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This thread is titled ‘Full time composers – Share your stories’ and yet it seems to have been hijacked once again by people complaining about the current state of the industry and how it’s all going downhill and whose fault it is.. There are so many places on these forums where one can read these complaints – it’s a shame some seem to think it needs to happen here as well
I dunno. To me personally, if they care enough to think about it, put together a cogent thought, and type it all out, that’s a valuable part of a “full time composer’s” story. The last thing I want to read is a bunch of get rich quick stories from folks preaching a paradigm that’s close to two decades old – at a cost of several thousand dollars – that doesn’t work anymore.
IMO, smart folks will try to read between the lines and get some insight. The last thing I want to do is plow headlong into an industry that’s got no future. (Im not saying writing production music has no future, just making an example). If all the full time pro’s are complaining….that’s something I personally want to pay attention to. Cheers,
Strong quarter with no individual anomalies running up the total. Just overall strong.
I just wish there was at least 1 PRO that was dedicated to collecting royalties only for TV & Film placements. A PRO that caters to tv and film composers only.
^^^^. That is really the only hope for change. It’s a well known fact that the PRO’s move monies around from slush funds to beef up royalties for : hi exposure writers threatening to leave, publicly visable “stars”, etc. – at the expense of the working man musician. There are some serious stories….. Especially at ASCAP.
Cost of doing business. If you spend all your time chasing these things down, you’ll never write another note, and become (if like me) extremely discouraged. Consider it a compliment, a cost of doing business (like taxes, spoilage, import duties and the like), and move on…. That’s my $0.02.
There is a lot of sage advice on this thread. To add to M1234’s comments :
LA Writer and I achieved what we did through very hard work over decades, not years. We made mistakes and learned from them.
This is absolutely true, and really – like it or not – true for everyone. To try to circumnavigate around these realities might net short term gains, but will undoubtable result in long term losses. Learn from your mistakes!!!
One mistake I never made was signing insane exclusive in perpetuity deals.
I have made this “mistake”. For the $1k-1500 price tag. Sometimes it worked out, other times not so much. I’ve got one AAA publisher who has hundreds if not thousands of placements for me, and nothing is showing up on BMI. Nothing. Tunesat is overflowing. Somehow they can’t seem to pull it together. Guess they are making too much money to be bothered, At least I got a decent paycheck UP FRONT. To do perpetuity deals with no SUBSTANTIAL (not $200) up front is equivalent to jumping off a cliff. A complete fail IMO.
Lower Prices =’s Lowering your revenue, it fails every time.
Um….Duh. Virtually any businessman knows this. Why don’t musicians? M1234 is dead on it.
Subscription =
It equals a fail. I’ve never gone down this road, and can see no circumstance that I ever would. I’d rather drive a UPS truck in the snow….
Laziness, not wanting to do what owners of intellectual property should do: register your cues at a PRO, Join a PRO! Y
Unbelievable. It’s the equivalent of taking a day job, and working hard, and never asking for your paycheck. Dumb. DUMB!
Detection services
I have never done these. BMI ignores them, and honestly, although I know I could probably net some more $$$, I’ve got better ways to make money and increase cash flow. ALTHOUGH, I completely admit that I might be the idiot here…. 🙂
Much like real life, owning property is one of the best ways to insure long term success. Avoid it at your own peril.
Mike – speaking for me personally, I do not license via a personal website, etc.. I have long standing business contacts that I go through or publishers that sub publish for me or re-title for me.
Agreed with all Music1234 said…..
You want to have a full time career? Forget about music…. (temporarily)
First….
Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$, Follow the money, Follow the $$$….
Music library owner – house in Encono.
Music library owner – vacations in France
Music library owner – driving Ferrari or Porsche
Music library owner – SWEET offices
Music library owner – company gobbled up by International’s conglomerate for tens of millionsComposer – renting apartment
Composer – signing away rights in perpetuity for nothing
Composer – has to have significant other working 2 jobs to survive
Composer – can’t afford kids or home in the suburbs
Composer – giving it away for “notoriety” or bragging rights
Composer – willing to work a day job cause that’s “just what you have to do to be a starving artist”Get the picture? Ownership = $$$.
Music1234 said he doesn’t know why people give away their creative works for virtually nothing. Actually, I think he does know. They do it for a variety of reasons :
– it’s the easy way
– they are too lazy do the hard work – which is MUCH harder than writing music
– they are too scared to call people directly and create relationships
– giving music away is instant “success”
– they can start making “pennies” almost right out of the gate – even though it’s at the cost of big $$ success down the line
– they are ignorant and too lazy to learn the ropes to long lasting success
– they believe charlatans selling success on the internet via paid classesAaaannnnnnd a host of other reasons.
Reality : He who owns the ball sets the rules of the game. Why give someone else your ball for no real return? Doesn’t make sense to me unless they are paying me $$,$$$ for a project.
Notariety, Bragging Rights, Feel good “success” don’t pay bills long term. Sacrificing your long term goals for short term successes is cool sometimes, but when you’re staring down a long career path, trying to figure out how to get to the goal of long term success and possible retirement….maybe short term successes are not so smart.
Things to consider……
I’ve never CUT prices, but I have RAISED them, and that has not seemed to hurt sales. If someone wants your music and it works for their needs an extra $20-50 is not going to stop them from buying a license.
No buyout was offered at all…
Then I’d agree with TBone – not fair. Find another library.
Totally normal – BUT – the library usually is exclusive and buys you out up front for a large (ish) up front payment per song – in perpetuity.
Yup! I suppose time will tell. Personally, it seems fairly abstract to me.
Could be an interesting topic. More specifically how does it line up with what we do as production composers.
I think AI will be using loops as well. Double threat? As someone puts together a database with metadata on the loops, AI will be able to use them more creatively and effectively. Then….. ???
Danny – if your employer will accommodate you, and if you can deal with the financial sacrifice of going part time for a couple of years, I say do it for 2 years and put EVERYTHING into writing and producing music on your spare 3-4 days for the entire period. Go totally crazy on building your catalog and contacts.
Then, at the end of 2 years. Re-access. One of 3 things will become fairly obvious. If job security and a 6 figure income is a necessity and/or your goal, I’d guess you will go back to your full time day gig. If writing music part time makes enough of the difference (hopeful, but probably in all reality doubtful) to give you enough hope – then stay on part time until you can pull the plug on the day job. if you end up making 100k+ in those 2 years, see a bright horizon, and can deal with the ups and downs of the industry and having an income that moves all over the place – then pull the plug on the day gig!!!
The reality is – quite frankly from my point of view – that getting to a full time salary (especially 6 figures) takes a long term (deacade+) level of commitment that few have the resources or life situation to accommodate. Especially in 2021.
Best of luck.
I’ve said it before. There are easier ways to make money and better ways to make music. At some point, even writing music can become a “job,” like any other job, which can suck the life out of your passion for music if you aren’t careful.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
TRUTH!! @MichaelL