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Trackmaster
It’s all good. Music is what it is to you. We probably just have different ideas about what music is, and what’s composing. That’s fine.
Just for the record, I never said that you should change your approach, I never said that you use mostly loops (although I did think so, but I never said it – I said I used loops for my 4 hours experiment), and I never said that what you do is easy – ok, I said that burgers are easy, I admit it .. :-). Basically, I just said that it’s not for me. I just shared my own experience. That’s all I meant to say.
Anyway, if you actually don’t use loops and 1) compose from scratch, 2) perform from scratch (on your keyboard, guitar, drums, bass etc), 3) mix and 4) master a song made of 25-30 tracks (!!!) in just 4 hours, and the result is high quality or “world class” … well … my hats off to you, really. You truly are a-m-a-z-i-n-g. A sort of music acrobat. It sounds almost like a miracle to me, but what do I know, right? I would be really, really curious to see you at work – seriously, I would gladly PAY to learn that kind of skill … in fact, maybe you could make a lot of money teaching people how to do it. Just thinking about it, usually professionally mixing ONE song takes at least a full day of work, and that’s considered very fast in the business (I’m talking professional mixers here, of course, for professional results). And that’s just the mixing part. As I said, you teach people how you do it and become rich and famous … just a thought.
good luck
I would like to know if any of the folks that think 1-2 cues a day are a lot, actually make a living with TV or production music. It’s been said a ton on these forums, that you need AT LEAST 500 unique cues (not stems) to get close to making a living. I think these days it’s more like 1000. If you need 500, at 2 a week, it’d take you 5 years! If you are doing trailer music, maybe you can get away with 1-2 a day. I heard that a certain productiom music house had their staff composers doing 8 cues a day! I wouldn’t want to do that either! I’m not a full time composer (I am a full time musician though) and I shoot for a minimum of 5 cues a week. We are not talking about huge orchestrated pieces, we are talking about music for background use. If it takes you a day to write a piece of music that makes less than a dollar every time it’s played, you’ll never make any money. If I was writing full time, I would shoot for 3-4 a day. It takes me about 2-3 hours to write, record, and mix a cue, in genres like, rock, folk, acoustic, country, etc. That is with all live instruments, no loops, or pre-recorded material. If it took me days to do the same cue, I’d never make any money, and I would drive myself crazy working on one rock tune. As practice, I write some royalty free music, with the same all live instruments, and I give myself an hour deadline! The results aren’t mind blowing, but they are professional quality (better than most), and I make money selling them. To each their own, but I think Trackmaster is on target. In this biz you have to be great, AND fast!
The flip side is that there are some very successful libraries not releasing a ton of music and still making plenty of money. I’m doing some freelance right now for a library that has several salaried in-house composers and occasionally uses freelancers. They pay freelancers up-front very, very well. The standard is super high. Nobody there is knocking out two (or even one) of these in a day. They workshop every track to make sure it will sync not just tomorrow, but for the long term. It’s been really eye-opening to have conversations with them.
If you’re looking for significant up-front fees, it seems like that’s the market to target. Which isn’t to say that churning out a beat in a few hours won’t make you money–it probably will, if you’re churning out good stuff–but the libraries that are paying up-front are looking for stuff that’s going to sync over and over for the long term.
Yes, I think that you want to make money with certain libraries you have to put out tracks like popcorn – or burgers 🙂
But, as AlpacaRoom said, this is not necessarily true for all libraries, all genres etc.Anyway, OverDub, I am truly amazed that you can make an acoustic (!!) or rock (!!) track, all with live (!!) instruments, and then mix it in 2-3 hours. I (almost / kinda) understand this in genres where problems like mic placements etc are not an issue (using mostly synths). But using real instruments? Wow. It takes me two hours just by getting the sound I want from my acoustic guitar …
As usual, to each his own 🙂
I agree with AlpacaRoom that there are libraries out there like that, and yes, that’s a different level. But the majority of composers are not able to do that, or don’t write in those genres. There just aren’t enough of those high paying upfront companies around, and those companies usually are going after ads rather than TV placements. I have gotten about 10% of my catalog in ex upfronts, because I do certain genres better than many others. They pay good, but you do lose any chance of any sync fees, which can add up. It’s a gamble, but what in life isn’t. One thing to keep in mind as well is, if it takes you a week to write a song with an $800 upfront, you can also write 8 cues in that week that might make you alot more in a sync fee or even RF. Everyone has a different goal, and a different plan for sure. In the end it’s all theory, until you make money! Best to all.
One thing to keep in mind as well is, if it takes you a week to write a song with an $800 upfront, you can also write 8 cues in that week that might make you alot more in a sync fee or even RF.
Absolutely on point!
Everyone has a different goal, and a different plan for sure. In the end it’s all theory, until you make money! Best to all.
Very true! Eventually, these threads evolve into a p*ssing contest between art and commerce.
The library business is generally about commerce. So, the more efficient you are at producing tracks in quantity the better off you may be.
That said, there is certainly a higher-end of the market where art and craft do matter.
Which pursuit is most satisfying to anyone is an individual choice. If you’ve got a day job that allows you the luxury of pursuing music and your art on your terms, go for it.
If it’s your goal to make your living from library music, you may need to think more in terms of quantity.
I’m on the fence about that. Hmmm…where did I put that ukulele?
>I mean…spots like Apollo Live, Mibe, Epitome, Atomica, Pacifica,…I would never join an exclusive library that does gratis licenses like JP.<
I didn’t realize those libraries always collect sync fees and don’t do gratis licenses! What is your share of a typical sync fee, are they decent or smaller payouts?
Just a quick note… People “worrying” about the number of tracks it takes to make a living, I understand, it’s normal to worry about that. But in the end, you should worry about your connections/networking and finding ways to get better opportunities.
If I made 100 cues last year, and I earned $1000 from them, this doesn’t mean that, in order to make $50’000 per year, I need to make 5’000 cues per year! This means I need to get into better libraries, get in touch with active music supervisors etc… who will place the tracks I send them, and not just put them in their catalog and wait for someone to magically find them.
Some (high-profile) composers could live off the royalties they get from just 1 track!
Some composers could make 100’000 cues and submit them to SuperAmazingRoyaltyFreeMusic.com, and they won’t make a dime…
I know I’m exaggerating a bit, but you probably get the point!
The companies I’m with either have me compose for specific briefs, or albums. I like it better that way.
Actually, I don’t. I’ve been with JP for a number of years and it’s still the top earning library for me. I don’t “knock out” tunes for them but work on my own schedule. Works for me.
The companies I’m with either have me compose for specific briefs, or albums.
For little, or no, upfront money?
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