# Small library looking for a composer



## mrd777 (Jan 21, 2022)

Hi Everyone,

I run a small music library and am looking for a composer who is interested in writing some music.

I'm personally no longer have the schedule to write the tracks, so I'm looking for some help in the following genres:

Epic Music (Cinematic / Film)
Action Music (Cinematic / Film)
Suspenseful Music (Cinematic / Film)
Sad Music (Cinematic / Film)

About 3 minutes or more per track is required.

The tracks you write would be sold to the library exclusively. 
(EDIT: PARTIALLY EXCLUSIVE

The only "exclusive" part of me buying tracks is the following: - Youtube Content ID and Facebook Content ownership, and streaming distribution. We do not do PRO deals - you can do that elsewhere with the tracks you write.)

I'm looking to do somewhere between 4-12 tracks as a commission, and am open to expanding that to an on-going continual thing.

If you're interested, please send me a direct message and let me know your rate, and send a link to your current work.

Thank you so much!
Dave


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## Baronvonheadless (Jan 21, 2022)

Very cool, sent you a DM!


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## jcrosby (Jan 21, 2022)

mrd777 said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I run a small music library and am looking for a composer who is interested in writing some music.
> 
> ...


"Sold to the library", as in no backend? If so I'd encourage people think twice about this as it sounds like a potentially raw deal.

Frankly, there's some red flags about this post. It sounds like this person is essentially looking to do a buyout for a small fee. A buyout is not a license, it's ownership in perpetuity so the phrase _sold to the library exclusively_ seems gray. Honestly, them specifying they _no longer have the schedule to write_ should at least give you pause without at least fielding some proper questions...

The short version is this: A successful Production Music track can continue to generate income long after being written through backend, licensing fees, etc. Most of us are familiar with how these revenue scenarios play out, so the TL;DR is: A buyout of production music means the entity acquiring the rights can buy it from someone for a small fee and recoup many many times the initial cost. But the big ethical quandary is allowing someone else to register themselves as the writer of your work, then collect that revenue because you've voluntarily sold your performing rights away via a buyout agreement...

Bare minimum at least understand the ramifications of a buyout:









New Buyout Clauses Raise Concerns for Music Creators - PMA


The Music Creators North America (MCNA) alliance and its global affiliate the International Council of Music Creators (CIAM), together representing hundreds of thousands of songwriters and composers throughout the world, have recently launched a crucial, international education project designed...




pmamusic.com





Perhaps they actually do own a small library, but the wording suggests it _could_ also wind up in a 3rd party library, with no control of where it winds up after the fact... _If_ this were the case and they listed themselves as the writer and collect all of the backend you'd potentially be shooting yourself in the foot.

No offense to the OP, but I think people should at least be equipped with some important questions that anyone above board will be more than happy to provide answers to...
(Which hopefully is in fact the case...)


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## mrd777 (Jan 21, 2022)

jcrosby said:


> "Sold to the library", as in no backend? If so I'd encourage people think twice about this as it sounds like a potentially raw deal. Frankly, there's some red flags about this post. It sounds like this person is essentially looking to do a buyout for a small fee.
> 
> Perhaps they actually do own a small library, but the wording suggests it _could_ also wind up in a 3rd party library, with no control of where it winds up after the fact... _If_ this were the case and they listed themselves as the writer and collect all of the backend you'd potentially be shooting yourself in the foot.
> 
> No offense to the OP, but I think people should at least be equipped with some important questions that anyone above board will be more than happy to provide answers to... (Which hopefully is the case...)


Yes, it's true, there is NO backend. Which is why a deal is negotiated up front.

I've sold to libraries with a 50/50 exclusive split, and they often don't work out too well in terms of generating enough royalties to be worth it. I've been lucky to start my own library, and can happily share in private DMs all details.

All details of a contract will be thoroughly explained.

Lastly, I will NEVER take credit for YOUR work. I'm an artist myself and I understand credits are important. If the music is licensed, sold, etc... it will always have to be with the name and credit of the artist, even in a rare case that a piece of music is resold many years later.

