[abellboy]

Firstly, your stuff sounds great! 🙂

I think you do what you love. At least that’s what I do. I find that if I do what I love, it come out with decent quality, and alot of people like it and can use it and I sell ok.

When I try to do something “corporate” (whatever the hell that is) I end up not doing anything worthwhile.

I also am starting to get the impression (and I’m VERY new to this) that no matter the genre, in this business it’s also very much about QUANTITY.

I have a very flexible day gig that pays well and no kids, so I am in the position to do what I love AND crank out a lot of “product”.

Hopefully that strategy will pay off.

Just my in-experienced 2 cents.

[abellboy]

I will add my vote for Cubase!

I switched from Digital Performer in the late 90’s. I use a ton of VSTi’s, and it has never let me down.

There was a time when I would print the files and mix the audio in ensoniq PARIS (man, I’m old!), but now the sound is so good I do it all in the box in Cubase.

[abellboy]

I am only on pond5 right now, but am working on a “block” of 25 pieces to pitch to higher end libraries.

I make about $45-$75 a month off the Pond5 stuff, but here is the interesting part…. It’s mainly from 4 songs! Adding more songs (I think I have 20 up there at this point) has increased it but not by much.

The other interesting thing I noticed is that the income is so amazingly inconsistent. I have just come off a string of about 4 $50-75 months…. and this month $0!!!

I am starting to realize that the only thing you can do with library music is generate more. It’s about building over a long time.

[abellboy]

In the opening cue of an indie short I used an internet String recording service, and it really made a difference.

I actually stumbled across an interesting effect:

I recorded a “20 piece section” (all overdubs). I then used two instances of QL Spaces, one of the “Warehouse” patches (or something like that, basically reflections) and then a “So-Cal string section” verb.

The strings were recorded fairly dry, but the two verbs acted like a pseudo “tree” and “outrigger” and it ended up needing no support from samples and sounded really natural and big.

Don’t know if this is common or even useful, but I figured I’d mention it.

[abellboy]

They have connections to the right people.

I’m sure they do, but the money has to be made back no matter who you know.

Are their placement fees and PRO royalties really that high?

I have seen services that “create” string sections and horn sections cheaply over the internet, and have used those myself. They work out pretty well, but these people have legit orchestras and choirs.

[abellboy]

Thanks Pat. I know exactly what you mean! That’s exactly the same fight I have in my head. I want to build it up, and have to remember to keep things simple.

[abellboy]

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the compliment! Also thanks for clearing up the names. I am really new here, and appreciate the info.

[abellboy]

Sure. They are nothing spectacular. The ones I am doing for better libraries have much more “Music” in them. There are actually 11 up there now, but a few of them were just put up in the last 3 or 4 months, and those really haven’t sold.

http://www.pond5.com/artist/IntensityMusic

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