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Hey @RMcGravey90

Thanks for your input!

If that is true for most here on MLR, then maybe the complaints I read are directed at the fact that the “better” of the NE Libraries are slowly moving away from where they were. For example, I feel like many on here really loved P5, but have lost much of that love after all of their changes (understandably).

PS – Damn! I just clicked on your Fool’s Gold track. That is some insane picking technique!

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Hey Finn, I’m very new to this and have done quite a bit of research. I’m primarily a video editor as my full time job, but went freelance a year ago. I’m probably going to create an LLC or S-Corp depending on what my accountant advises when it’s worth doing one of those. And from what I’ve been told by a few accountants, it’s not worth bothering until you are making 80 or 100k from your ??? It could be music production or some other freelance gig – website designing. So if you are like me and making pennies from your music, I wouldn’t worry about it.

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Good point, Art. I can’t think so ego-centric.

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@cyberk91 – you mean, cut them up as in 30’s, 60’s, etc…? That’s what I’ve been doing. I might not bother with that if I don’t see any interest in the cutdowns. As an editor, I always downloaded the full track and cut it up how I wanted for the spot anyways.

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Based on this post and other posts like this on MLR, I think my best strategy to to focus on “song” related tracks (as opposed to tension cues, etc…) and then at least they might get some streams on Spotify playlists. Based on my experience with that, if I crank out 100 tracks a year I should be pulling in a solid $87 or so!! (Sigh…)

Seriously, thanks @LAwriter and @MichaelL

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To everyone posting their earning info, thank you very much! Very insightful and another tip of the hat to MLR!

With the assumption that a newcomer is unlikely to make much money right now, would the PRO’s on MLR recommend a newcomer keep most of their tracks in NON-Exclusive libraries? With the hope being that if things get better in the future they will have more flexibility to move tracks somewhere that CAN make money?

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Again, I agree with you 100%. They did get a deal, it’s just sad what composers are expected to do for so little. And so it is shocking when I hear that anyone gets paid. It is the only thing that gives me hope. I think you might have taken my statement as an insult to your skills or worth – completely not what I was saying. Conversing on the internet is such a drag at times….

And to your question about editors in Indonesia, yes, MEGA cheap rates. You will find people offering services as low as $5 a project. Of course some of them are horribly unskilled, but there are many that appear to know what they are doing. Only paying them for a project and seeing the result will tell.

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@music1234, Thank you for taking the time to give me this input. Excellent info.

You have underscored my point from my previous reply – As I said, my company would RARELY hire a composer for any of the big brands we were working with. I am surprised anyone can make money at this if you don’t have connections. And the only reason I MIGHT get to do this job IS because I have the connection to the video editor since we used to work together at that previous company. You are 100% correct. I imagine he probably would (and still may) just grab a library track if he didn’t know I was trying to get some music work. So, fingers crossed. And when you say you were paid $2000 from a seed company for a rural TV spot – SHOCKING!! And good for you. But seriously, that is shocking.

Regarding Your Future Your Music, we really need them or some entity to organize this industry into a powerful or at least semi powerful lobbying group. I have to imagine that is talked about amongst you pros with all the subscription problems and the recent Discovery issue.

Here is one example of how one of our own could contribute to the subscription service without even wanting to. The person I’m talking about is me, sadly.

I make my living in post production and went freelance last year. I get paid well from ad agencies/post houses, but I want to make money in between the freelance gigs. So part of that is working on library music and part of it is trying to get remote work through online portals like Fiverr. I will make WAY less money from these gigs, but it is something to do between the “real” gigs that pay.

If you have ever gone to a site like Fiverr and looked up “video editor”, you’ll see people in higher income countries have to compete with editors in lower income countries (just like composers). And they offer all the stock video, and royalty free music you could want. And I’m sure they do it by having a subscription to Artlist or Envato (audio jungle) , etc… I imagine I will have to join one of these when the first job comes in where I need the assets and the pay is at the bottom. Do I want to contribute to them, no. Will I do it because I have to pay the bills, yes. Would I welcome some organization stepping in to make the system more fair? Absolutely!

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@music1234, first off, you are one of the experts I am thanking in my post. Lots of good nuggets in this response. I’d like to dig a little deeper with a few things you brought up. This is not just to you of course, all the other pros on here as well.

I come at this from the post production world where I’ve been the editor or sound mixer going through the libraries choosing a track for a promo. Most of these were web only promos that would live on YouTube or the client’s web site. But the clients were Jeep, Dodge, LA Times, Vizio and other big brands. The budget was always mega low for the music. We got TONS from Premium Beat and a few other sites. Experiencing this kept me from bothering with the effort of getting into all of this. But I, like everyone else on here, make the music no matter what because I love to, so it seemed like I should put the effort in on the biz side.

So, this brings me to why I started this post. It is less likely that a brand will have contacted ME (at least for now). It is MORE likely that I will be working at a post house with an ad agency and I will have the opportunity to say, “Hey, what do you all think of these tracks for this promo we are working on?”

So regarding a contract, I’m assuming a big brand will ALWAYS have their legal drawing it up?

Currently I’m waiting to hear back from a fellow editor who is trying to get me hired to compose music for a health conference video. In this scenario, it seems like I would be the one to supply the contract. Would that be typical? Since the client is probably someone like Aetna or Doctors Without Borders (someone not really IN the Biz).

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I emailed the Your Music Your Future folks after the Discovery victory and said they should keep the momentum going. If there isn’t some kind of lobbying effort or union of some sort to rep composers, I see continuing problems.

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CMM2020, you can probably learn everything about getting in the door here on MLR. You might find it more streamlined on Jesse’s site. He has a whole playlist of videos for the business side of things.

But you are also hearing it from ONE pro and a few guest Pro sync composers. Here on MLR, there are many more voices. It’s not that much to join for just one month ($20 I think) and take a peak. But you should do what I did and first go through as many of his free videos on youtube as you can. There is a lot of info there.

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I also joined Jesse’s Sync Academy for a few months after watching many of his free videos. It is not a scam for sure and you get out of it what you put into it. TONS of information on producing music for sync libraries – business as well. He gives you a strategy to follow if you are wandering blindly.

That being said, he is telling you that YOU CAN MAKE A LIVING with sync music. I agree with others on here that the ship has sailed for us new to the game unless something changes (please, please). Or you live in a VERY low cost of living situation.

I actually joined Jesse’s Syndicate which is his member limited group to submit to libraries. I was able to “compete” with other composers and get some of my tracks accepted. As a Newbie, it was a nice confirmation that I was doing the right thing and my music was good enough. So my cost was minimal, under $1000, and I was able to get into a few libraries. Not easy when you are starting out.

A site like Jesse’s Sync Academy is really helpful is you need work on your “composing for libraries” skillset.

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Anyone get an email offering to join ONCHAIN MUSIC? They appear to be affiliated with a standard music library but are offering to distribute via Blockchain. I took a look at some other posts on MLR about Blockchain and when I looked up WeMark, it appears they are done. Just curious is anyone is distributing via BC services and what is coming of it.

Here is an article about several BC music companies

https://builtin.com/blockchain/blockchain-music-Innovation-examples

And this TED talk does a great job explaining how BC might help artists (f/fwd to 15:50 for the music part, but the whole talk is great)

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