1,729 thoughts on “General Questions”

  1. Watch out for this scam site, make sure you scan it for your library catalog, just in case:

    redigi.com

  2. Has anyone come across this before? So a client of Pond 5 licensed one of my tracks and tried to upload his project on YouTube. He then got an email saying the video was being removed because the audio content is owned by Warner Music Group! I’ve certainly never had any deal with Warner, hey if they want to give me a publishing deal thats cool but at least let me sign something before you start claiming copyright on my music.
    Just wondering if anyone else had this problem.

  3. @Michael:Yep you let the video lead the way.I drop beats off of measures to make it fit
    and also give a little surprise to your music.

  4. What’s the average length of a track that would constitute a “full” track for most libraries? Sometimes I feel like track is done when it’s only say 1:30 but add stuff to make it at least 2min but doesn’t necessarily improve the track.

      • That’s what I’ve been doing. I had a criteria that 2min was the minimum, 2.15 was very good and 2:30 was excellent.
        I hate when I run out of ideas at 1:50. Sometimes repeating bars gets old in a song real quick.

        • Pat:
          I have really had to learn to write shorter pieces, and get to the point quicker. Some of my first tracks from a few years ago were running 4 and 5 minutes, with long intros etc. But I think if you are going to write a full length track, you need at least 2 minutes to get the point across. Again IMHO….

            • Pat:
              Most of my stuff is around 1:30. Like you I don’t like to repeat too much.I feel if it is done at 1:30 then it’s done. All my vocal stuff is over 2:00.

              But, if you look at Audiosparx you can run reports by edit type. 2-3 min. has more sales than 1-2 min.

              huh….. I guess that is why I do better with placements than I do on RF sites. Maybe I should start stretching them to over 2:00.

              • Now that’s interesting. Then I’m on the right track. I’m not really comfortable with cues under 2 minutes though I do have a couple.I also find that once they get around 3min, forme, it usually means I have too much repetition or too many changes that drift away from the main theme. 2:00 to 2:40 seems to be my comfort zone.

                • Pat :
                  Very true what you said about repetition. At that point you are usually not adding anything new, but just repeating what you already wrote. I used to be guilty of that as well.

                • I’d go with that, around 2:30 is my norm, though I am working on an album at the moment that specified 3 to 3:30 as full lengths. Kind of hard to keep it going to 3 and half minutes with just looping chunks of an arrangement.

              • The editor on the shows the that I write for likes tracks to be between 2 and 3 minutes.

                He used to edit several shows on HGTV, where, ironically, they may only use 15 seconds of a track. Essentially, the editors are acting as “composers,” taking 15 seconds here, 30 seconds there and piecing together a “score.” The object for this TV type stuff is simply to keep things moving.

                I had one cue rejected because I took the drums out of the bridge, and the editor lost the “beat.” I put the drums back in they loved it.

                I hate to say this, but remember that in most cases this isn’t “listening” music. It’s function music. Keep that in mind. What you think is interesting may get in the way of how the track has to function.

                • “What you think is interesting may get in the way of how the track has to function.”
                  I had to really train myself to think “theme” instead of putting in tons of chord changes and twists and turns.
                  I remember years ago I submitted to a big library, DSM possibly, and they said,”We love your music but we don’t know what to do with it.” I didn’t get it then but I get it now.

                • Good point MichaelL. What you were saying about function vs listening music. It’s really challenging for me to write music to fulfill a fuction as opposed to writing music for listening. For some reason, I always felt I had to write something that other musicians would appreciate. Somehow, I thought if I could do that, then I could write anything. Since I’ve gotten into this music library business, I’ve realized that holding on to that perspective simply doesn’t work. It’s difficult to not write music for its own sake, but for some other function. I realize now that to develop the craft of library music, I must really concentrate to make this happen. As time goes on, it gets a little bit easier. Just keep on trucking.

                    • And thats half the battle for library music. You need to create something that on one hand is non-intrusive but on the other is capable of fitting a variety of moods and uses.

