[LAwriter]

I would not say writing for PMA libraries is the goal. I have many albums with top A level PMA libraries that I was paid great up front buyout money for that are embarrassingly (on their part) unworked. I have no idea why they commissioned me to do them if they didn’t need them or weren’t going to push them, but the cold harsh reality is, this game is a crapshoot, and there are no guarantee’s. I’ve had better success on back end with non-exclusive libraries, and WAY better front end sync’s with non-exclusives. Go figure.

As I mentioned elsewhere, the industry is in such a state of constant change that perpetuity deals are not something I want to take on now. If you’re basing your business model on “back end royalties” to make things work financially, you’d best have a look at what netflix, et al are doing to the composers who have their series, films, shows, etc. ported over to them.

Instead of being able to buy a nice used car like you could if they were aired on network primetime, you’ll be taking your family out to McDonalds with your entire quarterly payout for that show. It’s that bad – and it’s happing in alarming rates. HUGE household name companies are getting into bed with Netflix now.

I held publishing on a handful of songs that was placed on a large studio that had their own cable channel. For 3 quarters, I didn’t get any royalties off them and I was wondering what had happened. They had been a decent steady earner of between $500-800 a quarter for 10+ years. This quarters BMI showed the answer. They have been moved over to Netflix. They paid out less than $10.

From hundreds to $10. If you’re going for the backend model, I sincerely hope you can work on stuff that won’t be moved over to Netflix. EVER. Or your business model is going down faster than the titanic.

[LAwriter]

That’s the way royalties go sometimes. If you can quantitatively figure it out, you’ll be the first I’ve seen. My BMI was “OK”. Good actually, but slipped from Q1 2016..

And YET, BMI states that they are having record years, and that network, cable and internet music categories are over half their income. Sounds fishy no?

As for Internet taking over cable :

Netflix and our collective futures..aka…are you depending on BackEnd?

[LAwriter]

LA Writer and Music 1234,

What do you guys think about the ever growing group of Sups who ONLY want Exclusive ques? It seems like this is a growing trend. Sure we can tell them no and they will just get Exclusive tracks from the 40,000 other composers that are down with their model.

Exclusive to what? ONLY being in the ONE project they are looking for? That’s not going to happen. I think you mean they don’t want to get hit with the same song 20X’s with different names?

If they want to hear something I’ve done, they’re just going to have to get over it. If a song is great, it’s great. Sorry if you had to listen to it 3X’s.

I believe they are mostly reacting to a few networks that have requested no NE songs due to the obvious problem of “who submitted what” when the song is in dozens of libs. Ultimately, this can be solved by WATERMARKING, but no one wants to watermark. It solves this entire “problem” though…

Personally, I don’t oversell myself by putting my entire library in 20+ non-exclusive libraries like some do. I’m in very few NE libraries, and one is completely controlled and in-house only.

[LAwriter]

$0 for a cue and grant of rights that say “exclusively represented and published in perpetuity”.

This is a failure.

Agreed.

The ONLY reasons that libraries can ask for this with a straight face (and even then, I don’t know how they sleep at night) is the mistaken assumption that you must be in an exclusive library to land broadcast placements. This is simply not true. And while certain networks have requested that ONLY exclusive music be placed into their database, there are loopholes, and eventually, once the “exclusive with no up front buyouts” burn out, these libraries will be forced to either pay handsomely up front, or allow non-exclusive placements again.

[LAwriter]

re: my buddies front end – he was paid a fairly normal front end buyout fee. But, he happened to sign his contract right during a crack in time where the studio unexpectedly moved it’s assets over to Netflix, and then delivery requirements and life pushed harder than expected. The old paradigm of “assumed” crept in. He assumed the series would be on network/cable TV as it had been previously. If he had a savvy attorney or agent negotiate his contract, perhaps that little crack in the fine print would have been seen and negotiated, but I don’t think it was even in the fine print. It was a business decision way higher up the food chain that happened almost concurrently. Another funny thing though is that since the back end on the PUBLISHING side is lower for the studio as well, the studio now wants to pay LESS up front. Go figure that one out…. “We’re going with Netflix so we have to pay you less up front cause we’re getting less on the backend”. He got past that one successfully when they tried to renegotiate (Netflix bit them too), but it still didn’t help his writers back end.

Episodic TV in 2017 is not paid out like scoring a TV commercial 20 years ago. Thats reality. I’m sure sitting here today, he’d probably wished he had taken a path similar to mine vs. the episodic TV on Netflix path he ended up on.

Yes, sorry I didn’t differentiate very well what I meant by “front end”. I meant that the PREFERRED front end for me is owning my copyright and being able to monitize the sync fees produced buy a piece of music myself INSTEAD of selling it outright via work for hire to a traditional library. Those styles of front end payment are no longer desirable to me based on the current rate of up-front buyout payments – which are somewhere between $0 and $1000.

Agreed – Netflix, Hulu, etc and the PRO payments they make need to become more transparent, and writers NEED TO KNOW where the money is going. I suspect it’s headed towards BMI and ASCAP’s favorite projects. Because this money is “new” and has no traditional flow of payment, it’s easier for them to slide it around to places it shouldn’t be funding.