I've worked with a number of composers in the past and all have been happy. No red flags or hard to understand contracts. If terms are not acceptable, no problem.


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## mrd777 (Jan 21, 2022)

I want to clear something up as well:

The only "exclusive" part of me buying tracks is the following:

- Youtube Content ID and Facebook Content ownership, and streaming distribution. This is where the "exclusive" part comes in. 
Ie, you can still submit to other libraries, and do your TV deals elsewhere. We do not even focus on TV deals. You would simply have to make sure the other libraries you are already working with are okay with not retaining rights to Youtube/Facebook/Distro monetization.

Thanks!
Dave


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## Ben E (Jan 21, 2022)

There's no backend. This means you're claiming the writer's share of performance royalties?


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## rgames (Jan 21, 2022)

jcrosby said:


> "Sold to the library", as in no backend? If so I'd encourage people think twice about this as it sounds like a potentially raw deal.
> 
> Frankly, there's some red flags about this post. It sounds like this person is essentially looking to do a buyout for a small fee. A buyout is not a license, it's ownership in perpetuity so the phrase _sold to the library exclusively_ seems gray. Honestly, them specifying they _no longer have the schedule to write_ should at least give you pause without at least fielding some proper questions...
> 
> ...


This conversation comes up regularly. But I'll add the same note I always do:

For the 99% of the IP-generating world that is *not* the music business the "no backend" model is accepted as an option without question. On this forum it's like an attack on a religion.

And plenty of other creatives - visual FX artists, painters, sculptors, video editors, motion graphics artists, etc. - get no back end. They get paid up front and do just fine.

It's a business decision. Upfront payment with no back end *can* be very lucrative, especially for the vast majority of the world that hasn't had any luck with the PRO mafias. Witness the success of libraries like Epidemic Sound.

rgames


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## mrd777 (Jan 21, 2022)

Ben E said:


> There's no backend. This means you're claiming the writer's share of performance royalties?


Sorry, wasn't clear in the original. Edits have been made. Please refer to original post. We do not do PRO stuff. You can still do PRO on your own, and send the music into any PRO library, as long as they understand which rights that have been purchased already: Youtube/Facebook/Streaming Distribution


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## mrd777 (Jan 21, 2022)

rgames said:


> This conversation comes up regularly. But I'll add the same note I always do:
> 
> For the 99% of the IP-generating world that is *not* the music business the "no backend" model is accepted as an option without question. On this forum it's like an attack on a religion.
> 
> ...


Yes, this is true. I've written to libraries with 50/50 split and made almost nothing after the initial exclusive cashout. It would have been much better to do a one time up front payment for me and collect no backend. That has simply been my experience, but I know others may differ. To each their own. 

Either way, my offer is a bit different. (refer to edited OP)


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## colony nofi (Jan 21, 2022)

Yeah - so work for hire in some parts of the world isn't allowed by rights collection agencies, or when it is tolerated, you need written exemption. 
USA is its own hot mess when it comes to this stuff, but look closely in other parts of the world before signing a deal where where your writing royalty is collected by someone who didn't write the track.

I actually wish I had time to have more knowledge about this in various locals. Anyone who wishes to chime in with more info about this?

Also @rgames you are entirely correct regarding other industries without backend (although there are still plenty that do have them!). Backend was created for a tonne of different reasons in different locations, and some of it is necessary to maintain wages where upfront fees are not sustainable (we are not talking just composers... look at directors for instance!). As for composers, yeah, it can work for some. It won't work for all, and there's good reasons for things being setup in the way they originally were (ie there's very few places that I'm aware where the legal rationale for backend ever included the idea that third parties or middle-men would take royalties designed for the creator)

Here's some interesting reading for those in australia :








Buyouts & APRA Membership


Important Information for APRA AMCOS Members for any Buyout Deal Under the APRA AMCOS Constitution, a member assigns all performing rights in all of their existing and future works to APRA AMCOS. Therefore, the starting point is that an APRA AMCOS member is not able to enter




agsc.org.au


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## rgames (Jan 21, 2022)

colony nofi said:


> ie there's very few places that I'm aware where the legal rationale for backend ever included the idea that third parties or middle-men would take royalties designed for the creator


Yeah this is another one of the peculiarities of the music biz and its obsessive focus on back end: PROs.

