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did you just contact them via email?
Some I called and some I emailed. They’ll tell you their preference on their website.
That they had to know me first before they would even continue the conversation. Where’s the love!?
That unfortunately is the reality. Although it seems that when I shed a little light on reality it’s unpopular. I’m just the messenger.
I’ve been around since the dark ages, and I was very fortunate to know one of the founding members of the PMA. One door opens another.
did you just contact them via email?
Try to meet someone face to face. Get on a train. Get on a plane. Go to a meeting. Politely introduce yourself, and ask if it would be OK to send them some music. If they give you their business card, you’ve got the invitation. If they don’t DO NOT push it. Whatever you do, DO NOT shove a CD in their face the moment that you meet them.
Even with a personal introduction and recommendation, one library owner said to me: “Listen to the music on our website. If you think you can do that, or better, send me a 3 minute sample of your very best work.”
Although it seems that when I shed a little light on reality it’s unpopular. I’m just the messenger.
And on the other hand, it was great to know immediately where I stood – everyone respecting each other’s time.
I understood there would be no point following up until I had an introduction so I really did appreciate their bad news 🙂
Try to meet someone face to face. Get on a train. Get on a plane. Go to a meeting
This might be a silly question. By meeting you’re thinking an event/meeting open to the public? That would be somethign they post on their website> Thanks, Paul
@Paolo the libraries in question generally attend PMA meetings.Their meetings are usually in NYC or LA. Non-members can usually attend for a nominal fee, something $15
You should go. It would be an eye-opening experience.
@MichaelL I see what you mean. Thanks Michael. Paul
Yeah Paolo, they’re a bunch of middle-aged suits, like me. 😀
But, if that’s what your goals are you should make some inquiries.
It’s another world.@MichaelL I have to add a thank you.
Before I called them, I had read in one of your posts that some PMA libraries have to know you first by introduction or they won’t work with you.
And that really softened the blow because I knew I was going to hear that – I just didn’t know from which ones! It was like Russian roulette (without the possibility of death).
So it didn’t throw me at all – I just thought – okay there’s one – and i was able to go on and make more phone calls. And was able to make connections with other PMA libraries and start writing for them.
So you did a good thing there.
Paul
So you did a good thing there.
Thank you.
Here is my experience with PMA libraries. About a year or so ago maybe a little longer I wanted to have some exclusive music in a PMA library so I found the list of libraries from the PMA site. I tried the generic approach of just trying to get a hold of someone at those libraries and ask what the submission guidelines ect.
Totally different experience and a LOT harder to get something going. It actually got me a lot more interested in getting my music with them because of the challenge and found out that I’d have to go about it a better way.
I am on linkedin, which if you’re not on there I suggest you get on there, and joined some of the music production groups. For me, that was the best way to get to know some PMA people, and after having discussions in the linkedin groups, I was finally able to submit a solid demo to the owner of a library.
I got solid feedback from him but sadly he still passed on the first go around. He told me that it is extremely rare that they accept anyone on the first submission. He told me that over the next 3 months he wanted to see me using some of the suggestions he gave and re-submit. So I did, and next time I submitted things were better and I thought I would get in this go around.
I didn’t, and I am still doing the dance because at this point I really want to have my music in there. I’m not sure if that is a common experience with people or not, it is just mine. I am hoping in time I’ll get in, and it seems like every time it’s one step closer.
I’m not sure if that is a common experience with people or not, it is just mine.
@Michael you’re talking about the big leagues vs upload, submit and repeat. Most of these libraries have very high standards with respect to composition and production skills. It’s a completely different world than RF libraries, or libraries like JP etc.It is very hard to quantify that for composers. If I listen to someone’s cues, I can tell very quickly what to do and do not understand about composition and/or production, and production music.
I hear many common errors including:
1. Poor choice of instruments and/or poor quality instruments. There really is a difference between Spitfire Audio Strings or LASS and what comes standard with Kontakt. Libraries want to hear what you will deliver to them, not what might be a good cue if it had better sounds or live musicians.
2. Poor production quality. Mixing and mastering are important. A library recently asked me to listen to a cue to determine if it was distorted. It was over-modulated throughout, not just loud. In another case I was sent a video link that contained two similar pieces of music. There was nothing wrong with first piece from a composition perspective. But, compared to the second cue, it had no sonic depth or breadth, which is completely different from loud. The first cue sounded “homemade” and the second cue sounded like it was down by a pro.
3. Poor composition. This is tough one, and delicate, because you don’t want to hurt people’s feelings. It’s also hard to explain, because people “don’t know what they don’t know.” Often when I read a post about poor sales or difficulty getting into a library. I’ll check out the person’s cues. I’ve heard things like bad harmonic choices or simply wrong notes. Believe me tension is not achieved through the use of random notes. Even worse, I’ve heard people use loops that are in completely different keys, which they apparently could not hear.
For a no-holds barred perspective read what Alex Pfeffer has to say here:
http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=37063&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
Be aware that for the “BIG” libraries, not JP or SK, or even CR, you are competing with composers like this:
http://donnwilkerson.com/The_Music_Of_Donn_Wilkerson/Welcome.html
http://www.darylgriffith.com/featured-work
I hope that you find this info challenging and inspiring.
Best of luck.
_Michael
It seems like there’s a tendency in this thread to lump all the PMA libraries together like they’re equals. In my experience that’s not the case. I’m in two PMA libraries and my experience with those two is that they are quite different, both in the way they deal with composers and how they perform in the market. Beyond that, there are several libraries that are members that I would absolutely love to get into but there is also one prominent member that’s notorious for taking half the writer’s share. I would never sign with them. I actually turned down another PMA library last fall when I saw how unfavorable the contract was.
Don’t get me wrong, I think very highly of the PMA as a whole and I thank goodness that they’re out there as an organization but I bad deal is a bad deal, membership or not.
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