If you are a composer and/or songwriter, please leave your comments and experiences with this company. We want to hear the good as well as the bad! Please rate, from 1 to 10, by clicking on one of the stars. Below is some general information but we make no guarantee of accuracy. Check with the company for all details. Please contact us for any corrections. |
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| URL: | http://www.humtoo.com | |
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| Twitter: | ||
| Facebook: | ||
| Accepting Submissions: | Yes | |
| Submit Online: | Yes | |
| Submit By Mail: | No | |
| Submissions Reviewed: | No | |
| Types Accepted: |
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| Charge For Submissions: | No | |
| Up Front Money: | ||
| Royalty Free: (non-broadcast use) |
Yes | |
| Exclusivity: (Exclusive, Non, Semi) (Semi = Free to place on own but not with another library) |
Non-Exclusive | |
| Re-Title: | Yes | |
| Set Own Price: | No | |
| Contract Length: | 5 Years | |
| Payment Schedule: | Unknown | |
| License Fee Split: (writer/library) |
Unknown | |
| PRO Split Based on 100%: (writer/library writer/library/publisher or writer) |
50/50 | |
| Requires Licensee To File Cue Sheet: | Yes | |
| Pays On Blanket License: | ||
| YouTube Content ID: | ||
| Active Site: | No | |
| Offers Subscriptions To Clients: | ||
| Notes: | ||
I just uploaded some tracks to Humtoo but I could submit them to the library when I click the submit to library button. Do they first go through a screening process to be approved first? Also do I register the retitled tracks with bmi myself or do they do it ?
I sent them an email but no answer yet so thought maybe someone who deals with them knows off hand.
tia
I think I figured out the submit to projects thing. Still not sure about the bmi registering of the new title though.
Actually I’m still not 100% sure myself whether the tracks are screened first or not before being put in the library. As far as registration goes, Humtoo register all tracks with their PRO. I don’t think you need to do anything at your end, but I think it might speed up the royalty payments if you do…..that’s how I read it anyway, although I could have got it totally wrong….
Thanks for responding GM. I guess I’ll wait and see if they respond to my question and if not, I’ll probably register them myself since I doubt it could do any harm…..I think
dblock
Actually, you got it totally right GM. I got a response from them.
“You can register the new title with BMI if you’d like – but you don’t need to. We register all the tracks here with our PRO.
There is nothing else you need to do.”
I joined Humtoo with my missus as’ Entropik’ pretty much when they started and apart from winning the first Humfest prize for a $1000 had pretty much got nothing from it and indeed had almost forgotten about it. Then this morning we got a nice email from them saying that they had licensed for broadcast 4 tracks for everything from American football to an automobile testing advert.. Will not be big bucks probably but it is nice to see that they are still working and going forward. Nice one chaps
Dan,
Hey, good for you guys, glad to hear that. I’m on Humtoo as well, I’m Stone Lion Music there. I’ve known and listened to several of you including Peter (GM) and Sharon in the post below. It seems there is a long silence there and seems like no activity is going on and then out of the blue someone gets something. That’s what happened to me when I got the Discovery Channel promo there. It seems they don’t really publish those successes to the main site, mainly just a quick blurb in their blog. It’s good to hear of things like this because it shows they are still pushing our music.
Actually I just had a whole bunch of “broadcast license” stuff via email as well , so maybe things are looking up…….
I got a couple of songs placed last week as well. Humtoo was one of the first libraries I ever dealt with, and since I never heard anything from them, I had kind of forgotten all about them.
That’s the way this business works. Write, Submit & Forget (repeat)…:)
My experience has been mixed I suppose. I think I was one of the first “batch” of music makers on the site when it was launched a while back, and possibly have the biggest number of tracks on the site, but despite this I have had only a limited amount of success in getting placements. The main successes I have had have been through content creators posting up projects, rather than through the music library. Rather frustrating for someone who has uploaded 300+ tracks and is regularly at the top of the “leader” board in terms of “Hums” (the site’s popularity rating system)
Humtoo was my first music library, but I have since gone on to use other libraries and companies with, I have to say, a greater degree of success. Not sure why that is, being quite new to the business myself….
On the plus side, the community aspect of Humtoo has put me in touch with other musicians, and this has had very fruitful results creatively if not yet financially…..I live in hope however…..
Hi there, I think we’ve met in the Humtoo community and I have to say that it’s not paid off for me yet. You mentioned signing up to other music libraries. I know this is probably cheeky but if you could suggest good libraries for me to sign up to, or how to research them, I’d be very greatful. I produce dance music and also contemporary classical (film score style) music. Thanks, and all the best, Sharon
Hi Sharon
Yes, I think I remember listening to some of your stuff. Basically I used this website (MusicLibraryReport.com) and looked at the ratings of different libraries and then approached them to see what they were looking for and what their terms were. A couple of libraries were suggested by other musicians I met on Humtoo, and one person actually approached me to join his music library – I think he heard some tracks on Humtoo originally. I still don’t really know what I’m doing or whether I am approaching the right music libraries but something seems to be happening slowly but surely. I have also done a lot of “free” work for others in order to get my music out to as wide an audience as possible and to try to make connections….. it’s early days yet, I am on a very steep learning curve!!!
