The Big Music Libraries

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  • #19311
    Desire_Inspires
    Participant

    This was definitely inspiring for me:

    “There are a few big ones. Killer Tracks and APM are the two biggest, housing probably 50% of the market right now. The rest is made up of boutique libraries that specialize in various styles or placement types, like trailers or score music. The bigger companies deal primarily with exclusive licensing (see below for explanation). They have a high quality standard, and as a result are the go-to places for many music supervisors.”

    http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/events/expo/news/2011/04/Quite-a-Production-Production-Music-Libraries-and-Your-Career.aspx

    I have a lot of work to do!

    #19312
    Desire_Inspires
    Participant

    Bump

    #19313
    Paolo
    Participant

    Interesting paragraph about how the music supervisor listens to prospective/ potential songs.

    Thanks for sharing!

    #19316
    Mc_GTR
    Participant

    Great report from the panel. I’m a little surprised that two libraries are sitting on half the production music market. Then there might be (tops) a handful libraries sitting on 5% and the rest competing with peanuts. Makes you think when there are 500+ libraries in the MRL database. I always get surprised how small the music business really is, considering the big numbers ($) that gets tossed around.

    #19322
    gigdude
    Participant

    I also wondered about this 50% number also . Could this be right? These guys are big but I can think of some others that are big too and some that are really old and big.

    #19323
    MichaelL
    Participant

    I also wondered about this 50% number also . Could this be right? These guys are big but I can think of some others that are big too and some that are really old and big.

    Remember that APM is not just one library. It is many including, NFL, KPM, Sonoton and many others.

    It’s not unusual for a large library to be made up of many different imprints.

    Even a medium-sized library, like Manhattan, has many smaller libraries under its umbrella.

    #19326
    Desire_Inspires
    Participant

    I just found out that music from APM is used for Spongebob Squarepants. I always thought that some of that music was kind of cool. I need to look up a couple of pieces. Some of that stuff is pretty awesome and fits well to compliment such a silly show!

    #19440
    Tyler
    Guest

    I’m really focusing my efforts to the libraries in the PMA now. Hopefully I’ll get in 2-3 by the end of the year. That’s my goal.

    #19442
    Desire_Inspires
    Participant

    I am working on getting into the PMA libraries also.

    #19585
    Mark Lewis
    Participant

    Thanks for posting this article DI, very cool.

    There are two takeaways I would like to point out that are universal truths when clients and supervisors and library owners are reviewing your tracks.

    1. “Rona said when he started writing for libraries what he found was that his most successful tracks were non-ambiguous. The music didn’t change emotion or direction half way through. It was straight down the middle in its mission.”

    This doesn’t happen with all composers but some of them have this way of making you listen to 2 minutes of build-up before you ever get to what the music is about. Huge chunky metal guitars popping in at 1:30 after falling asleep listening to soft electronica is really bad.

    2. Yesterday I needed something like a New York street scene.” He searched Reggaeton+vocals. About 150 tracks popped up. He listened to about five seconds of most of them, and if he liked it, he scrolled to the middle of the song and listened to another five seconds. He knew exactly what he wanted, so anything slightly off he maybe listened to two seconds of.

    This is exactly what I do when reviewing music (and this article confirms that most customers and supervisors do the same).
    If you think supervisors and library owners are reviewing your music from beginning to end you’re mistaken. It needs to grab you right up front and let you know what is going to happen with this track. Not that you need a fanfare or anything but don’t be ambiguous about what the track intends to deliver.

    Doing ML approvals today I just blocked a track that had a hihat count-off in it.
    Not just just 1-2-3-4, but 1 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

    #19587
    MichaelL
    Participant

    Doing ML approvals today I just blocked a track that had a hihat count-off in it.
    Not just just 1-2-3-4, but 1 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4.

    #19682
    mileslong
    Participant

    Michael L:

    That clip is awesome! I was rehearsing in a mates kitchen many years ago. The drummer made me so mad I got a frying pan and whacked him on the head with it! I know it seems harsh, but he was dragging…or frying…
    great thread BTW, sorry to go a bit off topic. Yes, as a newbie I am looking at PMA companies also. I am also flippin’ a few burgers right now:)

    #19683
    daveydad
    Participant

    Has anyone submitted music to these guys?

    #19688
    MichaelL
    Participant

    Has anyone submitted music to these guys?

    I have composed for 7 PMA libraries. 99% percent of that came through personal networking and recommendations.

    The rest of my music is in RF libraries.

    #19700
    Paolo
    Participant

    Has anyone submitted music to these guys?

    Hey daveydad – I just started contacting and submitting last summer. It’s exciting to talk shop with them and it’s interesting how differently the libraries handle inquiries.

    99% percent of that came through personal networking and recommendations.

    Hey Michael – that’s cool that’s how it worked for you. That’s what two libraries told me. That they had to know me first before they would even continue the conversation. Where’s the love!?

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