                      One of my best earning tracks crops up on everything from homestyle, to nature documentaries. It’s bland but evocative 😉

                  • Violinbow:

                    Very well put. You really have to re-think your writing. I , like you, started writing for the same reason, to get other musicians to appreciate what I could do. Now writing for function…

                    The hardest thing for me is that once a piece is written, and I have to post it in the libraries, is describing it. Genres, moods, keywords etc. So many times now before I write a track I have to think of where, and how is it going to fit in.

                    • The beauty in being a composer in the old USA is that we’re free to compose anything we want. So compose a couple functioning tracks one day then a couple meaningful tracks another.

                      Maybe it’s the genre, but I’ve had good placements with my well-written tracks.

                    • To me, a functional track is a track that was not created to be listened to on its own, but something that sets a mood or a feeling to some visual medium. Not that it couldn’t be listened to on its own though. For example I’ve always loved Tangerine Dream’s Phaedra album. Not everybodys cup of tea, but I love it.

                  • >It’s really challenging for me to write music to fulfill a fuction as opposed to writing music for listening.<

                    You're right about that, it is a challenge! I spent five years freelancing for a major educational company, I wrote songs they used as part of learning programs. The songs were on CD's included with the textbooks. They would give me the lyrics and suggest the style of music for each song. The lyrics were teaching vocabulary and not a single word could be changed! The challenge was fitting their lyrics into a usable song. There could be five line phrases, or a different amount of syllables from verse to verse. I wrote over 130 of these!

                    Anyway, one tip to make writing to fulfill a function easier is to analyze examples. Reference some music that you aim to emulate. Pick them apart. What's the BPM and instrumentation? What is the feel and how is it being achieved? What makes up the arrangement? Start with a page full of notes on your examples, get started on something and see where it goes!

                    • @M. Nickolas
                      Good points here. Having a set criteria actually is easier.
                      When you work to video,you let it lead the way.
                      These days creating the underscore that floats along
                      is artistically stimulating since its so subjective.
                      A little can go a long way.

  5. I’ve written some music that has 5/4 and 7/8 bars in it and it’s metal/rock. I’m not sure if there is a demand for this kind of music. It is sort of like Tool if I were to make a guess. But, since most of the rock I’ve heard in libraries is in 4/4, maybe I should stick that instead? Basically I’m writing music I personally enjoy, but I’m also aware that this stuff annoys some non-musicians (at least the ones I know). Am I wasting my time with this if my plan is to get as many songs into libraries as possible?

    • Personally speaking I’ve always liked odd time signatures, as long as it’s musical. Then again I guess it’s a matter of who defines “musical”. I’d try some out on some libraries and see but I would not limit myself to only odd time signatures. I also like 4/4 riffs that appear to turn the beat around but don’t.

      • Use it in moderation. Ok. That makers sense. Maybe just use for transitions. I like your idea of using 4/4 ‘s that sound like they’re odd, but not. Love those too.

        ps: just read a previous post. Could it be that I’m too old to be playing anything but 4/4? I’m probably too old to be playing metal too. Oh well, it was knowing you. ; )

      • Okay, I’ll pull up an old story.

        I always liked Burt Bacharach and his ability to write pop songs with odd time signatures embedded in the song. When I was doing studio work I got called to do a few sessions for Burt. But my greatest thrill was when he called me to do a double album with him and about a dozen other studio players, plus the Houston Symphony, for A&M Records (only one was released, titled “Woman”). I was really out of my depth but I wasn’t going to turn down working with a 100 piece band! 😉

        The point of this story is that the keyboard player was a guy named Milcho Leviev. During the breaks he would sit and play pop 4/4 tunes in odd time signatures off the top of his head. He could also solo like the bar lines didn’t exist. Really quite amazing to see and hear.

        I believe he was Bulgarian. Maybe the music he grew up with was much more complex than our music and helped give him this amazing ability.

        • Art:
          You must have been reading my mind, I was just going to post about Burt. His time changes were very subtle, but very effective ,and really set his songs apart. Great that you got to do a gig with him. He was one my favorite composers back then.

        • @Art:I remember Milcho being on fusion records of the 70’s.I would go over to my boss’s house and we listened to music all night,all new records that came out then especially hot players.
          Milcho was modus outrageous.

