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Thought I’d chime in here, as I’m an AJ contributor and currently have a few tracks in my portfolio consistently selling well there.
One of the main things worth noting here that not all sales there result from a straight search. AJ is very closely linked to one of Envato’s popular sister sites called VideoHive selling AfterEffects templates and stock footage.
It’s from here I gain the vast majority of my sales. The VideoHive authors will often use a watermarked version of your track on their preview, with a direct link off to your own item. By doing this, the customer remains in the Envato ecosystem as it were, and just purchases the accompanying music that was used on the VH project. Add these sales to those that come from an organic on-site music search, and believe me they do tot up, especially if your music is used on a very high selling VH template.
Regarding Envato’s statement about top authors earning $20,000 to $50,000 a month, I’m pretty sure this applies more to Envato’s ThemeForrest authors who sell web templates and themes. ThemeForrest seems to be an incredibly popular site and some of these themes can sell hundreds, if not thousands of times a year for around $90 a go, with the top authors taking a 70% cut. With that in mind, those figures probably ring true.
-Matt
Interesting, Matt, So the video creators, in a sense, borrow a watermarked track on AJ to create the item they are selling? (because it enhances their image??)
Then, the buyer who browses visuals hear the track, like it, and then buy it?
So it is video folks, to a certain extent, providing free promotion of composers’ music on AJ?
I am slightly confused Matt. Also Matt, what percentage of your sales are at $17 verse the extended license of $85? And…How do you feel about cue sheets never being filed if the track goes on the air? And there being no relationship with PROSon AJ?
Interesting, Matt, So the video creators, in a sense, borrow a watermarked track on AJ to create the item they are selling? (because it enhances their image??)
Then, the buyer who browses visuals hear the track, like it, and then buy it?
So it is video folks, to a certain extent, providing free promotion of composers’ music on AJ?
That’s right. A lot of the videos created and sold on VH are for corporate use, so naturally fit very well with the majority of music sold over on AJ. As I mentioned, if a VH author places your music into their project and it goes on to sell very well, you can benefit greatly. The customer will just directly visit your item once they’ve purchased the visuals. However, I should also mention here that it’s also seen as a bit of a no-no to directly approach a VH author asking them to use your music on their project. From what I’ve heard, it’s generally seen as an irritation and regarded as spam. It’s best to let them find your music naturally, and work that way.
With respect to standard vs extended license sales, I’d say that roughly 90% are $17 standard licenses. But with the model I’ve attempted to tap into, I rely greatly on volume of license sales, currently selling anything up to around 300 licenses a month on AJ.
One of the payoffs of working in this model however, is that I’ve had to sacrifice registering certain tracks I have in my AJ portfolio with my PRO, at least until AJ reconsider the rulings. There’s been a lot of chatter and cries for change on the forums there recently regarding this very topic, with the apparent use of $17 AJ music by ad agencies on large campaigns, so it will certainly be interesting to see how that pans out.
But with the model I’ve attempted to tap into, I rely greatly on volume of license sales, currently selling anything up to around 300 licenses a month on AJ.
Hmmm… sounds like its time to come up with a clever pseudonym.
Let the games begin!The problem is that audiosparx forbid you from selling on AJ, audiosparx can even do it? It is my copyright, right? And they do not have it in the agreement. And if they will put that in the agreement they will have to let me know and have me sign again, right?
Matt, that’s great that you’re able to earn 300 x $8.50 a month, but I do hope you (AJ) guys realize how ridiculous (and what a bad precedent) this is. You mention AD AGENCIES using this place a lot. Ad agencies used to pay me $10,000 a month for 1 track, for one spot. And there were times I made 16K or 28K ….for 1 spot. Now we’re down to $8.50? and no royalties??? and serving up songs with vocals? And the lyrics provide the message in some instances? This is insane.
How does being a member of a pro cause any harm to any buyer, or anyone, for that matter?
Just because a writer is a member of a pro does not mean a client will pay one cent more for the license. When are these sites going to get that point in their skull that being a member of a PRO does not create a more expensive or complicated sale or license of a track.
The clients should be educated that filing a cue sheet with a pro costs nothing and is a cool thing to do because the composer can earn more than the meager $8.50 or $5.66 fee for the license!
@music pro, AS dosen’t want you to put the same tracks in AJ and AS. If you put different tracks in AJ then it is no problem.
All well and good More Advice, but now that I’ve been “outed” you are the lone wizard with all the answers behind the curtain. Why don’t you join me among the non-anonymous?
