[Alan]

This is part of the instructions for deliverables I got last week from a new (for me) library
“ Cutdowns:

:60 and :30 cutdowns generally should have a button end at 1-2 seconds before the end or climax at 2-3 seconds for more sustained endings. Our distributors are now requiring that all 30 second cutdowns should be exactly 30 seconds (including the reverb tail).”

[Alan]

I like this thread! I recently went back to writing for myself when I’m not working on a particular brief or genre. By this I mean writing music I like that is in my comfort zone (music from the heart if you want to get sappy).

Years ago I tried experimenting with unfamiliar genres to expand my sync opportunities. Well I just sorted my catalog by Total Income and found all those experiments at the bottom of the list, most with a big $0.00. When I listen to those tracks now, I still think they sound ok, but apparently they are not and I don’t even know why.

Conversely, when I first started in production music I only wrote what I was good at and wanted to write. Those tracks are all at the top of the Total Income list even though the production quality is not very good.

My conclusion (for now anyway) is when I write for myself, the music has an authenticity which is kind of undefinable. I think the licensor can hear that authenticity even if they don’t know it.

[Alan]

Thanks jdstamper. I’m currently copying my Cakewalk Projects folder from my old machine to an SSD drive, 7 hours to go. Here’s an update if any PC builders are interested.
I used this video to walk me through the build process:
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-build-a-pc-the-ultimate-beginners-guide
I found it very helpful without the time wasting chatter common to many YouTube videos.
It fired up on the first try, which was a joyous occasion for me.
Installing Windows was painless
Moving 10+ years of software licenses, VSTs, etc, etc, etc, was very painful. I’m sure I’ll discover some I missed.
VSTs – I thought I would be smart and create a master VST folder where I would put everything. Nope, MANY of my plugins did not give me installation options. Even when I checked custom install, location was not an option. So, my VSTs remain a mess.

[Alan]

NRG quickly replied saying I could upload track data without label/album information if necessary. Their communication is excellent.

[Alan]

Thanks Art. My goal is to keep all my VSTs in one folder on the C: drive. I hope the iLok isn’t too much of a hassle. Although, I expect lots of headaches are in my future.

I think I remember you are a Cakewalk user. If so, have you tried to move the old third party Sonar VST instruments (Dimension Pro, Session Drummer, etc) to a new machine using Cakewalk by Bandlab? I would hate to lose those.

[Alan]

I signed with NRG. I didn’t know about the label thing until afterward. So far communication from them has been great. They want me to reach out to publishers for that info. I don’t think that info exists with JP, and would they even reply? Probably not. I’m going to try and avoid the issue if possible.

[Alan]

I signed up for neighboring rights collection and they are asking for Label/Album information. Anyone else come across this? What did you do?

[Alan]

Thanks, Art!

[Alan]

If it is for YouTube, and registered with Identifyy, and does go viral, you’ll get paid. I have a track in a viral Youtube video that earns low 4 figures monthly.

[Alan]

I’ve had a couple of new ones come in recently. There seems to be a rush around ASCAP cue sheet deadlines.

Thanks to ASCAP (something I don’t often say) I just had an ASCAP generated cue sheet from the 2017 film “The Last Movie Star” starring Burt Renyolds. It was an RF license with the P# library, so of course they didn’t tell me. I probably would never have known unless Tunesat picked it up on TV at some point. Anyhow, I’ll get writers & publisher share eventually.

RM90, I’ve never had an issue with CNS placements. I find that odd.

[Alan]

Following up on this post-
The 30 second commercial with my track that aired during the 2022 World Series during primetime on FOX paid a whopping $23.25! That was publisher’s share, so I’ll get another $23 next month on my writer’s payout.
I’m pretty disgusted with ASCAP for that one. I expected to see 3 figures. I’m going to message them now, not that it will do any good. For comparison, the same commercial on FOX during a Saturday afternoon college football game paid $17.45

On a positive note, the total backend for the commercial is over $1K, and it was P5 license. Ya never know.

[Alan]

Is there any schedule or pattern of when Identifyy releases their monthly reports? If I recall correctly, January and February 2023 came out within a few days of each other, but I still don’t see March.

I had some ownership conflicts early on and wonder if that caused delays in reporting.

[Alan]

I once have a 1:30 placement on an MTV show where the original cue sheet said 0:09. I reached out to the library and they had it fixed, sort of. The amended cue sheet said 1:09. I left it alone after that. It made hundreds, maybe a 4 figure difference in back end over several years. BTW, that was all Tunesat.

[Alan]

Great info, echoflex. Thanks for sharing. Do you choose the music, or is that someone else’s job? I would love to hear from someone who auditions potential music for a spot.

[Alan]

Here’s some info worth sharing:
Identifyy informed me some of my tracks had conflicts with AdRev, but they didn’t know who registered them. I have been very careful to never agree to CID with any non-exclusive tracks.

After some sleuth work, it turned out someone at a non exclusive Library (SK) registered my tracks with AdRev even though I specifically declined it via email (and they confirmed via email reply) several years ago.

Fortunately, the library promptly and courteously took care of it. & apologized. Identifyy confirmed I no longer have any conflicts.

BTW – the April 2023 Identifyy payout for the first full quarter with my entire catalog registered is in the low/mid 4 figures range. 95% of that is from two tracks I had considered poor performers. 50% is from one video. If you haven’t signed on with them, maybe you should reconsider.

I hope this lasts, but I’ve become quite the pessimist.

[Author]

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