    • I, like Art, have also always liked composing in odd-time signatures. I have a couple of 5/4 pieces, one jazz, and the other a dramatic orchestral piece, and another of the same genre in 7/4. Odd time can really give the song a whole different vibe, but use it sparingly…

      • When you’re writing to picture (and I don’t mean HGTV or MTV), you have odd time signatures all over the place. You do what you need to to make it fit.

  6. “From reading this forum and a few others, I can almost imagine a stereotypical library music composer. This composer would more than likely be a white male, between the age of 45 to 55. He would probably have a good 20 years of experience making music and would know how to play one or more instruments.”

    @Synth, you sometimes overgeneralize. That’s kind of like saying I can imagine the stereotypical football player, “they’re over 6 feet tall and weigh more than 200 pounds.” Yes, there are certain characteristics that successful players have in common, but skill is a determining factor.

    There are also certain characteristics that successful composers have. I don’t think, however, that age and race are relevant. Yes, there are library writers that play multiple instruments, there are writers that have degrees in music. Learning is a life long process. A composer’s skill and ability generally improves with age. Unlike football, you’re not washed up at 30. You continue to develop both your musical AND your business skills.

    Someone asked film composer David Newman, “do I really have to study music” To paraphrase his reply, he said “I can’t imagine more knowledge being a bad thing.”

    If you want me to tell you that you can have a 30-year career as a library writer making beats, or shredding nu-metal riffs, I can’t do that, because I don’t think it’s possible. At some point, you’ll have to expand your horizons.

    ” I kind of wish that younger people had more knowledge about this side of the music business.”

    Uh…that’s what we’re here for.

    • “Someone asked film composer David Newman, “do I really have to study music” To paraphrase his reply, he said “I can’t imagine more knowledge being a bad thing.”

      Funny MichaelL, that quote made me think of a Doc Severinsen interview. He said that he was playing these unbelievable trumpet runs & solos before he had formal lessons. After finding out how difficult they were, he couldn’t play them anymore. 😀

      • Yeah, there’s a similar story about Coltrane. Somebody transcribed one of his solos then gave it to him to read, and he allegedly said “I can’t play that!”

    • No need to worry. I wasn’t trying to knock anyone because of race, age, or gender. But you did get bent out of shape by Daverock’s comment pretty easily. You do have great experience, but maybe you can learn some new tricks by studying younger composers and modern sounds.

      I am no guru but my little beats and riffs are starting to generate royalties for me. Younger composers have to start somewhere and making ‘flavor-of-the-month’ music is how most composers get started.

      Now, when will the older composers and younger composers start collaborating?!? 🙂

      • @Synth, I’m not worried. I’m not “bent out of shape” over daverock’s comment. He just missed the point.

        As Denis observed, IT IS a sample from 1999. The point was to show 18 different writing styles in 3.5 minutes, along with a bunch of sound design elements. The writing styles included, old school library, old horror film, kitscky 1950’s, sports, smooth jazz, Mexican, Irish, Christmas, orchestral, novelty, etc.

        The problem is that Dave missed the ball, by focusing on “sounds.” It’s my personal belief that you need to be able to write in a number of styles to have a long term career in the library business. You go to any top writer’s website and you will hear samples in many categories: cinematic, sports, poignant, Americana, urban, dramatic, etc.

        For example: http://www.andrewkmusic.com/
        Click on the link to :go: music.

        or

        http://www.jasonlivesay.net/

        Jason has tracks on AudioSparx.

        Younger writers that got caught up in just “sounds” and beats (probably because it’s THEIR favorite music) are missing the big picture.

        What are YOU going to do when you’re 50?

        Are you in it for the long run?

        The you’ve got to think past just “sounds” and “beats.” IMHO

        Good luck in your endeavors.

        Michael

        Art, if you’re out there, please take down my 1999 sample, so no one else confuses it with my current work. We were afraid that would happen!

  7. Hi

    On the whole a very good site with some nuggets of info that is very useful.

    Just a general observation here though, because I’m seeing a few regular guys giving out advice to newbies – but I click on the sound samples and it sounds like something from the 80s/90s so I’m wondering if they were perhaps in library years ago but aren’t anymore? The business has changed somewhat and I think alot of advice given here is completely off the mark. It really is a young persons game these days – sad but true.