I don’t know if the traditional model has “failed” as music1234 suggests, but it’s certainly failed for my buddy. And as a traditional writer, I can see the CLEAR writing on the wall.

Why everyone is scrambling to try and secure “exclusive contracts in perpetuity” is beyond me. I think maybe it’s easier to believe a dream and let someone else hold “the responsibility for your destiny” than to think hard and pursue a more difficult path that will ultimately pay better.

But the math is easy – If you’re taking $100 up front for your compositions, that’s only 3-4 micro licenses. If your music is half way decent, you should be getting dozens of licenses over it’s lifetime.

[LAwriter]

when dealing with libraries and a library wants to do a buyout, what do you think is fair upfront money that composers should be asking?

For an exclusive buyout in perpetuity, I think $1k – $1500 up front is “fair” – depending on style, musicians, etc.. Good luck getting that nowadays.

the lack of transparency here is beginning to bother me

Completely understand that Chuck. Unfortunately, that’s just the way it has to be for me at this point. I have a lot of relationships that I don’t want to burn. And burn they would if I speak the truth from my perspective. And just to be clear – it’s only from MY perspective. I do not claim to be a prophet.

I don’t think submitting to Exclusives is a “waste of time”. I just think it’s dangerous long term with their business model based on “back end” – meanwhile, we are staring down the barrel’s of netflix’s gun. How do you think that’s going to turn out? Check out the thread I posted about that.

I DO suggest diversity. Although my take on things today points me away from A level libraries, perpetuity, and up front buyouts, that could change in a few years. This biz is twisting and turning at every moment – so diversification in music, styles, libraries and types of ownership IS in order IMO.

To give some perspective – I have thousands of sync’s, and between my front end and back end royalties, I make enough to own a home, have a modest studio and support a family in LA. That should at least give you a tiny bit of perspective. Sorry I can’t be more “up front”. Cheers, and best of luck in your search.

[LAwriter]

Unfortunately, I was paid top dollar on all these songs, and there’s no way I can get them back easily.

[LAwriter]

Thanks LAWriter. These are the unfortunate realitites of 2017.
I saw changes 20 years ago, enough to motivate a career change.

Haha!! I wasn’t as smart as you Michael. LOL

[LAwriter]

unless they are an A list library i dont think composers should be giving away their exclusive tracks in perpetuity.

I’ve got a couple hundred tracks in the BEST of the A list companies that are essentially sitting dead on a shelf somewhere. I could have done better with it on any one of the RF sites. And it’s amazing music. Some of my best. Placing music with a top tier company does not guarantee it’s usage. It’s all about whether or not it’s with a company that it fits well with. The conundrum? Those companies do not want MORE of what they do good with. They have those pipelines filled already. They want to branch out in new directions, and that puts you into guinea pig status if you try that path with them. You’re a science experiment.

[LAwriter]

re: my buddies front end – he was paid a fairly normal front end buyout fee. But, he happened to sign his contract right during a crack in time where the studio moved it’s assets over to Netflix, and then delivery requirements and life pushed harder than expected. The old paradigm of “assumed” crept in. He assumed the series would be on network/cable TV as it had been for the last several years. If he had a savvy attorney or agent negotiate his contract, perhaps that little crack in the fine print would have been seen and negotiated, but I don’t think it was even in the fine print. It was a business decision way higher up the food chain that happened almost concurrently. Another funny thing though is that since the back end on the PUBLISHING side is lower for the studio, the studio wants to pay LESS up front. Go figure that one out…. “We’re going with Netflix so we have to pay you less up front cause we’re getting less on the backend”. He got past that one successfully when they tried to renegotiate (Netflix bit them too), but it still didn’t help his writers back end.

Episodic TV in 2017 is not paid out like scoring a TV commercial 20 years ago. That’s reality. I’m sure sitting here today, he’d probably wished he had taken a path similar to mine vs. the episodic TV on Netflix path he ended up on.

Yes, sorry I didn’t differentiate very well what I meant by “front end”. I meant that the PREFERRED front end for me is owning my copyright and being able to monitize the sync fees produced buy a piece of music myself INSTEAD of selling it to a traditional library. Those styles of front end payment are no longer desirable to me based on the current rate of up-front buyout payments – which are somewhere between $0 and $1000.

Agreed – Netflix, Hulu, etc and the PRO payments they make need to become more transparent, and writers NEED TO KNOW where the money is going. I suspect it’s headed towards BMI and ASCAP’s favorite projects. Because this money is “new” and has no traditional flow of payment, it’s easier for them to slide it around to places it shouldn’t be funding.

I don’t know if the traditional model has “failed” as music1234 suggests, but it’s certainly failed for my buddy. And as a traditional writer, I can see the CLEAR writing on the wall.

Why everyone is scrambling to try and secure “exclusive contracts in perpetuity” is beyond me. I think maybe it’s easier to believe a dream and let someone else hold “the responsibility for your destiny” than to think hard and pursue a more difficult path that will ultimately pay better.

