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also i did pay for services to get a jump on the learning curve when i started and heres my exp on that…
if you are new to everything and have the (disposable) budget for it, its not a bad route…theres a lot of things i learned from training courses and one on one talks with them and their community, like having a mentor or a friend in the biz you can sponge off…but its more on fundamentals, trade tips, and tools benefits, which in hindsight, i could’ve gotten for free if i just befriended a forum member here or in other forums….
most of the folks here dont like the fact that they are selling the dream and guaranteeing success for $1k, if thats what you’re after, yes it is a waste of money. if its to learn the industry and fundamentals, yes you’ll learn from paid services….do i think 1k is worth these benefits? no, I would say if i ranked them, the most helpful for me is 1) MLR, Forums, free content in social media (80%) 2) paid services (15%) 3) winging it and straight up corresponding with libs (5%)
that may change next year since im finally back home and will be attending conferences like PMC, sync summit, etc…I dont think anything can beat face to face interactions and hands on knowledge from the horses mouth…
in the end, looking back, pitfalls and mistakes are inevitable regardless on how much money & effort you throw at it to avoid them, but its really a good thing, experience is the best way to figure out what will work for you, not 3rd party info….my only regret is I wish i spent more time & focus on just writing, submitting, failing, shake it off, get better, rinse & repeat, than trying to find a shortcut or that magic pill for success….when the simplest solution to everything is just have great music avail and things will eventually fall into place (thanks R.B.)
hope that helps, im not a vet in this biz but i know how overwhelmed & lost i felt starting out thus would like to pay fwd through sharing my journey so far.
hi steve, everything you need to understand the industry is here in MLR, it’ll take time to read all the threads but its worth it…and pretty much all active libs info are accessible here for members with comments and ratings…but at the end of the day its all trial and error on what will work for you…as far as how to compose for library music, just go to a popular lib and start listening to their catalog, theres also tons of youtube videos on how to craft library music…once you understand the business side and the cue format all thats left to do is start write and submit.
one thing to keep in mind is to take everything with a grain of salt, there are no set rules and everyone is basically trying things out and just sharing their experiences..some advise saved my behind and am grasteful, and some hindered my progress cause it wasnt the right path for me…good luck and happy holidays
btw, the 5 fwy sucked so bad today with all the construction…sigh
ironically, they just sent a brief for a discovery id show…wonder how many went for it…
sure thing MM, just want to throw it out there that i guess these things happen. according to the libs findings BMI shows them as the publisher but not me as the writer…they are now checking for past placements if ever (the tunesat hits were recent), which may be a waste of effort cause im pretty much SOL if any royalties were already paid out to the wrong writer
had this issue with an excl lib. noticed some tracks were being registered and others not. (of the same batch)…i assumed they register per placement basis hence didnt contact them about this for a few years til now…turns out theres a snafu with BMI (not sure what happened) but theyre trying to fix it atm…if it wasnt for tunesat hits i wouldnt have known…doesnt hurt to check with them especially when there’s inconsistencies like my situation
out of all the challenges for this field…it seems like a great publisher is the most crucial and the toughest hurdle to overcome…so many duds, the only publishers most composers that i know talk about that gets them weekly/daily placements are A-list PMA libs with upfronts and excl perp terms. atm im fairly dissapointed on my outcome with mid tier, exclusive, no upfront, reversion clause libs per backend $$$…may take more than 7yrs (if ever) for me to make full time if I stick with this strat..thankfully my gigging and recording income has covered my losses….
yeah xev i kinda figured i went off topic with my post…i was refering to another thread were some folks got a bit confrontational to a commenter who had a conflicting point of view, thus my sentiments…I have since then got over it as even the harshest of critics here mean well when you step back and look at it in their perspective…
i felt the same way starting out here a few years ago where i took comments personally and sometimes felt insulted or shamed…i still think other forums are way worse. to the point where i don’t even want to comment or post a question to avoid humiliation.
but something changed the more I grew in this field. I started to “get” what they mean and where they’re coming from. I’ve gone back and reread past posts and advise that once felt like personal attacks or discouragements after i’ve crossed those bridges and eventually saw things more clearly..
I believe most folks here mean well on offering quality information, and are sincerely trying to guide newbies in the right direction according to their experiences. but a disconnect is unavoidable between the vets who’s been at it for years/decades and newcomers whose seeing this industry with fresh eyes. you just have to understand that their outlook is rooted from a much deeper perspective…they’ve seen all the changes through out the years, and already know what works for them and what does’nt, which may or may not be applicable to the reader.
At the end of the day its to your discretion if you’ll take the information/advise or not. follow new trends or stick to tried and tested methods . . . note that every discussion here will have folks for and against it…while the majority will stay quiet (especially ones who are experiencing success in the present landscape)
Im just grateful there is such a place like this now where you can get first hand information related to this field…
i have a GR55 that i use on my live gigs, may be a good idea for solo strings, havent crossed my mind to use it for prod music (duh)…it always felt better even with the slides, hammer ons/pull offs and vibrato (more expressive than keys)…good call
I agree with you beatslinger, as a popular saying goes “write, submit, forget, repeat”. but i do believe one of the treasures of this community is the sharing of experiences from seasoned members, not as a rule, but a barometer in order to adjust & evaluate every facet of the process moving forward. i’ve removed the money aspect of this industry long time ago since it is a hindrance, but the insight gained from others who are open to share real experiences is what makes being a member here worth the price of admission
. . . and yes i have learned a lot from you from my previous threads and am grateful . . .
congratz, question…how long did it take til you saw intl royalties trickle in, coming up to 2 yrs here and still no signs of intl presence yet with bmi (per my intl pubs)…ty
guess i’m really slackin off…it takes me an hour just to get through emails, news, and reports
ive been at this for 2yrs, got my first BMI royalty check last month for $25 (ate at sizzler)…based on an exponential trajectory ill be hitting 100k by 2045 😀
i’ve always pondered upon that, but so far havent had any backlash on helping other folks out,nor would i know if it came back and bit me anyways …i’d probably draw the line if I knew the other guy is an exact clone of me (or better)…but ive never met two people who thinks, writes, and sounds exactly the same even within the same genre
well except in corporate music, if you listen to recent or best selling tracks on a popular rf site, seems like cloning is the norm, maybe even encouraged on that side of the “forest”