Cheers, it did occur to me to bookmark this site just after I’d messaged you! All the best, Sharon
Amen brother!
Hi Stan,
Assuming your comments were directed toward me …. the differentiation of Humtoo is that users of music do not need to be registered or prove they are legitimate users in order to download. My simplistic logic is having placed my work with libraries who do restrict who can download, that I am not currently ‘at the mercy of the public’ – but would be if I used Humtoo.
The ‘music biz’ is just that, a business (whether you’re Hans Zimmer or using Fruity Loops in your spare bedroom) – so I’m not sure it is unreasonable of me to be cautious with what are my only assets.
Much as I always enjoy being patronised, I assume you don’t have a relevant response to my question other than to tell me to ‘get over myself’?
Hey David. My comment was a generic response to the Humtoo site. I was not responding to your comment or your question.(in fact I just read your question right now)
Music is a hard enough business without debasing other composers.
I didn’t even realize people paid attention my comments…pretty cool I’d say!
Peace my man…
Get over yourself. Once you submit songs into the internet world, you are at the mercy of the public. Worse case is that you’re going to brighten someone’s day with your music that doesn’t have 2 nickels to rub against each other. Best case is that you’ll get some music placed and make a decent living. Humtoo is another vehicle to get your music heard and placed…there are
hundreds of vehicles out there. Choose the ones you want and then, please, get over yourself…unless your Hanz Zimmer, Alan Silvestri or Rob Powers.
Best wishes and best of luck in the music biz!!
Exclusivity issues aside … the principle of Humtoo is to make the music as easily accessible for content users as possible by placing no restrictions on who can download what. The risk seems to me that users will just download your music and use it without submitting a cue sheet.
So my question would be as to whether anyone has received a royalty statement with one of their Humtoo tracks listed on it. Is the risk of free access to our work worth it in terms of income?
Read their agreement VERY CAREFULLY! The minute you upload a track to their library, you give them EXCLUSIVE PUBLISHING RIGHTS FOR 5 YEARS!
Leary, are you sure you’re reading it right? This is from the agreement. note the term ‘non-exclusive’ in section 4.1:
4. Our Right as Publishing Administrator
4.1 Subject to the prior or future rights of any Performing Right Organisation and to any Agency Licence, you grant to us a non-exclusive licence throughout the world and for the Publishing Period (defined below) to reproduce and communicate any Track (including each Uploaded Work) in connection with the Website.
4.2 Also subject to the prior or future rights of any Performing Right Organisation and to any Agency Licence, you grant us an exclusive licence to exercise all rights of copyright in any and all of your Tracks that are chosen as a Winning Track of a Project or which are included in the Humtoo Music Library, including the right to grant any third party a licence to use your Tracks for synchronisation with any cinematograph film or for the promotion of third party goods or services.
4.3 In this agreement, “Publishing Period” means, in respect of each Track, a period of no less than five (5) years commencing on the date the relevant Track becomes a Winning Track or a part of the Humtoo Music Library, and continuing until the last day of the Accounting Period in which you have given us 21 days notice of your intention to terminate this agreement, provided the relevant five (5) year period. The Publishing Period shall also terminate if we permanently remove that Track from the Website.
It sounds like it’s non-exclusive until the music is used! Ha ha if that’s the case then WHY BOTHER CALLING IT NON-EXCLUSIVE! LOL
Maybe they mean that the new re-titled track name is exclusive to them…
4.3 In this agreement, “Publishing Period” means, in respect of each Track, a period of no less than five (5) years commencing on the date the relevant Track becomes a Winning Track or a part of the Humtoo Music Library
OR PART OF THE LIBRARY! That’s where they get you!
Too many questions in their agreements for me.
I still do not see where the deal would become exclusive. Even if it did, the exclusivity would only apply to the retitled track. The composer could still use the same composition and master recording with the original title as s/he desired.
I know that we do not want to be cheated as composers, but the skepticism here sometimes borders on lunacy. There is no conspiracy theory.
Their agreement is non-exclusive. The word exclusive is not in section 4.2 at all, it reads “non-exclusive” go to the site and look for yourself. They take the publishing and re-title and you get the license fees and writer’s. I agree with Nameless, there is no conspiracy and there is nothing sketchy about Humtoo.
Yeah, I’m not really sure what this is. I have some tracks there, but it seems like I’m chasing after the folks who post their jobs and it’s a bloodbath of competition to get anything placed. I rarely check in there because I haven’t had even an inkling of success there.
I remember coming across these guys years ago, and i didnt feel too warm about what was happening then, either. In effect, YOU end up doing a phenomenal amount of work AND there’s also everyone’s “divide and conquer” part; the “non exclusive retitle publishing split”
http://www.humtoo.com/how-it-works.asp?HIWPageID=80
Not for everyone.