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Is it unprofessional to contact (email) a person/company that has licensed your music through a library, to ask what project that they used your music in? I would just like to see some of the finished products (i.e. student films, trade show videos, etc.). Possibly even offer a little promotion for their project on my end, in return (as long as it’s ok with them first). Or is it better to be heard, and not heard (from)? 🙂
Some might think so but not me. I always contact them, when I can, to get a copy for my “Credit” reel. At some point I will have them up on my own music library site.
I find them through my Tunesat account.
The library might not like it. Some of them are uncomfortable with client contact. I think they’re afraid that you’ll direct license. And they don’t want every composer pestering the client.
But, if the project using your music is significant, you should try to add it to your credits, or get a copy for your reel.
Be professional and polite. If you’re not, it will get back to the library.
Cheers,
MichaelL
I think contacting the client is outrages. I used to be on staff for a publisher and one composer who’s cue was used as a theme for a show (although part of of a blanket deal) called several times to the client trying to hustle up gigs for him self and every time the client would call us and complain why this guy was was contacting them. The client (in this case was a large production company with many shows) pay for the service of PRE-Cleared music catalogs. They are saving money on NOT having to deal with composers or curating catalogs them self. Let’s say they pay $500-2000 per episode as blanket fee per episode to use a library and the average reality show might use 100 cues per episode, so do the math. They pay their editors many times more an hour than what they are paying to license one cue so if you were the client would you want you employes to waste time on dealing with composers? They are paying the library for the legal liability ex that there is no copyright infringements, no mystery writers, no samples just ripped from a Snoop Dog album. They are paying not to have to have their $100 an hours post sup answering questions like “how do I use an FTP program?”, “Why haven’t you guys registered my cues that have never been used?”, “What do you think of my unfinished raw idea for a cue I just submitted 30 minutes ago” “Have you heard back from the music request which I as part of 100 people submitted to and is not due until next week?” etc. (These are all questions composers have asked, no joke), On top of that most clients know very little about music publishing, and why would they trust just some random composer calling them who’s cue was underneath some dialog in a scene? Or in 0: 30 sec spot they finsihed 9 months ago. Lately I’ve seen agreements which say composer agrees to not contact the client which I can see being a selling point for a library. BTW I’m a composer my self so I understand why you would want to contact them but ask your self if you were building a house and hired a contractor whom you might have established a long relationship with to build it and all of of sudden his painter start contacting you and say I’ll paint your other house for 20% less, how would you feel about it? or him. Would it make you trust him or would you think he might have stolen the paint? Anyway this is turning into my version of Family Guys “What grinds my wheels” ha ha sorry:) Just my two cent…..
They pay their editors many times more an hour than what they are paying to license one cue so if you were the client would you want you employes to waste time on dealing with composers? They are paying the library for the legal liability ex that there is no copyright infringements, no mystery writers, no samples just ripped from a Snoop Dog album.
I never thought of it that way. I guess that contacting a client of a library could be viewed as unprofessional. Even a legitimate request could be viewed as being demanding. There is definitely some risk involved.
Regardless of whether or not it’s a breach of etiquette, I would read the terms of use agreement that you signed when you signed up for the library. If it’s one of the larger companies, I would bet this issue is addressed and is prohibited.
I guess I should make my point clearer, it all depends.
For ordinary placements on broadcast TV, I don’t. It’s only when I find commercials running that I’m fairly certain have been purchased off of RF sites. I want to make sure a jingle data sheet gets filed with BMI and most of those folks don’t have a clue. My latest track down is a commercial that has run thousands of times since Dec. 2012, on numerous networks and is still running. It was purchased off of an RF site, they didn’t have a clue about BMI and there was no problem with me asking. I’ve done this about 4 or 5 times over the last few years and no ones ever given me grief about it.
So Art, did you receive any PRO royalties from the use of your song? If so, that would be a justifiable reason to track down the end user of a piece of music.
A couple of them no but they didn’t run that long. This latest one only started running last Dec but has thousands of uses so I have high hopes. I did get copies of all which was another reason to track them down. I also collected one rather large license fee from a placement where they did a direct license to ESPN.
Certainly, NOT the thing to do. It is not looked upon favourably by any party. At the very least, it is a time consuming irritation. At worst, it comes across as stalkery desperation. What are they gonna think? “Oh…I wonder if this dude is gonna contact me EVERY time we use his stuff. ” Hmmmm…maybe better using someone else’s.
I’m going to revise my opinion. Del is correct, especially when it comes to TV editors/producers. We’re just a dime a dozen to these guys and they don’t want to be bothered.
I come from a scoring background, where common ways to get work include picking up the phone, sending a reel and networking. It’s a different world.
Chances are that your cue is one of dozens, maybe a hundred in any given show. Imagine if all of the composers called the producer and editor. Not good.
_MichaelL
I’m certainly not calling producers or editors on shows every time I see one show up on my Tunesat or BMI statement. But, if I think money is being left on the table I will. ‘Nuff said.
I have a quick question: Do music libraries provide many licenses to TV commercials? It seems like most of that music is just used as background music for TV shows.
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