at the “Worldwide image branding” ad campaign level. No worries there.
I do agree that it is composers’ responsibility to price their music in an intelligent manner on these sites and the should consider not supporting at all sites only charging 29.95 a track.
And DI, I agree 100% with Michael L. Home gamer, hobbyists need to look at the situation from the pro composer perspective and consider how their actions affect an entire business.
I agree 100% with Michael L.
OMG…I’m circling the date on my calendar!!!! 😛
Let’s have a beer!
Regarding whether I am concerned with big ad agencies or other big media companies choosing the low cost options… Well yes to some extend I am.
Maybe the big ad agencies is not a good example but I have seen tv-stations deciding to make a “one deal solution” with a low price library for all their productions – external as well as internal – going from a music spend of Euro 300.000 to just Euro 3000.
Everybody agreed that the quality suffered and after a few years they did start looking for options, but at best they will be a 10.000 Euro client.
I don’t think we should sit down and cry about this. As some opportunities close others open, and it is our job as a business to find those opportunities. However I just want the really good composers out there to think about their strategy when they choose where to place their music… call me a dreamer but in the end I think it matters…Daniel
apollolive.comMichael in response to you…
Glad to meet an experienced composer… I have followed this business since I was a boy… so for the last 30 years.
I do think most non-exclusive libraries are quicker at earning the first royalties, simply because the exclusive libraries work with sub publishers who normally have different search systems. Therefor you have to adapt the meta data, audio files, etc. for many of the sub publishers… Then you have to wait for them putting the music online. So it often takes 2 years before you earn any money. However I have experienced music that would seem dated still earning decent money after many years in exclusive library publishing – especially back end money.
My library Apollo Live offers the standard 50/50 split on mechanicals but no upfront fees. I don’t have anything against the upfront fees but at this stage (we are a young library only 4 years old) it is not financially possible for us.Daniel
http://www.apollolive.comDaniel, The problem you site about side musicians getting wiped off the map and rendered irrelevant happened 10 years ago in the U.S. The days of String and Brass sections getting booked for big studio productions are long gone with very rare exceptions in Hollywood. But I have been writing and preaching for 4 months now that if you play in RF please charge at least $100 for an instrumental music cue. I really believe the lowest fee should be $250, but this is not realistic. It can be, but there are too many stubborn and ignorant guys playing in this business.
The Airlines pulled it off, They have systematically raised prices and hold the line. Composers and libraries should do the same.
More Advice, I agree with you on pricing. I think corporations are OK at $100.
But, many RF customers, however, are individuals, not business or corporate types, with money to spend. Some of them may not have even spent $250 on the camera that they used to shoot the wedding video, the dog paddling around the swimming pool, Uncle Fred’s birthday or whatever else they plan to throw onto youtube. Those consumers want to spend as little as possible.
Why not establish a low-end brand? You think companies like Campbell’s and P&G don’t make and sell generics? Sure they do. It’s another revenue stream that doesn’t affect their main products, but it does add to their bottom-line.
I think you need a tiered marketing strategy.
Art,
Simple: All composers hold the line with all customers and say “Take it or leave it”. Pay $100 or….have silence as your background music cue.
I was shopping for Airline tickets to fly to South Florida for Mid April 2014…a 3 hour flight…The cheapest deal is basically $450 7 months prior to departure. This ticket always cost $180 to $300 from Mid eighties until perhaps 2 or 3 years ago.
Simple: All composers hold the line with all customers and say “Take it or leave it”. Pay $100 or….have silence as your background music cue.
There is nothing simple about getting *ALL* composers to do anything.
Well advice there is certainly nothing wrong with trying to encourage the change in pricing behavior. I put my money where my mouth is. I jumped ship on sites charging less and I have drawn the line in the sand for what I am willing to charge and that fee is $100. And the decision has increased my monthly RF earnings. I am grateful and fortunate that I am in a position to not be dependent on RF income to feed my family and pay bills. I can make $0 in RF and I will still be just fine. I actually think many of us here in this forum are in this same position.
And DI, I agree 100% with Michael L. Home gamer, hobbyists need to look at the situation from the pro composer perspective and consider how their actions affect an entire business.
Hobbyists are not going to care about the entire business because they are not professionals; they are hobbyists!
DIY composers have just as much right to participate and make music as anyone else. I honestly have not seen any amateur take away jobs from professionals. [Removed by moderator as irrelevant]
Remember, no matter how tough the business is, the cream always rises to the top! 🙂
DI, The issue is not about feeling threatened, the issue is more about preventing an unnecessary downward spiral on prices and setting a bad precedent. It is in the “hobbyist’s” interests to see to it that they can make some extra money too, otherwise, why bother?
If hobbyists love making music for leisure and a creative outlet, but don’t care if they earn income from the time put in, then they should do just that….make your music for free, enjoy it, have fun!…but please don’t throw 10,000,000 beats on the market for $5 so you can have the thrill of saying “I licensed my beat on TV!”
I have my opinion, you have yours, we do not agree…let’s move on…