It does wonders for your credibility, maybe 😀Cheers,
Michael
Plenty of guys selling the same tracks on AS and AJ with the same titles and pseudonym. And also clearly show they are PRO registered..
On a side note I can’t see how AJ can stop re-titled tracks, if the AJ track name is not registered with a PRO then it isn’t registered. Problem solved.
Also i can confirm some of the sales numbers, i have only been on AJ for a couple of months but i am making $200 pm or so from 10 tracks.
The thing to realise is the big selling tracks all have a similar sound and feel (happy clappy). If you don’t write that sort of stuff (like me) then you can’t expect big numbers. But if you have the composing chops you would be silly not to bash out a little ditty thats sounds like the top AJ sellers and open up an exculsive account. Good way to upgrade the studio hear every year.
Pardon the iphone typos.. Studio “gear” …
@ML “outed” not sure what that means ML? Please explain. But more importantly @ Matt, please do not leave the discussion, I really do want to know how all the composers in the AJ forum really feel about their songs getting used for $8.50 to sell brands? And how do you guys feel about these companies:
[Removed by moderator]
continuing to get the 10 to 20K fees for a post score/ original track for a 30 second tv spot?
Art, none of these places are libraries so no worries, but they can serve as means to educate all in this forum. They are traditional “music houses” that have been in biz for 20 plus years servicing the advertising market mostly.
@More Advice: I should’ve also mentioned here that I’m actually a non-exclusive author, so my cut percentage on AJ is at a much lower 33%. Yes, I’m very aware it sounds pretty terrible at first glance, but I also sell on a host of other RF marketplaces with similar sales. The keyword here again is sales in volume. And this is the market I’ve chosen to operate in, rather than creating music for the larger, boutique libs.
I’m not sure that ad agencies are using AJ a lot however. There’s just been a handful of instances whereby people have heard exclusive AJ music on advertisements, and naturally caused some concern with authors – and rightly so.
I completely agree with your thoughts on this, however one thing worth noting is that RF marketplaces such as AJ most likely originally set up shop with a very focussed market, such as small/independent production outfits and members of the general public looking to plop some music on their YouTube cat videos. I really don’t think they anticipated large corporations and/or agencies taking advantage of such a model (most likely as a result of very high-quality music being made available), so in that respect they have to sort their act out in order to cater for such usages.
More often than not, the style of successful music on these RF marketplaces is very, very narrow indeed (usually in the form of plinky plonky ukulele and/or delayed guitar harmonics ideal for homemade videos), so I don’t think all the networks and agencies will be heading there in droves anytime soon as they just don’t offer the variety (yet!).
@More advice: Speaking for myself here really, but I’d say most authors on AJ are hobbyists and do not work in a professional capacity. Maybe a handful of top authors, but that’s it. We’re just doing it as a form a passive income alongside our main day-jobs and to vent some creativity.
And therein lies the problem. Most authors are probably completely unaware of this industry and where and when their music is used (especially as as AJ do not disclose who purchase licenses or where they’ll be used). We just assume they’ll end up on a kid’s YouTube video or a VH project and that’s that. $8.50, thank you very much.
It’s only in the last year or so, when I accidentally discovered Art’s great resource here that I became truly aware of the bigger picture. Looking at those links you posted confirmed that most of us RF marketplace composers are really worlds apart from commission composers, in both terms of experience and skill. These guys have got it down to an art-form, whereas I still consider myself a noob who can happen to pull off relatively convincing Edge/George Formby impressions that’s found a use. To be put in the responsible position to taylor make a spot of music for a very specific purpose, never mind a nationwide advertising campaign, would be horrifying to me!
Hence why I create and upload the music when I get the time, then let the public decide whether they want it or not without me having to do much else. It’s certainly less work and stress for me, but I’m sure there are many composers on the RF marketplace scene that are very capable and willing to perform such a role and getting that 10 to 20k fee per spot.
@ML “outed” not sure what that means ML? Please explain.
It means that to anyone who was paying attention, I am no longer anonymous.
That puts you in the position of being the one with all the answers and claims of success, without actually providing any evidence of said success, or basis for your credibility.
Perhaps “handy pants” would like to chime in, now that you are the anonymous “oracle.”
And, as you once asked me, why don’t you provide us with a link to some of your music?
You mention AD AGENCIES using this place a lot. Ad agencies used to pay me $10,000 a month for 1 track, for one spot. And there were times I made 16K or 28K ….for 1 spot. Now we’re down to $8.50? and no royalties??? and serving up songs with vocals? And the lyrics provide the message in some instances? This is insane.
Ah. The game has changed.
Great for the buyers, good for the new crop of libraries but much, much worse for the creators.
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