    I am a firm believer that it’s fine to talk the talk, but at the same time you should be prepared to walk the walk. Otherwise, how do we know the value of the advice being given?

    I think there’s an old Chinese proverb that says: “when speaking from a great height, it is necessary to have first climbed the mountain”.

    Let’s have all this advice by all means, but if certain members wish to play the role of forum ‘library oracle’ you should be prepared to show us what you’re doing now and for whom!!

    • @daverock….OK grasshopper, I’m going to guess that I might be one of the “oracles” to which you refer.

      So let’s start with the sample that sounds like it’s from the 80’s/90’s, if you’re referring to the MLR jukebox. It IS a sample of work from the mid-90s that was put together in 1999. That’s why it says “Sample from 1999.” I put that up so that writers could hear a wide variety of library tracks, not just hip-hop beats and nu-metal riffs (which will fade faster than yesterday’s flowers).

      However, If you’ve been hanging out here long enough, you’d know that I took ten years off to become an attorney and practice law.

      What am I doing now? I write full-time again. I currently have theme music on three television shows… two on FOX and one on CW. I am also creating a new library for the producers of those shows that will be the source of music for all of their shows. I am one of the publishers. In the next few months, I will have three publishing companies, one ASCAP and two BMI, so that I can publish works of both BMI and ASCAP writers. You could compare what I am doing to the Vanacore model. Are they high profile, primetime shows? No, but they are on FOX and CW every week, 52 weeks per year.

      Since returning to the “library” world, I’ve been paid upfront to create a collection for one exclusive library, and I’ve been given an open invitation from three other exclusives to submit tracks any time.

      I have a catalog of over 2000 tracks that I’m in the process of recutting to current standards, many of which I will distribute online.

      So, Daverock, how about you, what are you up to?

      Cheers,

      One of the tired old Oracles

      @ Synth…not it’s not harsh. It’s just a young guy hoping it’s a young man’s game.
      Art I’m sure would have something to say about that. 😆

      • @daverock

        Apart from making an obvious mistake of criticizing something called ” Sample circa 1999″ as something that sounded from the 90’s, your demeaning comments about composers who are not young is insulting and arrogant beyond belief. What is young in your books BTW.

        Lets see now Dr Dre is 46 jeez defo over the hill by now. I could go on embarrassing you but I will refrain. It is totally irrelevant what age you are to be good at music composition, or anything else for that matter.

        However the one thing most successful library composers have is experience. Gaining experience takes time and one never stops learning. Experience means that I can write in more than one style and if pushed could pastiche many. This is my job, I am not creating records here I am primarily creating music to go with a visual element. This is not an easy thing to do. Library music is secondary to the Film/Tv show/Commercial 90% of the time. You obviously think that this becomes impossible for composers to do over a certain age.

        I have had a relatively successful career in the Record making side of the music business. I decided to start in the library business a little over a year ago and in that time have turned it into a 5 figure per annum business thanks to this very site. I would not of had a clue where to start but for the free advice of many experienced library composers here. If you feel there is little to learn here fair enough but that is my real world experience.

        Also to finish it doesn’t matter whether you like my music or find it dated/old fashioned/not cool trendy, the people I want to impress are my clients, they pay me.

        • Thanks Denis.

          Well said. Now if I could just get up from this dang walker, I’d stand and applaud! 😆

          @DaveRock –sorry to come down on you, but it takes time to answer questions, and to offer what advice I can, based on 30 years of experience writing library tracks. And, time is a valuable commodity. FYI, Pat, who I was responding to, is another “old” man.

          Too add to what Denis said, google Ron Fair.

          Now back to mixing my first tracks for one of those new fangled RF libraries — AudioSparx.

          Cheers,

          Michael

      • Very well put Michael. Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing I hear from many (not all) younger people getting into this. The ones that are “making beats in Pro Tools”. And I am quoting that for them…..
        I am not putting down that genre by any means, but that is not the end all…IMHO

    • “I think there’s an old Chinese proverb that says: “when speaking from a great height, it is necessary to have first climbed the mountain”.

      So tell, us…have you “climbed the mountain”???? How about your placements, successes, etc. Please share that with us

      • Me or DaveRock?

