[Edouardo]

@PatrickM, maybe Bandcamp, and definitely Kunaki for the manufacturing of CDs (you can sell them directly from your website using their product selling page: Once a customer orders a physical CD on your website, it is automatically manufactured and sent to his address.)

Bandcamp would be a great solution for digital distribution (I used it also for physical CDs but it requires I do the mailing). My problem there is that you cannot watermark so I haven’t repeated the experience: what a visitor hears is what a visitor buys.

So I am like you, with plans for commercial releases, but seeking a solution.

[Edouardo]

Actually reading Composer’s J success story with the low license sites does make me think. The license fee could just be about the time I place in the track.

I recently succeeded in finding a work flow that allows me to create a track in 5 hours. From the first note to a quick mastering. Of course, I am not very artistically satisfied when I do this, yet, stepping back, some of the tracks can be quite punchy and trendy. They are just not very subtle. Maybe an avenue to explore.

Basically not putting my eggs in the same basket by segmenting the sector into three avenues: 1/Excl (TV) 2/ NE and high-end RF / Adverb related (YT videos), each sector being considered as exclusive to one another.

[Edouardo]

If I remember well when I tested Paypal (my brother in France did the Purchasing part using his account), Paypal appeared to have returned to the main page of the root. Would it be what is happening with you Art?

I still have to fix this too actually. Either by an automatic redirection or just by offering a link to the visitor (return to shop or return to site)…

For the Embed, yes there is something i discovered on the way. You need to call the software from the root.
For example
if you have something like
MLR Root – Subfolder: Cueteam.com – Subsubfolder: Shop
then
<iframe src=”http://www.rootsite.com/cueteam.com/Shop/”></iframe&gt;
should work

IF you call it without the root
<iframe src=”http://www.cueteam.com/Shop/”></iframe&gt;
The players do not work, at least for me!
(Don’t ask me why lol!)

[Edouardo]

I am with Art on this one! This software is just amazing and really works rock solid! I just finished populating it with my NE catalog , and since today the shop is officially online! The ergonomy of Music Loops is really cool, and now I have it on my own website!

It was also a good occasion to get out of Word-press a little and explore how my little corner of server works.

I tested the buying process and I noted something just in case some wish to embed the shop within your own website like I did. You need to make sure that somewhere during the buying process you direct the visitor out of the i-frame, or Paypal will not respond. For example I just added a ‘_top’ target argument to the ‘check out with Paypal’ button, and it worked like a charm.

Again Mark, thank you so much for sharing this.

Just a comment, I have been tweaking a little the license argument. It appears in three files. In the Resend_receipt.php file in the Admin folder, it is still signed off as ‘Partners in Rhymes’ instead of the composer variable… Very easy to correct, but I thought I’d mention it for the next update.

Here’s my new shop!
http://www.synaptic-machines.com/license-our-music/

[Edouardo]

Well @Peter, you just evoked the story of my life as a library composer with all the questions that come with it. And I think every library composer has or is asking him/herself the same question.

To be truthful, I am a little appalled to observe what are my top sellers, while I have these magnificent tracks, that I consider as my best creations, that dive deeper and deeper in library databases. When one of these sale, it’s party time (It’s not a question of money). AT the same time, I am starting to get blase to see sales of ukulele/clappy or other cheesy music pop up multiple times a week in my email.

I started this library business about 2 years ago (musicians for more than 2 decades). And now I have digested that fact about the market. So my solution is to divide my studio time: 1/2 for crappy sell-able music, 1/2 for pure freedom to make the music I like. That seems to work out as I still enjoy very much what I do.

I take it like a strategy game to make the most sell-able track, while still have these drug-like high without rules and limitations when it comes to make some real music.

And I keep the faith, Some of the ‘good’ tracks do succeed to find buyers, but it does take them more time for them to get noticed…

[Edouardo]

Tunesat.com maybe ?

[Edouardo]

Mark, I used HostGators tech support. It was something to do with my account (they ran a permission scanning program).

I am seeing my first indie shop now online: you and your programmer friend are generous geniuses! I am all excited now to start configuring it and uploading 🙂

Thank you so much for this amazing soft!

[Edouardo]

During the registration process, at the 3rd or 4th step there is tick box with :
USA licensing – BMI ASCAP etc…

I would register the tracks at PRS, and tick the BMI box, so that PRS knows it is registered there too.. It might facilitate any back end transfer…

In doubt, call them. By my experience, they are quite available and very helpful

[Edouardo]

Thank you so much Mark: It got me started!

