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Now that I have more knowledge and experience, I realize that being a production music composer is very different from working to be a mainstream recording artist or producer.
Yes it is. That’s why I call companies that handle a lot of that sort of material “licensing agents,” not libraries. Some of them even promote themselves as an alternative to production music.
I think the licensing agent model leans heavily on reality TV, which is a perfect place for pop culture music. But, when you get away from that market, there’s a whole universe of productions that need functional music.
I’ll go so far as to say that I think the reason that some people do well in one business model and not the other, is because one is a better venue for pop music, while the other is a better venue for production music. That’s why after following all of this for several years, I don’t think the everything everywhere approach is efficient, or effective, at least not for my catalog.
Songwriters and bands who want their catalogue licensed are in different business to me. There is a crossover at times but rarely
Absolutely agree. It’s a different business. That’s why I call companies like CM, “licensing agents,” not libraries.
Sometimes I feel like everyone’s in an indie band, or a DJ, and that’s not what being a professional composer of production music is about. And quite frankly, that’s where a lot of the “flood” in this business comes from, struggling “artists” looking for another way to get noticed vs. production music pros.
Seriously, kudos to Art for running a tight ship, and his everlasting tolerance.
Absolutely. +1
The comparison between Lady Gaga and most of the production music composers on this forum is beyond apples and oranges.
I prefer not to represent composers who sell their production music catalog to consumers for personal use as well. Personal use sales of production music always ends badly.
Selling production music to consumers is something that would never occur to me. I think the reverse is what happens most often, i.e., pop stars license their consumer music.
I prefer to work with production music composers who are serious about just doing production music. no “bands” or “stars”.
Sometimes I actually feel the same way about this forum. I wish there was a filter or section just for production music composers, not song writers. I’d like to communicate with production music composers about production music…our craft.
_Michael
I can’t think of any pop star that doesn’t sell songs for $0.99 on iTunes, while commanding more $$ to license the same songs.
One is a consumer sale, as you put it Denis, and the other is a license. Different animals.
Sometimes licensing drive consumer sales…cross promotes the music.
We currently have composers who are selling their music for $49.95 on our site and for much less than $0.99 on iTunes via AS compilation albums.
Yeah, I somehow got on those AS compilation albums and not sure how I did. Most likely my not paying attention to details. Thanks Mark for reminding me about something I’ve been meaning to do for a while. Getting off of them!
Which means that if you are selling the same tracks for $0.99 on CDbaby, you are undercutting yourself.
Good lawyers aren’t cheap.
No, I’m not. 😀
Sure, as I said it was just my personal position.
I’m all for brand names, like some composer placing their music by their publishing company name or their library name. Claiming your music is composed by “Outstanding Production Music” is fine.
What I don’t understand is when a composer named Mark Lewis sells his music on another site as Mark Smith and on another site as Zack Lewis.
Makes me think they are trying to get away with something and in my experience (which I have 17 years of) they usually are.I tend to agree. I plan to release separate brands under my publishing company name, but I want people to know that I am person behind it. I guess that’s double branding.
@angopop…a lot depends on where you live / work. In the U.S. lawyers are licensed by jurisdiction, specifically, states in which they’ve passed the bar exam. A lawyer who is licensed in one state, cannot practice in another state, until they become a member of that state’s bar. (If the matter involves federal court, that’s different).
So, if you live in the US, you’ll want to find a lawyer who practices where you live.Expect to spend $150 to $500 per hour. Reading a contract and advising you, might take 1 to 2 hours. If any negotiation is involved it could take much longer.
I just helped a friend with a contract. Reading it and advising him took about an hour. Going back and forth with the lawyer on the other side, revising the contract and sending 20 emails took another seven hours.
As TimV suggests, many cities have volunteer lawyers for the arts.
You can also search for lawyers by practice area at http://www.martindale.comGood luck.
MichaelI agree with you but, If you sign up the same track with different non exclusive libraries you loose control and can’t prevent the same track to be sold at different prices.
You pick and choose which libraries you want to be in. Just don’t choose low-priced libraries. If you’re in libraries that let you set your own price, don’t set it too low. You lose control outside the RF world. Then, you’re at the mercy of whatever the “library” negotiates.
It is simply all about branding and not wantig to mix up different sides of the music business.
Didn’t I just say that???….Lexus v. Corolla???? 😀
@Lupo. I think that there is music that is worth $99 and music that is worth $.99. I would never sell a $99 cue for $.99.
But…if I had time and wanted to develop a low end product line…like Toyota makes Lexus (high end) and Corolla (low end), I would do the low end under a different brand name.
I would never market the same cues, at bargain prices, with different titles, or under a pseudonym.
Just write more.
Just my preference.
_Michael
PS…actually I think there’s music that is worth a lot more than $99.
Having a parent who has worked with great artists and who has done work for multinational companies would be intimidating.
DI…I can’t speak for Zack, but my Dad was a film maker. Learning from him, and from the people around him, including composers, recording engineers, sound recordists and music editors, was invaluable. Growing up in that environment, you absorb so much. I was very very lucky.
Zack’s Dad, Lou, is a great, and very talented guy. The apple, as they say, doesn’t fall far from the tree.
_Michael
Unfortunately success breeds contempt in very insecure people.
It’s not just insecurity Denis. A lot of it is resentment. Some composers, who feel deserving (perhaps because of their conservatory training) blame writers like Zimmer for moving the industry away from “old school” traditional orchestration. Times and tastes change, but they’ve got to blame someone.
@DP…very few of us would not want to participate in content ID, but are between a rock and a hard place.
I am the exclusive rights holder of my music, not any library through which I market my music. In theory, I should be able to participate in content ID.
The issue, if you’ve read this thread and all of the others, is that content ID creates problems for royalty free libraries and their customers, e.g. competitor’s ads placed on their videos and copyright violation notices etc. If you figure out how to work around that, we’ll all be on the bandwagon.
Until then, writers’ options are to 1) not participate in content ID, or
2) to market through one RF library exclsuively.Most writers don’t have “thousands of cues.” Until internet royalties become substantial, option 2 is not viable for those with small or modest RF catalogs, who rely on income from numerous libraries.
If non-content-ID writers are interested in policing their catalogs, perhaps tunesat, or Audible Magic are options. At least then, they could detect the kind of theft/infringement that you describe.
_Michael
I have no patience for music snobs. Zack is a very talented, and successful young man.
Thanks for posting Denis.
Sometimes I wonder if I have entirely forgotten how to communicate in english…
I don’t think that you’ve forgotten how to communicate. I, for one, need to remind myself that this is an international forum, and that language differences may give rise to different interpretations and meanings of the same subject.
Cheers,
Michael