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See what I did here – https://musiclibraryreport.com/c-to-d/cinephonix/
yup. I see what you did. IMO, semi-helpful, but I read right over it the first time. I actually had to be LOOKING for it. If it was in RED font, bolded and big maybe…. 🙂
If it was my site, and it’s most DECIDEDLY not, I’d emblazon a massive scarlet letter style warning to any library approaching this style model. If proven successful for composers, I’d consider removing it, but leaving a less invasive warning such as the one you have done above….
Then again, I’m probably not a level headed as you Art. Haha!
Yes. Young guys should know that IT IS STILL POSSIBLE to make $100k + writing for library music after a few years. BUT, you have to work hard and make wise decisions. (I’m sorry to say that most young guys I meet are not willing or capable of doing either.) We have the control, and I have not seen a subscription model that I would call a “wise decision”. Well, maybe wise for the library owners, but not from a composers perspective.
If these subscription models are allowed to flourish, the only winners are the end users and the libraries. The thought of a lucrative career, or really ANY career in writing production music is gone. Out the window.
Hey, with thousands of placements – many of which are running in syndication – I’ve got enough momentum to carry me through well into retirement, but young guys should not be so chill about where they put their music.
We are the ones who enable these types of opportunistic models to work.
Just say no.
Art – perhaps a sticky or sub forum or some place where people can go find libraries doing this and report libraries doing this?
Yes! I have not seen any subscription model that is even remotely fair to the composers. They ALL benefit the publisher / library. In addition, it becomes quite difficult to do accounting.
The deal the westar / stockmusic.com / audiohero tried to slide me into (see the other thread) was 0% to composers. 100% to publisher. And they did NOT ask my permission, and they violated my original contract in hopes that I would just say “OK boys – that sounds good”. I was supposed to be happy about the back end possibilities. (which IME were going to be next to nothing)
All the Subscription plans up to this point that I’ve seen are evil. They will kill what little of this business is left. If you sign up willing into one, or if you allow them to “move you over” with their experiments or change to your contract, you are complicit with signing your own death warrant. Be advised.
Thanks Music1234 for sounding the alarms!!!
A person who flips houses, or who speculates on custom homes puts a lot of time, energy and money upfront – and then eventually reaps the profits at a later time. No one calls their profits “passive earnings”. There’s nothing “passive” about it.
I don’t see that as any different than what we do. If I put 6 months of my life and large outlay of cash into a project that takes 20 years to fully pay off, I don’t consider that “passive” income. I consider it delayed earnings and a poor business model. LOL
LA writer, you and I can always combine forces and undercut everyone with our catlogs. Let’s charge 99 cents a year and shoot for 3 million subscribers! We can split 3 mil a year!
Ha! You figure out a way to make that happen and I’m in. I can bring 10,000 tracks, and probably wrangle a bunch more to join in. LOL
If this continues (and grows) I will opt out of writing production music. There will be no upside.
Oh my god.
LAwriter: Thank you for telling us about Westar. That is absolutely disgusting behavior on their part. I just cannot believe what happens in this business. Really, you’ve done us a service telling us about this.
And to think The Music Bed is moving to a subscription model now too. This is very concerning for the future.
You’re welcome. I know there are other guys here who write for them and/or stockmusic.com. I don’t want to discourage those guys. I had a long term (15 years) decent relationship with them, although I always knew they were a “business first” kind of company. I too am disappointed in the direction they have chosen. I know it’s difficult to survive in this biz, but I believe success comes from thinking smarter, not in heading to the bottom at the first sign of struggle.
Read your contracts carefully guys. Keep your eyes open. And hiring a good music business attorney at this juncture of streaming, subscriptions, etc. to get you on the right path near the beginning is a good idea I think. I’ve always done my own contracts, but for anything longterm and substantial, I will be getting a good attorney. I have 60+ songs (many of them vocal songs) with a big PMA library that would do well on iTunes or Spotify, and I questioned them about those potentials when I signed contracts about 5 years ago. It wasn’t even on the radar of the co-owners. Now….I can almost bet they are hip deep in it. And I’ve got nothing in my contracts (5-6 albums) to support me. 🙁
Good luck to all of us.
Solution for writers: raise your prices on RF markets, avoid subscription deals, and stop signing exclusive deals where you give away your music in perpetuity.
Nice Music1234 – to add to that :
– I will not join any library where I do not have control and ownership of my music – with the exceptions of when there is a high paid work for hire, or guaranteed placement with high back end potential – and I mean a GUARANTEED placement (like I’m writing for a specific need of the TV production company. I do this on occasion.)
– I will not join, or I will pull out of any library on a subscription plan or seeking to move to a subscription plan.
– I will not write specifically for any show that’s being streamed, or that is in imminent danger of “going streaming” anytime soon. I will support network and cable shows that are staying that way in any way I can.
– I will continue to seek opportunities OUTSIDE production music. I’m going to hedge my bets, and the odds of Production Music “as a living” – surviving and thriving – are not exciting me right now.
– I will discourage producers from paying me peanuts just so that I can be working by turning down their insulting deals politely. I will ENJOY time NOT working for those who seek to take advantage of me instead of being bummed that “I didn’t get the gig”.
– I will continue to research, search out, and reward those who play fairly in a game filled with sharks. It’s difficult. Daunting really, but the truth eeks out if you are keeping your eyes open.
– I will continue to keep fighting the good fight – knowing I am blessed to be doing what I’m doing. Surviving and thriving in the music biz is for gladiators – not for the weak of heart.