But I was quickly blocked… 🙁

When I tried to access the install.php file from my browser, HostGator reported an error 500. Suspecting it was permission related, I changed the permission of the folder where I extracted the software to 777. No change. Stil this Error 500.

Any clue or hint to get me unstuck ?

[Edouardo]

Hey GM
I can’t reccomend cheap hosting from personal experience as I have been out of that market for a while now but whenever I see questions about hosting the recommendation for hostgator seems to always pop up.
Here they have a worpress plan for $9.95 a month

Cool that is the plan I have!

Still, I was wondering if there was a composer that has the experience of installing Mark’s software on Hostgator. For me the HostGator interface appears to me like a very complex monster, and I wouldn’t know where to begin (I.e install the software on my corner of their server and link it to wordpress). Will it show up in WordPress as a plugin?

GM, if you do the switch to HG for your website so to install this soft, let’s work together on this.

[Edouardo]

Thank you GM to have checked them out. I am happy to feel the approval from an established composer.

No loops in the melodies (only the percs). It might give this impression because the melody is simple and repetitive, although all is played (and edited). No automatic quantisation either, manual quantisation only (I like to create waves of differences related to the bar to give the playing movement… but I might have been a little conservative here).

Same thing for the bass (played), yet, it is then copy pasted, and the side chain compression (a manual one also…) might give the impression that the bass always arrives at the same time after the kick, (which consequently it does…)

Nonetheless, you are right, what is important is what is perceived when listened too by others, I will take your advice and reflect on it for my future works (I really enjoyed composing the Ethnic piece, and want to make more).

For now, the tracks are still in the Exclusive Vault… Any other opinions?

[Edouardo]

Thanks Art,

It was a very interesting thread that triggered many reflections, and it was a real shame to see it go west like this.

I also know who he is now and listened to his stuff. I find it actually not bad at all, but all his tracks have the same sound, despite the genre…

I would feel quite un-satisfied if this were to be my repertoire. I prefer to be proud of my musical research, accomplishments and diversity, and prefer also these accomplishments to be my route towards success, than exceptional organisational skills… Even if it takes a little longer…(It probably will 😉 )

[Edouardo]

A podcast from the guy Michael mentions (Mike Verta) that discusses the subject based on his experience. It analyses the issue well.
http://mikeverta.com/wordpress/podcastsandtutorials/podcast/training-vs-working/

Impressive composition for a few hours work btw. There is definitely some skill here!

[Edouardo]

GM Nailed it and MlMusic is spot on!

TBH, I tried that. Making a track a day. I set a template based on a previous good sounding track to avoid any time consuming technical hurdles and instrument loading, and then went for it.

Logically, in a day, I should have been able to complete track. Tried a couple of times, never succeeded. The reason is that when I compose I just let the magic happen and enjoy the process. That results in getting out of the template I had set, suppress or add instruments, applying creative effects, tweaking the core of a synth, thus review the mix, take time to step back then come back to it, i.e. all the little details that give soul to a track… The composing of a draft takes just a few hours, it’s the refining that is lengthy…

On the other hand, I think Trackmaster has a great point in terms of making a living as RF/NE composer… It doesn’t look good. Based on the revenue coming from what I have out there, I would need around 5-700 music pieces to pay all bills and live decently. That means at my current speed, about 7 years… and there is no guarantee that by then, the first tracks won’t be buried very deep (track lifecycle).

[Edouardo]

Hey there, Like many others the 1-2 tracks a day kind of makes me wonder. I also am curious to hear some of your music! (Don’t hesitate to PM me too !)

You mentioned you make 25-30 tracks per song… Your initial song must be incredibly rich to squeeze out 25-30 unrelated tracks. Maybe you are talking about edits… I sometimes manage to squeeze out two distinct pieces from 1 song but never more.

Each separate piece come then with their bunch of edits. So in the end, an initial composition sessions can lead to anywhere between 5 and 20 Edits (D&B, 60s, 30s, loops etc.). Is that what you are talking about?

It has been 2 years I produce music as a composer, and now I have 60 tracks out there, and 15 more ready to submit (So 75 in total). In terms of edits, I must be approaching 700-800, but I can’t sell / consider these as separate tracks.

I’ve never heard anyone spending days on doing 1 hip hop, ambient or electronic track for a production music library. That would be stupid…

Well a completed track (composed, mixed, mastered, tagged) and its edits takes me about 20-25 hours of work…

[Author]

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