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I believe that the “perpetual and irrevocable” license refers to the actual licensing of the song and not the assigning of copyright. This deal is between the library and the client.
What this means is that if the library licenses the song to a client, that client can use the song forever under the terms of the agreement that the library and client signed. So I couldn’t ask a music library to ask a client to remove my music from an episode of a TV show that already has the music on it. This helps for when and if a TV show is made available outside of broadcast (DVD, streaming, podcast, etc).
If the term still sounds confusing, call up the libraries and ask them for clarification. They don’t want hassles anymore than a composer does.
I call them up from time to time or just submit a CD by postal mail.
Honestly, the best way to get into some of those companies is to go out to Cali and attend the events that they hold. Mingling with some of those guys face-to-face probably does better than a phone call or email.
I may be attending the ASCAP Expo next month in LA. It looks like a fun time.
When it comes to creating orchestral music with sample libraries, a part of me says “why bother?”
Someone can spend thousands on hardware, thousands more on software, thousands more on lessons and tutorials. Even after all of that, that person can be told “sounds too midi”. Isn’t that a kick in the head!
I guess that if I were going to make orchestral music, I would just become an orchestral musician. The idea of becoming a world-class orchestral composer without an orchestra behind me sounds strange to say the least.
Plus, the though of making orchestral-caliber music just to submit to music libraries with no upfront fee seems futile. All of that passion and training and money just to get rejected by some music library seems very harsh.
I do not think composers should simply delete their software and trash their computers. No one should feel disheartened by being told “sounds too midi”. Midi or sample libraries are not bad at all.
I just think that the return on investment is too far away for most individual composers. There is a lot of music in between the spectrum of orchestral music and pop music that works with some of those awesome orchestral sample libraries.
Just some thoughts that popped into my head.
So unless you’re getting placements on major network shows , is any meaningful income from cable placements a thing of the past ?
ASCAP does the same thing right ?
Is SESAC following this ?I wouldn’t bet my future on backend royalties anymore.
I am sorry to hear that some of you have had a drop in royalty payments. That is very frustrating.
I don’t get my ASCAP writer’s royalties for another few weeks, but I did receive my domestic publisher’s share today. The payout was much, much lower than it was two years ago.
We will have to wait and see. If it is replaced with streaming or something else, the shows will still need music in them.
Some channels will probably disappear, but the more popular channels like HBO, Showtime, Disney, ESPN, etc will be around in some capacity. Streaming isn’t fast enough for everything just yet.
Congrats!
My goal is to make a good-great living as a library music composer and work with talented money-making artists, and eventually own my own business in music. I also want to be a millionaire by 35, so I’m working on making that happen.
Make it happen.
To me, the downside of keeping my music there and ignoring it just adds to the clogging and congestion for other composers who might have the right style and sound to do better in these places.
Removing music is a bit of a cathartic experience for me. By getting rid of something old, I feel the desire to start something new.
I’m currently with a few exclusives and find most of my time is spent writing music for them. There’s direction, a sense of purpose, and a feeling that my music is a lot more than just a track #.
Yes!
That is how I feel. I like writing to briefs. It gives me a sense of purpose. It is better than just writing random songs and hoping something sticks.
Hopefully things work out for you.
I have to disagree with Desire_Inspires – I’ve been doing okay at MD and ASocket. I’m all Nex as of right now. Been thinking about trying to push my way into ANet, but that’s supposedly a tough cookie to crack :O
Yes, that is the crazy part. What works for you may not work for me and vice versa. I am glad that you are doing good with non-exclusive companies. Stick with them if that is working for you.
I’m at 18 months of zero placements with a handful of NEx libraries.
The non-exclusive companies are not doing as great as they used to. Consider pulling all of your music from non-exclusive companies. The money generated from most of these companies is low.
There are many exclusive libraries with better music and affordable prices. Most non-exclusive companies are probably not going to be able to compete.
Research the best exclusive music libraries for the styles of music that you write. Submit your music to those companies.
It will take more time to do this. But it will end up bringing greater benefit. That is my advice. Others may have greater insights.
DI – How can someone new to licensing music distinguish the “low-level” company form a “top-tier” company?
I’ve been accepted into 8 libraries this week (some exclusive, some non-exclusive) and I may just have to submit to each, see who gets me results and then formulate my own opinion on who gets me results.
I can give you some easy ways to see if a library is top-tier or not.
1. Go to the website. If the site is poorly designed or has a lot of bugs, do not submit music.
2. Search for music. If songs are in the wrong genres or the keywords are done poorly, do not submit music.
3. Listen to the music. If the music is of poor quality or has serious technical issues, do not submit music.
4. Try to submit music. If the library allows anyone to upload music without checking songs for quality, do not submit music.
5. See who is making money. If you only hear about people receiving low payments or being cheated out of money, do not submit music.
These are just some easy filters to use to see if a company is up to snuff. They don’t take a vast knowledge of music or technology. These are just easy ways to exclude the amount of companies to send music to. Any newbie can use these simple tricks to save themselves time.
Saving time by not submitting to bad companies is just as important as sending your best music to good or great music libraries. Time is something that you cannot get back. That is your most precious asset. Time is even more important than your music catalog!
And the thing is that there really will not be too many exceptions to these rules. The good and great libraries will look, feel, and sound better than the inferior ones. The difference will be as obvious as looking at a black-and-white TV and a high definition color TV.
Once you gain more experience in the music library world, it will be easier for you to see if a library is a good fit for you and if you are a good fit for a music library.
Even a good library that has some sort of filter will be able to help you by rejecting your music if it doesn’t fit. The idea is not to have music in a ton of libraries. The idea is to have good to great music in good to great libraries that consistently make money for you.
I hope that helped.
Marvin Gaye’s estate didn’t sue simply because Marvin’s song was an inspiration for Blurred Lines. They sued because Blurred Lines was a huge success. Songs that don’t generate enough money or notoriety will still be mostly forgotten. This lawsuit is about money, not music.
DI – wasn’t suggesting a crusade against these companies, just kind of skirting around their rules, playing them at their own game etc.
But you don’t have to do that either. You are wasting valuable amounts of time by playing these games. You are just participating in a rat race at that point. The rules that the lower level libraries play by will hurt most of those libraries in the long term. Composers that get distracted by those games will eventually lose as well.
It only makes sense to avoid the nonsense completely. The top tier companies are not engaging in these silly practices. If a company does engage in these practices, that company is not a top tier company. Work with the best and get the best result.
I have signed all kinds of deals and worked with many different companies. The one thing I haven’t done is had my music in a top tier company yet.
That is why I have not gotten the results that I want yet. All I plan on doing is focusing on the top tier companies. I see no other way to the level of success that I desire by doing otherwise.