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Art, Like I said…I “try” to present a piece that has some unique and artistic value. I am not saying that everyone is great or even good or even average. This discussion should not be about whether or not people have the ability to create “superbly fantastic, intellectual” music only played by the most “elite” musicians in the world. It’s about respecting the time and labor that goes into a composition and making that labor worth something…and…trying to craft something good that people will like. This craft (this labor) must have a price…and $15 on an RF site is not a real price! It’s about composers not becoming free slaves to publishers and their clients. Should I just shut up and let things be as they are?…not write about it?…not express my opinion and let it get worse?…do you all really believe that we are on a path to prosperity and revenue growth for our craft and service? Is the industry going to create better opportunities and revenue and royalty growth for composers moving into the future? Or are we all just going to cave in and say “here ya go…here are all my cues for you to own and control and make money off of…please pay something in return.”
By the way, it is my very informed and very educated opinion that exclusive music is being demanded by only the major networks in the U.S. as well as the music supervisors working on high budget films. These entities just don’t want to deal with re-titled works that are floating around on several sites. Cable stations such as MTV, VH1, History, TLC, Discovery, Bravo, A&E, Nat Geo, etc, etc…are not making demands that music be sourced from exclusive publishers. They can care less where it comes from…as long as it is free. If you feel as though your tracks are going to compete for prime time network slots…go ahead and sign away to “exclusivity” and lose control of your only asset. JP can’t compete against Extreme or DeWolfe or Hollywood composers…gee…maybe the Hipster Orchestra will get the job done…yeah…sure they will.
If I am not mistaken, Jp wants cues in perpetuity Art.
I am talking about “in perpetuity” terms…not 3 to 5 years.
Any company wanting my music (that currently sits in their library and search engine non-exclusively) to move into the exclusive column has to make me an offer. Sure, I’ll go exclusive with you, if you cut me a check for $1000 for every track you want to be exclusively yours.
Just yesterday guys in a thread an owner said:
“you should never sign over any of your copyrights to a publisher without being properly compensated. Most reputable exclusive libraries in the U.S. provide upfront compensation in exchange for these rights.”
Don’t you all realize that? The publishers and networks collaboratively are squeezing every ounce of blood out of composers! That is you my friends!!! They are all smirking..” How much lower will they go, how much more will they bow down to us…um… let’s just make them our slaves!”
The non-exclusive composers with great, broadcast quality, creative, and professional tracks that continually place will not get squeezed because the market wants their tracks no matter what. Everyone needs to get it out of their mind that exclusive music cues are getting “extra” attention and “special” treatment. A good cue is a good cue and if a client wants to use it, and the client finds it in the search engine, the client will use it. All this talk about “NE is out…the networks just want it that way and blah blah blah”…is just another scheme to suppress composers.
This is what the real story is folks….so before you run and sign those exclusive contracts and bow down and officially become a servant to greedy publishers and networks…take a step back and think!!! Do you want to be complicit to the race to $0 and treated as a slave?…or are you willing to push back and say “if you want my cues exclusively where only you can deal them, I think it’s a good idea if you buy them from me at first or perhaps guarantee a minimum annual payment for my catalog.”
The way I see it is this: my cues can earn me 10K to 20K between the royalty free market and my own business dealings with my own clients and contacts. If JP or any other library wants EXCLUSIVE Licensing and Publishing of MY Music where I have to take these cues off the RF market and not deal them myself…shouldn’t they guarantee me an additional 10K to 20K a year for “exclusive” distribution of my cues?
How are they going to make up for that extra 10 to 20K I’m pulling down as they continue to make publishing royalties and license fees into spots or corporate videos from my own personal dealings?
Did you ever think of it that way guys?
Are you complicit in the race to zero?
Are you a slave to the publisher? and ultimately their client?
Isn’t time to say “thanks, but no thanks! to both the networks and publishers?… or are you going to be weak handed…cave in…and bow down, like a slave, and raise your hand and run to the front of the line and say “I’m in!!!I’m In!! please let me be your slave and sign that exclusive contract so you can control my cues forever in perpetuity and I can never sell my creations anywhere else…you win…can I please, please join your party…??
THINK!
The best way to fight the race to the bottom is by not supporting the bottom. Don’t up-load your music to sites selling tracks for $17….We all should really try hard to set a minimum price of $50 in the royalty free enviornment. For someone needing a cheap track for their low budget media project is there really a difference between $20 and $50???
I think not.
But for composers there is a big difference earning $25 for 100 sales of tracks verses earning only $5 for 100 sales of tracks.
Let’s all strive to set a minimum that makes sense for everyone: the buyer and the seller and of course, the site owners. $17 a track at places like AJ….is absurd!
Ask yourself, would you rather have 200 sales for $5 a track or sell 5 or 6 tracks for $250?