Home › Forums › Commentary › The manipulation behind "music briefs" for exclusive libs.
Tagged: briefs, compensation, cues, custom cues, exclusive, music libraries, non-exclusive, publishers
- This topic has 47 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 11 months ago by ulrichellison.
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September 11, 2017 at 3:30 pm #28176KubedParticipant
<The music business did find a way to combat piracy with spotify, Pandora, and other streaming services.>
I think the music business found yet another way to pay less to the artists with Spotify,Pandora and other streaming services and certainly didn’t combat music piracy;
Stream-ripping arises as “most aggressive” type of music piracy
September 11, 2017 at 5:44 pm #28182NY ComposerParticipantLA Writer and Music 1234,
What do you guys think about the ever growing group of Sups who ONLY want Exclusive ques? It seems like this is a growing trend. Sure we can tell them no and they will just get Exclusive tracks from the 40,000 other composers that are down with their model.
September 11, 2017 at 7:03 pm #28184LAwriterParticipantLA Writer and Music 1234,
What do you guys think about the ever growing group of Sups who ONLY want Exclusive ques? It seems like this is a growing trend. Sure we can tell them no and they will just get Exclusive tracks from the 40,000 other composers that are down with their model.
Exclusive to what? ONLY being in the ONE project they are looking for? That’s not going to happen. I think you mean they don’t want to get hit with the same song 20X’s with different names?
If they want to hear something I’ve done, they’re just going to have to get over it. If a song is great, it’s great. Sorry if you had to listen to it 3X’s.
I believe they are mostly reacting to a few networks that have requested no NE songs due to the obvious problem of “who submitted what” when the song is in dozens of libs. Ultimately, this can be solved by WATERMARKING, but no one wants to watermark. It solves this entire “problem” though…
Personally, I don’t oversell myself by putting my entire library in 20+ non-exclusive libraries like some do. I’m in very few NE libraries, and one is completely controlled and in-house only.
September 11, 2017 at 7:10 pm #28185ChuckMottParticipantMusic1234 , I know you are right, BUT as some of us have said, they are best options to date. As in best earners, comparted to NE who aren’t paying up front either.
But yes. good questions and good points. And I’m not arguing for that paradigm by any stretch.
September 12, 2017 at 8:16 am #28186Music1234ParticipantChuck, we definitely can all learn from each others experiences. Please give examples of how your approach of signing cues over to an exclusive publisher for these terms:
-$0 advance/ consideration fee/ work for hire fee
-they control the cue perpetually
-you get only back end or perhaps 50% of a sync licesnse (I hope!)What kind of back end numbers are you seeing?
From my experience, when I have given a cue for a cattle call brief, I have seen these place and go on and print $50 to $300 in back end. (Ball Park range). I have always done this non-exclusively.
Here is the problem with exc in perp under these parameters: While the cue eventually may reward a writer, you are losing potential and immediate income from that tune in other markets. So while it was nice to earn back end 1 to 2 years later from my submission for the brief, it is also a lot better when that same cue goes on and generates other license revenue, immediately, in other markets. Those royalties may also add up to another $300 to $1000 in “micro licensing” revenue.
It just depends, some cues do great, some average, some nothing at all, but at least the cues are getting the opportunity to generate revenue in multiple markets, and markets that do not directly compete with each other. The direct licensing “add to cart’ scene is a completely different market than TV shows. That market is for Internet videos, low budget spots, student films, wedding videos, etc. There is nothing wrong with satisfying everyone!
Now, if you are telling me that you are signing onto these exclusive deals and then 1 year later you see back end around $750 to $1500 for the cue you sent in for a brief, I certainly would not discourage you to embrace that relationship and business arrangement with the publisher who is getting these placements for your music. I just have my doubts that any of us can get that kind of back end return. From my perspective these people want exclusive cues, but the “performance royalty (PRO)” pay winds up being more in that $100 to $300 range.
I prefer to shoot for $500 to $1000 and up earned on a cue within 6 to 12 months of releasing it.
The exc for $0 model does a huge favor to the exclusive publisher: they get a free cue to service a client (and charge the client blanket fees or some fees), but writers in return, wait a long time to collect, and sacrifice other revenue streams. This is not a win/ win scenario. Only the publisher wins in this deal.
September 12, 2017 at 8:38 am #28187Music1234ParticipantLA Writer and Music 1234,
What do you guys think about the ever growing group of Sups who ONLY want Exclusive ques? It seems like this is a growing trend. Sure we can tell them no and they will just get Exclusive tracks from the 40,000 other composers that are down with their model.
If a music supervisor happens to listen to a song twice from 2 different sources, I just do not see how this can be a major inconvenience. Just credit the publisher where you heard it first on the cue sheet. When these buyers are swimming in lots of inexpensive options for their scenes, I think they should not be too concerned about maybe hearing a cue from 2 publishers. They should be concerned about 1 thing and 1 thing only: using music that works for the scene, spot, trailer, promo, internet video….whatever. I am speaking from the perspective of instrumental production music that sits in the background most of the time.
September 12, 2017 at 9:21 am #28188DannycParticipantwe can continue to argue this reality unitl we are blue in the face but at the end of the day the customer is king and this has become the new norm. its like video store owners complaining about the uptake of netflix and suggesting ways to stop it. its called progress and change and its going to keep happening.
in this case the networks have told the libraries they will no longer be using their non-exclusive catelogues as they are tired of getting the same track 5 times from 5 different libraries with 5 slighly different titles.
the libraries can either move with this market or go out of business. now we as the composer need to also change our strategy to stay in a job. the best way to do this imo is to diversify.
compete in all markets, RF, non-exclusive and exclusive. complaining about one business model over another gets nobody anywhere and definitely does not bring in inome.