Software engineers, aerospace engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, etc. collect vastly more royalties than composers. But they don't have PROs... hmmm....

rgames


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## colony nofi (Jan 21, 2022)

Further info for aus :
As an APRA AMCOS member it doesn’t matter if you have a publisher, grant a sync license for your Music, grant copyright in the Master recording* or even assign copyright in the Music itself to a client,* you are legally entitled to a minimum 50% share of the entire available public performance royalties. This is known as the ‘Writer’s Share’.


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## jcrosby (Jan 21, 2022)

rgames said:


> Upfront payment with no back end *can* be very lucrative, especially for the vast majority of the world that hasn't had any luck with the PRO mafias.


There are plenty of freelance composition where scenarios backend isn't an option, **Exclusive** production music however typically isn't one them.

Your notion that PRO income isn't lucrative in the 'vast majority of the world' is rubbish. There are Performing Rights Organizations in every continent. 93 Alone listed as BMI foreign affiliates, PRS lists over 100.

And in the **very** off chance you were living in a remote part pf the world where a PRO didn't represent you, you could register for any number of foreign PROs that accept overseas writers. Some PROs will even allow you to attain a waiver and assign an overseas PRO even if already registered with a domestic PRO.

My last statement included income from 30 Performing Rights Organizations scattered around the globe. International revenue accounted for roughly 1/3 of my statement. So your notion that this is income somehow unavailable to _the vast majority of the world_ appears to serve some kind of intellectual vendetta you have toward "*PRO mafias*".


This is BMI's list, which isn't even a conclusive list of all Performing Rights Organizations worldwide:


AlbaniaALBAUTORArgentinaSADAICArmeniaARMAUTHORAzerbaijanAASAustraliaAPRAAustriaAKMBarbadosCOSCAPBelgiumSABAMBoliviaSOBODAYCOMBosnia & HerzegovinaAMUSBrazilABRAMUS***BrazilAMAR***BrazilSADEMBRA***BrazilSBACEM***BrazilSOCINPRO***BrazilUBCBulgariaMUSICAUTORBurkina FasoBBDACanadaSOCANChileSCDChinaMCSCColombiaSAYCOCongo, Democratic Republic of theSONECACosta RicaACAMCroatiaHDSCzech RepublicOSADenmarkKODADominican RepublicSGACEDOMEcuadorSAYCEEastern CaribbeanECCOEl SalvadorSACIMEstoniaEAUFinlandTEOSTOFranceSACEMGeorgiaGCAGermanyGEMAGreeceAUTODIAGuatemalaAEIHondurasAACIMHHong KongCASHHungaryARTISJUSIcelandSTEFIndiaIPRSIndonesiaWAMIIrelandIMROIsraelACUMItalySIAEJamaicaJACAPJapanJASRACKazakhstanKazAKKoreaKOMCALatviaAKKA/LAALithuaniaLATGA-AMacauMACAMacedoniaZAMPMalawiCOSOMAMalaysiaMACPMauritiusMASAMexicoSACMMontenegroPAM CGMozambiqueSOMASNetherlandsBUMANepalMRCSNNigeriaCOSONNorwayTONOPanamaSPACParaguayAPAPeruAPDAYCPhilippinesFILSCAPPolandZAIKSPortugalSPARomaniaUCMR-ADARussiaRAOSerbiaSOKOJSingaporeCOMPASSSlovak RepublicSOZASloveniaSAZASSouth AfricaSAMROSpainSGAESurinameSASURSwedenSTIMSwitzerlandSUISATaiwanMUSTThailandMCTTrinidad and TobagoCOTTTurkeyMSGUkraineNGO-UACRRUnited KingdomPRSUgandaUPRSUruguayAGADUVenezuelaSACVENVietnamVCPMCZambiaZAMCOPS


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## RonOrchComp (Jan 21, 2022)

Ben E said:


> This means you're claiming the writer's share of performance royalties?





mrd777 said:


> Sorry, wasn't clear in the original. Edits have been made. Please refer to original post. We do not do PRO stuff.