        Watch out Gary. You’re just another old guy trying to horn in on this “young mans’ game.”

        Cheers,

        Michael

        I see that you answered my question while I was writing this. Thanks

        • Guess I’m going into forced retirement at 58……I wish someone would have told me it’s a young man’s game a few years ago, so I wouldn’t have wasted all this time and money…….oh well…..

            • My father wrote “I love you for Sentimental Reasons” which is what is called a “standard.” Pretty unheard of from the younger crowd.
              He’s no longer with us but I’m collecting the royalties still being generated to this day from the 1940s. Most of today’s artists don’t write material that out lives them…unless they die young.
              Couldn’t resist adding my little 2 cents to this thread.
              I found it amusing.

          • Yeah, but you can load your tracks onto one of those ipod thingys
            and relive the memories of your glory days, as you sway back and forth in your rocking chair!

            • My most successful track is a Chopin knock-off… long live the old, classical style.
              Oh, by the way, how does one dub-step?

              • Syncopated electronica, with a grimy wobbly bass. A little on the dark and grim side.

                Oh wait…I’m too old to know this.

    • @daverock: Ah, you have so much to learn Grasshopper! You might start by looking up the definition of “hubris”. Then again, because of “hubris”, you might not. Here is the short form:

      “Hubris, also hybris, means extreme haughtiness, pride or arrogance. Hubris often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one’s own competence or capabilities.

      As many people have already responded to your remarks I don’t need to say much more except, I would venture to say, that most of us have been guilty of hubris, particularly when we were young. Hopefully you will live long enough to realize how absurd your comment was.

      • Even though Daverock came across as arrogant, he did open my eyes a bit. From reading this forum and a few others, I can almost imagine a stereotypical library music composer. This composer would more than likely be a white male, between the age of 45 to 55. He would probably have a good 20 years of experience making music and would know how to play one or more instruments.

        But this stereotype is not a bad thing. What it shows is that a library composer can leverage his experience to become successful after other musicians have come and gone. As long as a composer is still open to learning, age is not a restriction. I kind of wish that younger people had more knowledge about this side of the music business.

  8. Rob:

    “The Taxi mantra is “write, submit, forget, repeat”. Nice in theory and works for a lot of them, but it’s just not me. The process is always psychologically interrupted at the ‘forget’ stage. Once the music is signed and submitted, then I can forget it and move on.”

    I agree 100% with you on this. Does it then become quantity vs quality in the writing process?

    • Quality vs Quantity? No. It’s really about quality times quantity. At least for me, I got better at making songs through hard work.

      I didn’t keep tweaking a few songs to make them perfect. I created a lot of mediocre songs and sent them in. Once I got songs accepted and rejected, I gained a little more insight as to what works and what doesn’t. It sucked being rejected but it actually helped me to make higher quality songs.

      Library music is a bit of a commodity. It does require a lot of songs being licensed in order to make a living solely from licensing. It also demands that a musician makes songs in unfamiliar genres and create music in a machine-like fashion. This is a reason why most people get frustrated and give up.

    • That mantra is mainly for Taxi submissions because of the screening and time lines associated there. Not looking to start a Taxi debate, please NO! With Taxi, it takes a few weeks to find out if your submission was forwarded and then from weeks to years to possibly get contacted by the listing party. So successful Taxi members developed that mantra to stay sane and focused. The idea is to not get a forward and think you should stop marketing that track.

      Regardless of how you write and market music, it’s best to keep lists or spreadsheets so you know what you submitted to whom, dates, versions, etc, etc. If you keep good documentation and a reminder system of any kind, the “forget” thing shouldn’t really be an issue.

      When you write a new track, nothing says you can’t submit to multiple libraries, Taxi listings, etc all at the same time. Then if you get any bites you can choose at that time.