September 12, 2017 at 9:21 am #28189AlanParticipantIf a music supervisor happens to listen to a song twice from 2 different sources, I just do not see how this can be a major inconvenience.
If a production company paid $XX to Library “A” for blanket license, plus $XX to Library “B” for blanket license, then heard the same music from both libraries, I think that would be a major inconvenience.
I would be happy to submit to only one broadcast library plus RF world.
September 12, 2017 at 9:27 am #28190AlanParticipant-$0 advance/ consideration fee/ work for hire fee
-they control the cue perpetually
-you get only back end or perhaps 50% of a sync licesnse (I hope!)The cattle call library I submit to has a 3 year reversion clause. My cues will go to RF world on their third birthday. I admit I did a few for one library that insisted on perpetuity. I have stopped.
September 12, 2017 at 9:37 am #28191PaoloGuest@Dannyc
this has become the new norm …in this case the networks have told the libraries they will no longer be using their non-exclusive catelogues
But (sometimes) after the library’s cattle-call brief doesn’t get them what they need they send a follow-up email saying that non-exclusive is okay 🙂
September 12, 2017 at 10:13 am #28192Music1234ParticipantI am advocating for “exclusive only to the TV show” world, but OK to retitle the same tracks and sell them on other “add to cart” markets, license them privately with our own contacts, or even stream albums on Spotify.
I do realize that it is completely riduculous to have music in 5 libraries that service TV broadcast, specifically TV shows and TV networks.
Again, we have 2 very different markets that do not compete nor confuse music supervisors:
1. Add to cart (AKA RF/ Direct Licensing/ the $20 to $500 and up market)
-music supervisors don’t hang out here, independent video editors do2. Music libraries/ publishers who feed cues to TV shows (The back end scene) – This is where professional music supervisors and TV production companies like to shop.
Is anyone consistently making $500 to $1000 in back end for all tracks signed into exclusive in perpetuity for $0 advance?
@paulo…exactly…I agree…sometimes writers don’t show up and suddenly it’s magical. “Hey Guys…Non Exclusive is OK! We’re kind of desperate here!”
September 12, 2017 at 11:07 am #28193DannycParticipantexactly…I agree…sometimes writers don’t show up and suddenly it’s magical. “Hey Guys…Non Exclusive is OK! We’re kind of desperate here!”
yeah maybe so. but are all the thousands of new composers coming into the industry every year either from the music colleges around the world or hopefuls from the yellow company gonna take that chance? probably not. its hard enough to make breaks in this industry, if you have the opportunity to impress in a brief were actual music sups in TV networks will hear your music you are gonna take that opportunity whether its exclusive or not. i see it as building the CV. its like any career you have to climb the ladder.
like Alan the only exclusive briefs i now submit to are 3 year deals.
September 12, 2017 at 11:08 am #28194eucaGuestMy favorite is when a cattle call goes out for a show on Netflix or Scripps network. Blows my mind when I see these!!
September 12, 2017 at 11:54 am #28195Music1234ParticipantI just want people to now state in this thread their earnings from cattle call briefs. When I submitted to cattle call opps…My tracks did place…and some good one’s would hit too, such as ABC, CBS, or NBC network plays, but again, the performance royalties these placements earned does not justify doing it for $0 in perpetuity, not even for tying it up for 3 years, because the 3 years of “add to cart buy now” sites may also bring in $500- 1K and faster too.
Have any of you written for a cattle call then seen $500 or more from the TV show placement? I am not talking about demos for TV spots, I am specifically talking about briefs for new TV shows in production or new sports seasons or special events shows. Background TV cue opportunities.
@EUCA …yeah the Netflix and Scripps shout outs are just unbelievable… Big 10 Network is a huge disappointment too. BTN is supposedly being looked at by ASCAP. Does Anyone have news on BTN?September 12, 2017 at 1:27 pm #28196BEATSLINGERParticipantHello to all. This is a great thread!! I though am not so sure about all the pessimistic viewing of the current state of this industry; or the hopeless doom and gloom. Some of us have had to survive, and adapt through several twists & turns of this “Idiotic business called sound”.
* I agree with diversifying how your tracks are being exploited, and see what ways are working best for you. For some, RF Libraries seem to be working. For some NE is working; and some are having success in combination of having a handful (or two) of Exclusive Libraries thrown in.
* If this is something that you really want to do because you love music, and hope to make a living at this. I say keep doing it, and adjust your business to suit your personal needs.
* Work towards thinking clearly, and pragmatically about each move. Do a lot of research, and implement/Formulate a strategic plan. Hasty moves are setbacks!
* You are only as good as your product. You are not in competition with anyone except yourself. Keep raising your bar, and work towards ONLY submitting Quality pieces of material that you would be proud of!!As far as quality vs quantity. When I first got into this side of the industry about 12 years ago. I was working with a “Entertainment Consultant” that had me signing a TON of exclusives. I did HUNDREDS of Tracks/Cues within a 2 year period, and saw ZERO money.
After re-grouping, and re-evaluating what I needed from music to consider it even worth my time. I decided to put “Themed CD’s” together and shop them to exclusives.
From March 2016 to August 2017: One CD alone (15 songs) that I did for a “Non A List Exclusive Library” has received over 900 TV, and Film placements.
This is just to say that maybe for some a 1000 Tracks was not enough. I still feel in my heart that it is about having great quality over quantity.
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