[The1]

get into legit PRO-registered libraries with TV/Film Clients.

Does a library being exclusive or non exclusive have any bearing on how much royalties i get from PROs? In what way does the pay differ between those?

Thank you for explaining the one time royalty scenario.

It is not the case for all royalty free songs.

Okay i understand, thank you.

[The1]

Yes, a one-time fee can be considered a royalty.

Okay thank you, i’ll have to remove a lot of songs since my earnings are too low and one time payments.

No. In a broadcast situation you could collect royalties through a PRO like BMI or ASCAP.

A royalty free song is kept out of PROs so it wouldnt get require anybody to pay royalties, else it wouldnt be considered royalty free. Atleast that is already the case with my deal. Is that not the case for all royalty free songs?

Thank you guys for the insights!

[The1]

I’m finding it a bit confusing to follow. $5/track upfront is pretty darn small. I assume you received the $1250. Did you also receive the $190? The bad news is the numbers are pathetic. The good news is you made SOME money on your tracks and many tracks earn $0 in their lifetime.

Yes I received both. The 1250 is what the library gave me upfront for the 250 tracks. The 190 is my share of the licensing fees of 25 tracks licensed with me recieving $7.5 each. No perpetual royalties are given so my income is only generated when licenses are purchased. My income therefore completely relies on new clients licensing my songs. In other words: all income is completely gone next quarter unless new clients license my tracks, and that will be the nature of my earnings with this library.

This nature concerns me, as soon as the library stops prioritizing shopping my music around im guessing my income is completely gone.

When you say many tracks earn 0. What ratios are we talking, is it still better to have fewer placements in those other libraries than many with this deal? Is it like 3 placements will earn more than what im earning with my 25?

…do you even know if you can remove tracks, especially once they’ve been placed? Since they paid upfront fees, that might not even be possible.

I can remove unlicensed songs, but they may keep them until the term ends. Im guessing this creates a loophole where if they push to license the songs i want removed then those songs get stuck there. No mentions of what happens when upfront fees are paid. I’ll try to find new libraries.

…if I remember correctly the term “royalty free” means the licensee can use the track in multiple productions without paying a new fee. It is not related to royalties paid to the composer.

Sorry for the confusion, i wasnt asking about the term “royalty free” applying to me as a composer. I was more so saying that if a song is royalty free and only requires a payment once then doesnt royalty free for a client also mean no royalties for me? If so why has the library been using the word royalty everywhere to describe my pay? This is what lead me to ask if ‘royalties’ really means reccuring/perpetual pay or can even those one time fees be considered a royalty?

I have never before heard of one time fees being called royalties, i have always been under the impression that royalties are of a reccuring nature.

[The1]

I cant say the name publically because of the contract.

Just had a disheartening call with them and things are way worse. That 2.48 isnt actually per month, its a one time payment despite it being called a royalty. I got 2.48 per month by dividing a quarterly payement of 7.5 because i assumed it was perpetual. But its actually $5 upfront per track + $7.5 per purchase. About 25 tracks were placed amounting to about $190 from fees and the library paid about $1250 upfront for about 250 tracks (including edits).

I outright asked if theyre a royalty free music library, to which the response was yes. WHAT? royalty free library paying royalties? I recieve the pay in a “royalty statement” and its labeled as “royalty” even though its just a split of a tiny license fee and is NOT perpetual. The contract, the mails that notify me about payments, the A&R and the statement use the term “royalty” all the time. Is this deceptive just to bring in producers by talking about royalties or am i just uneducated on this? Are royalties not perpetual?

Is royalty free music even the same industry as production music libraries?

Should i pull out of this library and try and find a new one or is the market too saturated and i should just let the tracks be here? I mailed like 15 libraries and most didnt even click my link before i landed this. Or should i take a completely different route in sync like only doing public briefs or something?

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