      Often with a new track, I’ll try the higher end libraries first. If no interest there, I’ll try the libraries I’m already working with. I think Gus mentioned this elsewhere. 🙂

      • Hey Advice, how are you keeping track of what you’re submitting/responses etc? I have a notebook which is getting sloppy and I’m probably not being the most organized. Not because I don’t want to, just trying to figure out the best way to do it efficiently. It’s ok now since I don’t have hundreds of tracks. Would like to find some kind of music library template computer program if one exists.
        Also, what high end libraries are you submitting to first that are accepting and how long do you wait for a response before going with the non-exclusive route?
        Thanks

        • I don’t write that many tracks but when I need to keep records of things I usually fall back on a spreadsheet. I don’t think you really need a template if you are minimally literate in Excel or similar. Just make the columns for the info that you think is most important. Sometimes when I make a special mix for an opp, I put a “readme.txt” file in it’s folder with the DAW files that ID’s the new title to mix notes and which opp.

          If someone is generating dozens, hundreds, or thousands of tracks, I can’t imagine how they can survice without something akin to a spreadsheet. With my output, it’s not as much of an issue.

          As far as higher end, I’d probably say Crucial is the main one I try, even though they reject almost everything. If there is an applicable Taxi or FMN listing for an exclusive library and it’s a new, unsigned track, I’ll try those routes.

          🙂

          • Thanks for the input advice.
            I thought you were meaning you send your track first to a high end exclusive library first since it doesn’t matter when you send it to Crucial since they’re non exclusive.
            I’ve tried to send a new track to an exclusive library first before Crucial in case they take it but to be honest, I don’t have enough tracks for me to sit around waiting for an exclusive to get back to me (or not)so until I have enough tracks, I’m sending them to non-exclusives for now.
            There is one exception and that’s Supatunes.
            They accepted my only two exclusive submissions but I think of all the non exclusives they would have been a great fit for.

            • Hi Pat,

              You should read Ron Mendelsohn’s (Megatrax) advice in the recent retitling thread.

              High end exclusive libraries are not likely to be interested in single tracks. The want music in their “format” i.e., full collections, with all the edits and mixes. A full collection would be 10+ different tracks, usually with a common theme like all sports, all trailer, etc. You need a full length version (2+ minutes), :60, :30, :15, plus a bed mix. They’re not interested in demos either, They just want finished product.

              I believe the Matt said roughly the same thing in another thread. Libraries like a complete well produced collection.

              Understanding this protocol will give you a goal, and/or prevent you from wasting your time sending out single tracks.

              Hope that saves you some grief.

              Cheers,

              Michael

              • I appreciate that Michael. That will save me alot more than “some” grief. It’s hard enough going forward without wasting time and energy submitting to libraries where it’s dead on arrival.
                Any exclusives I aim at will specifically state they’re accepting single submissions or whatever it is that makes me think I have it.I won’t waste time with them at least for now.

              • I second that MichaelL! That thread changed my way of thinking. Working on a 40’s piano solo CD now. Made to order – destination the exclusives. I’m wearing my midnight blue peacoat to get in the mood. 😀

                  • I guess I should have said something before.

                    This is not revolutionary news. It’s the way that I’ve dealt with exclusives from my first
                    “LP” for NFL in 78 or 79.

                    The only exception that I’ve come across is when the library is producing a collection and hiring different composers to contribute x number of tracks. I’ve been in that situation a number of times, but that’s usually after they’ve already done business with you and they assign the tracks to you.

                    I did get into an exclusive once, based on a demo, and then they told me what they wanted me to write….two dramatic tracks for a collection along with other writers.

                    It’s a completely different mindset than uploading tracks to 25 different libraries. AND, there’s no quick turnaround. The tracks go through their production cycle and schedule, so it can be a long time before the backend shows up.

                    Good luck…keep writing!

                    Michael

        • Pat,

          Like you, I don’t a lot of material and I’m only in a few non-exclusives, but that is quickly changing. I’ve been putting off putting together an organized spreadsheet, but I think I need to get it started while my library is still small an manageable.

          Emmett Cooke (sorry if it’s misspelled) posted an nice excel spreadsheet template for tracking cues/submissions to non-exclusives some time ago. I can’t remember how I got it, (is on on the site Art?), but I would be glad to send it out.

          • Hey Alan,
            Not having a lot of material is only half of it for me. From what I take from that is that your production quality has to be like major label. I think I make clear clean recordings but they don’t sound like master quality major label stuff.
            The term “demos” is used. Not sure if I fit in there or not but it sounds like I do as fare as the big exclusives go though good enough for non exclusives and maybe some exclusives that aren’t that high end.
            As far as a template, if there’s such a thing that’d be great if you got a hold of it.

