Michael Nickolas

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  • in reply to: Recent success #29609
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Thanks boinkee2000. Library had the track for about two years before it getting used. Upfront payment was very nice. Sure would like to see something like this again this year!

    in reply to: The Big Push To Reform Music Copyright For The Digital Age #29534
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Thanks Art, a well written article. It seems like the four bills they are discussing are all geared to digital radio and music streaming services like Spotify. Do you see any of the bills as helping to increase the streaming money paid for placements on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and etc.?

    in reply to: 25% Deals #29524
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    If you think just getting in the door with lousy contracts at first; and hoping to change things once you are in. YOU are not only mistakenYOU are creating a bigger hole for yourself than you know!

    So true. Once the bar is set, there’s no going back. Another example is custom work. If you think you will score a clients project for free expecting they will then pay you to work on their next project it’s not going to happen. The bar has been set at free, and they will just find someone else willing to work for free on the next project.

    in reply to: How to know when to stop sending cues to a library? #29458
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    If you have exclusive tracks with a library that aren’t getting any uses, it’s not unheard of to ask a library to convert them to non-exclusive or to remove them and revert the rights back to you. I’ve had some agree to this and some not. You wouldn’t ask after a few weeks though, I would say give it at least a year.

    (edit – this is if they didn’t pay upfront money for the exclusive rights.)

    in reply to: PM? #29417
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Speaking of browsers, Chrome won’t keep me logged in.

    1) Enter username and password, and login is successful.
    2) Click on a forum topic and my login is negated. The “you are logged in as” disappears and the username and password boxes are repopulated.

    I’m posting this from IE. Oh, clearing Chrome cache didn’t affect this.

    in reply to: New workstation desk #29398
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    give the Presto by Omnirax a look:

    That’s the one I got when building my new studio four years ago.

    in reply to: Looking for Feedback on some tracks #29360
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Do you have any suggestions of how to make a Midi drum track sound more real?

    Think like a drummer. Don’t program things that are impossible for a real drummer to do, like a snare drum hitting at the same time as a cymbal roll. That would take three hands. Real drummers play fills, accent hits and catch rhythmic phrases of the song. Consider ghost notes, they’ll add a sense of realism. Purchase pre recorded MIDI drum patterns, most likely recorded on a MIDI drum kit.

    Or give up on MIDI. I personally am a loop guy and have gotten pretty good at manipulating recorded phrases to create convincing parts. I have a live room and mics for recording real drums. You could also take advantage of one of the many services offering live drum parts for your songs via the internet.

    in reply to: Looking for Feedback on some tracks #29354
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Hi Brian, if I may, the smooth jazz track is too repetitive. I don’t recall hearing even a single drum fill. The sounds are very “MIDI” and quantized. Needs more “real” swing. I could hear breaking things up by say after a phrase doing a stop on beat one and filling out the rest of the bar with a drum, bass or piano fill. Something like that to make it interesting.

    You never know what type of track gets used, but with smooth jazz you’ll be competing with tracks performed on real instruments that will have a more convincing feel.

    My two cents…

    in reply to: Freelance Post Production Mixing Rate? #29203
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Others was to meticulously micro manage every minute detail.

    When I was doing a lot of session work I used to call this “being chained to the bench”. 🙂

    in reply to: Will ASCAP collect from other countries? #29202
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    The Netherlands were represented on my last ASCAP international statement…

    in reply to: Freelance Post Production Mixing Rate? #29162
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Don’t know if it applies to this opportunity but mixing and mastering is often done on a per song basis, not an hourly rate. Something like $250 per song would reasonable (five hours at $50).

    in reply to: 5 Year Report #29122
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    I’m in the same boat as you. I had a big sync fee for the almond commercial, sold some tracks for up-front money and I got lucky with the survey. We’ll see how next year goes!

    in reply to: 5 Year Report #29119
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    My January ASCAP just hit the bank today. It is by far my best January payout.

    Good for you Alan! I thought the ASCAP statement was scheduled for Monday, you’re seeing yours already?

    in reply to: Info about PRO´s #29022
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Hi Stein, cue sheets show up as they get filed. Actual payments are documented in statements. There is some form of payment/statement every month. Either Domestic Writers, International, or Domestic Publishers. Having a cue sheet does not necessarily mean a payment, having to do with the dreaded survey system.

    in reply to: New ascap website #29015
    Michael Nickolas
    Participant

    Just noticed the new Interactive Earnings page on the website. If you choose a domestic statement it shows your top earning works and the top earning shows. If you choose an international statement you see the breakdown by country. Both have trend graphs and other info. Easier than trying to figure all that out using their spreadsheet like I used to do.

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