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Music notation is nothing more than a written expression of an idea, just like what I am typing for you to read. What I remember from my music history classes is it was developed by monks who probably were sick of teaching their chants to the choir boys by rote. 🙂
It has developed into an effective language for communicating traditional, non-electronic based, music. I can write a piece of music for acoustic, physical instruments and email pdf’s parts around the globe. A reading of that music will sound about the same everywhere. It’s a pretty good language and worth learning, IMHO.PBS teaches me that languages evolve and this string seems to be about just that.
I rarely use notation for production music. Unfortunately, this tells me that my music is pretty simple because I can keep all the parts and harmonies in my head and glance at piano roll as needed. When I write the occasional big band jazz cue, I find it necessary to write in notation software (Sibelius) so I can see “who” is playing what note. 12 horns + rhythm section on separate tracks in piano roll? I think not.
Sidebar:
Here is the subject of a conversation I had with my daughter, an elementary music teacher.
Imagine if the creators of Guitar Hero incorporated standard musical notation in the game instead of the visual “language” they created. They could have made a generation of kids who know how to read music, even the guitar players!!
😉Hey Chuck,
I like MichaelL’s rollercoaster for earnings in this business. I think monthly income is to inconsistent to rely on, but I think you can make $5-10K a year with 115 tracks if they are steady sellers at productive libraries. After 6 years at this I’m finally starting to figure out how it all works, and I am also a 50 track a year type writer.
I am up to 210 tracks and made about $12K last year, up from $9,800 the previous year. I also have over 100 tracks that have not made any money yet!
Check out this string I started about a year ago if you haven’t already. I think you will find some answers to your questions.
Good luck!My ASCAP was my 2nd highest ever and was 4 figures (rare for me). About $500 of it was from a single cue that was placed in over 30 episodes on Telemundo (show called Un Nuevo Dia). Each placement ran from 2:00 to 7:00 long with total run time of over 2 hours. Without that track I would have been at or below average for domestic royalties. I’m hoping this will pad my international statements later this year..
That’s good to know about the cooking channel, I mentioned elsewhere that I have had a couple of cue sheets filed for the travel channel too. It’s too soon for payouts yet.
Based on my earnings …. I would need over a 1000 tunes (plus alts) before I would ever dream of paying someone else to it. Who would do it? Would you train someone or try to find a seasoned “tagger” that wants some quick cash? It might not be a bad little side business for someone with the right skillset. I would think it would take doing 25 tracks just to get proficient at it.
I just got accepted into what I believe is a reputable/established non-exclusive library last week. I have about 150 tracks with alts to submit. Yes, I am dreading the several days of drudgery I’m in for, but I’m working for me so it’s not so bad.If you don’t already do this, I suggest you make tagging part of the song creation process. I create a word doc with all pertinent info, description, instruments and key word that stay in each tracks parent folder. It works well for me
I have several old cues I did in pro tools m powered. I haven’t been able to open pro tools for years, it always crashes when it hit my favorite native instruments soft synth during boot up. It does open if that synth is not installed. Hopefully this will fix that old problem of me me. Thanks Art.
I also created a publishers account with my PRO using my LLC. I register all my tracks with it. It was nothing to do with protecting myself from a lawsuit or divorce though. A few non-exclusive libraries I have tracks with offer split the publishing, that was why I set it up in the first place.
I made about $600 in 2015 and $500 in 2014 in publishing back end. It was mainly international so I don’t anything about the placements. I assume it is from RF sales that I listed my publishing.The track I mentioned last summer on Telemundo just paid out nicely. Placements in 32 episodes (so far) has paid out over $700 in back end. Most of the placements run between 4 and 7 minutes and all add up to a little over 2 hours. I sure hope it continues!
I was surprised to see a Scripps cue sheet show up today. It was from an episode of Booze Traveler that aired about 9 months ago. It’s an SK placement. Will I actually get paid?
bump