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Aaaarrrrrghhhhhhh!!!
Yes, Music1234 has hit the proverbial nail on the head once again.
I was offered a similar deal. A music library I had done business with in the past took my music off one of their other sites and moved it onto one of these subscription sites. They told me how “great” it would be for my career to be on a site that was looking forward into the future by starting a subscription plan for users. I politely asked them how this benefitted me over the users and themselves, they couldn’t make any sense of anything, so I politely asked them to remove ALL of my catalog off their subscription site as it would compete against me in other venues. Talk about $#@!#@$% pxxxxd off…. Geez, I burned my relationship with them forever, but if this is “their future” I have only one thing to say :
“GOOD RIDDANCE!!!!” I can make 10X’s more money picking up quarters on the sidewalk of the park.
If a subscriber can get my music for under, YES UNDER, $0.30 a song, why would they ever license it from me on another site?
The answer is….once found out….they wouldn’t. Ever.
After getting this glimpse at the future of composing, I have clenched my teeth and hoped for the best, but if these models take off, we are done for. Completely done for. There is no backend from these sites, and backend as we have known it for 20+ years is about to tank big time with streaming taking over.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Yep. Going to edit a bit and it disappears. Same as always. I love this site, and it’s so helpful, but it’s about as archaic a site as I’ve seen in the last 10 years…. Very frustrating.
submit to the right libiraries in the first place and you wont have to do any cut offs. easier said than done ?
There is absolutely no way of knowing. The worst musical investments I have made have been with AAA level libraries that people say are virtually impossible to get into. Top PMA libraries. The best musical investments I’ve made have been with libraries that the general composer population regard as “horrible” deals. Go figure…..
There’s only ONE way to know. Check your paychecks 10 years down the road.
You know something, it’s fun to watch “The Rounders” speak about their cues. The only people that I am noticing that are not in the convo are “Abby”, “Pat”, and “LAWriter”.
1. I don’t recall ever getting a placement on BTN. I actually had to look it up to see what it was….. 🙂
2. I’m not with ASCAP and their silly survey system….. I’m with BMI and their opaque crony system.
So carry on boys. I sincerely hope you all get your fair pay!!!!!!!
Ha! OK, gotcha. I’ll expect an ending when I hear that on the next national commercial I hear…. 🙂
Got em! Nice.
You gotz some jazzy roots bro!
You need an ending on that second one though….. 😀
LAWriter, my friend. You mean it is not alright to rotate my textures? I guess I’m just back to only rotating My Hips.. Party Pooper! 8-P
Ermmmm……
There’s a lot of guys (gals?) who made pretty good livings rotating their hips. Kind of a different career though….. 😀
As for rotating textures, there are of course no rules, but if all your songs consist of 4 bar “compositions” with textures dropping in and out…..well, what can I say…. You wouldn’t attract my attention, I’d be gone in about 12 bars or so.
Now that said, can you post a link to you rotating your hips??? You might attract all our attentions…. heh heh
Seriously though, two things. I’d like to quote myself.
Simplicity is often amazingly complex.
Study the great masters of any art form and learn how simplicity is often accomplished via incredibly subtle complexity. Texturally, melodically, production wise, etc.. A 4 bar hip hop “beat” can be quite intriguing if you dig into a really great one.
And second :
Good Attitude!
Agreed!!! I’m so used to people asking for comments and then slagging anyone brave enough to tell it like it is. Bravo losloslos!!
Yes. IMO, you will have trouble placing these tracks with an upper end library. You can try uploading them to RF style sites but I would not expect a lot of $$ or placements from them.
It’s not that they are “unusable” but there are literally hundreds of thousands of tracks like this out there. If you need “specifics” and are willing to take constructive criticism, I’m sure there are many here who could make suggestions.
I’ll offer one. Despite what one of the guys who charges you to be in his syndicate to learn how to “write” says, a composition is NOT 4 bars long with rotating textures. Even in these genre’s. You’ve got to dig deeper. Simplicity is often amazingly complex. Good luck.
No one that I’ve encountered at the PMA ever said to me that RF libraries were a problem.
There are libraries – especially in the higher end – that will not work with you if you write for RF libraries. Flat out. Confirmed and verified, I heard it straight from the horses mouth, but I’ve seen it in print as well.
That’s where psuedonyms come in handy. 🙂
Yes Music12434!
Everyone needs to just hold their line when these “kick back” ultimatums come in.
Yes. Unfortunately, one crack in the dam and the dam eventually fails – releasing a flood. And it’s unfortunate, but there are a lot more than a few tiny cracks in 2017.
It would be terrible if that were to become the “new normal”
From my perspective, for better or worse, it is very close to being the “new normal”.
PS – if that initial payment started approaching $1000-1500 and above, then it becomes a viable Exclusive conduit for me. But at the prices offered in todays marketplace, no way.
Have any composers here had any experience writing direct for networks?
Yes, I have. But here’s the thing. What would you rather do :
1. Write exclusive for the network, be contracted in perpetuity, get 50% writers, and loose control of your creative work(s) while getting paid anywhere between $50-200 per piece. OR :
2. Write Non-Exclusive, give the music library a re-title, get the exact same writers as the exclusive contract (50%), get paid $0 up front, while having the ability to put the piece into numerous other venue’s for both front end sync’s and back end PRO royalties.
The answer for me is a no-brainer. #2.
Exclusive, Perpetuity, $125. That breaks 3 of the big 3 rules for me.
Old paradigm – again, this is MUSIC LIBRARY REPORT and that’s the context I am commenting on – I’m not a rock star or popular artist – the Old paradigm – you sign an EXCLUSIVE contract – in perpetuity, get paid $1000+ per song, write 10+ songs, hire musicians and produce and mix the songs, turn them over to music library who now owns your master(s) and your copyright(s). Maybe you have some money left over from the buyout, maybe you don’t.
The “old school” way to “make money” on that paradigm is on Back End PRO royalties. Unless there is serious forward motion on the Streaming Royalty department, or unless TV shows and films quit signing over content to Netflix, Hulu, etc., that paradigm is apparently in very serious trouble – at least for the writer. My estimates based on both my music and a few trusted writer friends is that BMI is paying approx. 1/100th what they pay during a quarter for streaming (ALL streaming) as compared to what a cable show would make a quarter. It’s a rough guesstimate, but accurate enough to be extremely scary. Even if I”m 90% off, it’s still a disaster. Music Library’s based on that paradigm can still earn income by doing blankets and needle drops, although they will inevitably take a serious hit as well. But it’s the writers who will suffer the most.
The “new paradigm” – for me at least – is to keep my copyrights, retain ownership of my masters, and use any and all avenues possible to monitize them – focusing primarily on front end sync’s until streaming gets worked out. Getting 1/3-1/2 of my current PRO income in up-front sync’s – for me – is looking way better than 1/100th of my current PRO royalties 5 years down the road.
History and business has shown that ownership of content is where the money is at. It may be small money or it may be large money, but if you don’t own your content and are reliant on streaming royalties to survive….well, I’ll remain optimistic and let you draw your own conclusion.
At any rate, there are new ways of doing business, and this business is changing way faster than I can even grasp. Those who are determined to hold on to the past….well, history shows pretty clearly where they tend to end up.
We desperately need a union, a guild or some form of organization that is forward thinking, not trying to pull in old money for old composers, and one who is dedicated to forging new pathways for up and coming writers. Some organization that will stick up for us and lobby for us. I do not see that on the horizon however. I think at this point it’s every man/woman for him/her self….