            • “From what I take from that is that your production quality has to be like major label. I think I make clear clean recordings but they don’t sound like master quality major label stuff.
              The term “demos” is used. Not sure if I fit in there or not but it sounds like I do as fare as the big exclusives go though good enough for non exclusives and maybe some exclusives that aren’t that high end.”

              @Pat .. you’re jumping around from templates to “demos.” By “demo” what I mean and what I believe Ron Mendelsohn means is sending in a sample of your work and hoping that the library hires you to write for them, based on what they hear. That’s as he put it a “long shot.” With a finished product they know what they’re buying.

              As far as “major label” sound is concerned…YES, when you’re talking about top exclusives. When you get up to that level your competing with top level writers and top studios. If you’re writing trailer music, for example, it’s got to sound “cinematic” on the level of a Hollywood feature. Sometimes they take an orchestral mock-up and hire an orchestra to record it. In that instance, you need to know how to “write” and orchestrate on paper (usually using notation software like Sibelius or finale)

              YES, there are smaller exclusives, but the finished product still needs to sound very good.
              “Clean” is not the issue if you’re using samples. It is one of the issues if you’re recording instruments with a mic, or taking in a direct from a guitar. What matters, if you’re using samples, is the quality of the samples, how you use them and your level of mixing / mastering skills. I hear a lot of tracks where people use good samples, but they don’t use them well. Horn and string parts for example, should live and breathe. If you don’t use your mod-wheel and controllers to put dynamics into acoustic instruments they sound mechanical, fake and lifeless…a dead giveaway.

              MIxing and mastering are critical. Understanding compression and EQ are a must. There’s a lot to it!

              Now….I know that you’re going to ask me if it matters in Royalty Free libraries. My answer to is to look at, and listen to, the top sellers. At AudioSparx you’ve got Erwin and Denis 1 and 2. These guys use top stuff, like Protools and the know what they’re doing when it comes to recording, mixing and mastering. So, I’ve gotta believe that the customers can hear the difference. They stand out, above the other 100,000 tracks.

              Sorry if this sounds like a lecture, but there is no easy or short cut way to make a living at this.

              • Thanks Michael. No, doesn’t sound like a lecture to me.
                I’m here for input and that’s what I’m getting. It helps me keep expectations on a realistic level.
                I’m just soaking in the info whether it sounds good to me or not.

              • “Sorry if this sounds like a lecture, but there is no easy or short cut way to make a living at this.”

                Amen brother!

      • Hey Advice,

        I’m not into a Taxi debate either. The mantra also applies if one gets a forward through Taxi or for submitting directly to a library if you think about it. My original problem is that the ‘forget’ part doesn’t work for me and thus the more unsigned music I have the more time I spend looking for homes for it all.

  9. I would agree .

    Sometimes the meta data stuff gives me a bad headache.

    Spending all my time uploading to only be rejected by some libraries.

    Is also disappointing.

  10. Back catalogues:

    I find having too much unsigned music sitting on my hard drive leads to low productivity as I spend more time marketing and waiting for replies than expending that energy creatively. Ideally I’d rather work on commissioned collections, of which I’m now on my third.

    The Taxi mantra is “write, submit, forget, repeat”. Nice in theory and works for a lot of them, but it’s just not me. The process is always psychologically interrupted at the ‘forget’ stage. Once the music is signed and submitted, then I can forget it and move on.

    How do you all approach this aspect of the business?

    • Hi Rob, I guess it’s a matter of time management. I only spent about 3 hours a week on the marketing/submitting The rest of the time is spent writing and producing.

      The only time my music will sit on a hard-drive is when I’m pitching to new exclusive libraries. In those instances, I will write about 5 songs and send them out. I’ll give it about a month to hear back. If nothing happens within that time, then I’ll submit them to libraries I’m already working with.

    • The best time for me to deal with my back catalogue is when I get writer’s block or have trouble faliing asleep. It’s a good use of time when my creative juices are not flowing.

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