But the math is easy – If you’re taking $100 up front for your compositions, that’s only 3-4 micro licenses. If your music is half way decent, you should be getting dozens of licenses over it’s lifetime.

[LAwriter]

If you want to survive long term and be able to shift and pivot with the never ending changing tide, ownership and control of your catalog is the key.

Quoted for the essence of the future….

[LAwriter]

Nevermind. Just print LAWriter’s entire post in bold, tape it to your refrigerator and read it several times a day!!!

Thanks Michael – your’e very kind. 🙂 I need to keep the realities of 2017 firmly in my sights as I make decisions on my music. We all should.

[LAwriter]

It’s good to see Music1234 rolling up his sleeves and getting into the crux of things…

A few thoughts based on some of the above :

First :
-=-= front end is the new back end =-=-
-=-= 1000 micro licenses crush a paltry back end =-=-
-=-= Ownership = Flexibility = Longevity =-=-

I’m rarely submitting to Exclusive libraries anymore – and if I do it’s NEVER for a cattle call brief. I’ll ONLY do it for a personal brief that comes from an actual human at a library that I have a personal relationship with. I cannot be locked down. Not even for good money, but especially not for lousy money or nothing. In 2017, most Exclusive libraries are basing their business plans on a paradigm that’s close to 40 years old – and is dying – because :

We are staring down at the impending demise of “back end” as we have known and expected it to be. Unless Netflix, et. al die or go out of business, OR, unless our PRO’s fess up and start handing over the real money, back end has a FINITE future as the world shifts over to a completely new and essentially unfunded delivery system. 5 years, 10 years, who knows, but this is a business with a long lead time, and I don’t want music I’m writing today getting placed into streaming services in 3 years when I was “depending” on back end to make money.

That leaves virtually all exclusive placements in peril IMO. I need room to move. Room to change things up as the industry shifts. And shifting it is. As a matter of fact, I’m looking at other opportunities for my music that are OUTSIDE the music library world. Opportunities that I have seen flourish, and that require OWNERSHIP of my creative works. Which brings me to….

Non Exclusive placements allows me to retain ownership. Ownership of content is singlehandedly what has made every A level company great. I’m not willing to put my music into the hands of folks that want things to be the way they were 30 years ago, who are unable to come to grips with the reality of the world we live in. (There’s an organization that has a 3 letter acronym that starts with a letter rhyming with Dee that ends with an A that comes to mind.)

And the real reason I can’t currently tolerate placing music with Exclusives? My sizey PRO statements are filled almost completely with non-exclusive placements. Thousands of them. My last close to 6 figure buyouts from two VERY large A+ level libraries have only netted me a couple hundred bucks in backend after 3-4 years. After an expensive and long term production cycle for those, I can honestly say that it’s a freaking crime, as the music is some of my best, amazing and completely wasted on the A level libraries that hold them. Gone. For “perpetuity”. And although the close to 6 figures I earned to surrender my copyrights and masters was sweet, and bolstered my artist ego, it is long gone, and those works (close to 100) are for all intents and purposes dead to me forever.

As for the goal of earning a living writing music for libraries : If you are starting now, don’t expect it. As for the aforementioned old adage of throwing out 1000 songs and seeing what sticks??? I’m not sure where anyone ever got the idea that it’s 1000 crap songs. It’s always been about quality. Its just that now, some libraries will take anything. If you’re not getting great placements, it’s because your writing is not up to snuff, your production skills lack experience or your networking skills need honing. Back when ALL libraries were exclusive – it took close to 1000 excellent to great songs in exclusive libraries with sizable up from payouts to earn a living – cause they didn’t accept crap. Now, I would guess that it’s somewhere between 1500-2000. Yeah, gulp. That’s close to a couple decades of work. And the work has to be top notch. Not middle of the road or crap. No one fingered loops. Real music. If you can’t hang, don’t bother. Find another business. If you can’t be extremely prolific in a wide variety of styles, don’t bother. Find another business. if you can’t produce at the level of a major label, don’t bother. Find another business.

Of course, all of this is predicated on earning a full time living for a family, in a fairly major city. If you’re doing it just for fun, you can throw out everything I just said. That’s all I got. Straight from the Music Library Trenches where biz gets done and music gets placed.

[LAwriter]

Yes. If you’re working the “old school” paradigm of back end royalties, the number of tracks needed is getting larger. And that makes keeping the quality control up harder.

Until PRO’s sort out streaming, that paradigm is on it’s death bed IMO. It will continue to get smaller and smaller.

At this point, I’m pushing towards 2000 pieces of music. I’m still earning a living full time, but the numbers are becoming more difficult.

I think every 5 years, the numbers it takes doubles. 500, then 1000, now 2000. Will it be 4000 in 2022? I have no idea, but there’s no doubt it’s an uphill battle.

-=LAWriter=-

[LAwriter]

The library needs to educate their clientele. If a tune is not broadcast via TV / Streaming / etc., there’s no downside to having it PRO registered. If it IS going to be broadcast, then they have to file a cue sheet anyway. (Theoretically) Not sure what the “problem” is other than ignorance of the realities of broadcast vs. non-broadcast.

[Author]

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