You didnt really answer the question. I will ask a bit more directly.

When the music I give to you airs, where does the publishing and the writers go?


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## mrd777 (Jan 21, 2022)

RonOrchComp said:


> You didnt really answer the question. I will ask a bit more directly.
> 
> When the music I give to you airs, where does the publishing and the writers go?


We don't air to TV if that's what you mean. You still retain the rights to place the music in some library which focuses on TV.

We only make money by licensing/monetizing videos in youtube/facebook which contain the music.

You still retain rights to publishing and writer share for television, or any other place where PRO would collect.


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## Ben E (Jan 21, 2022)

rgames said:


> Yeah this is another one of the peculiarities of the music biz and its obsessive focus on back end: PROs.
> 
> Software engineers, aerospace engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, etc. collect vastly more royalties than composers. But they don't have PROs... hmmm....
> 
> rgames


_Now_ you're talkin'!
https://qualityfreemusic.wixsite.com/qualityfreemusic/work-4-us


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## colony nofi (Jan 22, 2022)

Ben E said:


> _Now_ you're talkin'!
> https://qualityfreemusic.wixsite.com/qualityfreemusic/work-4-us


Holy sh!t.


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## Argy Ottas (Jan 22, 2022)

Ben E said:


> _Now_ you're talkin'!
> https://qualityfreemusic.wixsite.com/qualityfreemusic/work-4-us


I am stressed...


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## stigc56 (Jan 22, 2022)

Ben E said:


> WORK 4 US | qualityfreemusic
> 
> 
> 
> ...


To me it looks like a scam! Typically Norwegian humor!


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## toomanynotes (Jan 22, 2022)

colony nofi said:


> Ben E said:
> 
> 
> > _Now_ you're talkin'!
> ...


Where they get their balls so big from?


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## jcrosby (Jan 22, 2022)

That site's a pretty hilarious put-on... It kind of reminds me of this one:

*


Should I Work for Free?



Erik Larsen (Founder and COO)'s Bio says*:

_"It gave me an early appreciation of the immense possibilities of construction kits. I quickly realised you can knock up a perfectly good track in no time at all and with very little effort! This can only be win/win for new composers who wish to bypass the whole learning thing...". _

*Geert Sommer's Bio says*_:

Geert is just a wild and crazy guy! When he is not snowboarding in Ringkollen, he is training for extreme 'snow-a-thons'._

and...

_It is no surprise he needs a relaxing hobby and outside of working for us he is constantly honing homemade organic soup recipes for his forthcoming book Soup From The Woods. When preparing lunch for team meetings, office manager Tracy (see below) often uses Geert's home-grown organic herbs on her delicious baps._

*Lass Ladd's Bio says*:

_Before we upload a track to our master database Lasse sprinkles a little magical fairy dusting of BLW (brick wall limiting), ensuring your track is at least as loud, if not louder, than any of the other 'major' music libraries._

and...

_"As TV manufacturers are more attuned to limiting the volume produced by their products in order to prevent hearing loss, it was essential for us as mastering engineers to compensate for that by maximizing the volume of the tracks we put out. *It is a war we simply must win!" With this in mind, it is no surprise that Lasse was one of the first in the business to recognize that distortion is the new reverse cymbal*. _

*Markus's Bio says*:

_His early experience as in-house DJ at the local Premier Inn gave Markus a solid grounding. Since then he has developed a travelling disco ('Knight Fever' Tel: +47 35 57 33 992) which has now 'rocked' over 17 weddings. _

*Tracy Bradley's Bio Says*:

_Tracy hit the headlines in the UK in 2003 when she sellotaped 11 omelettes to her face to raise money for the local rotary club. The picture - and story of a hospital stay brought on by acute egg poisoning - subsequently appeared in the Keighley Chronicle unde the headline 'It's no Yolk for Tracy'._




Pretty silly stuff


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## colony nofi (Jan 22, 2022)

jcrosby said:


> That site's a pretty hilarious put-on... It kind of reminds me of this one:
> 
> *
> 
> ...


I can't believe I missed it being not serious. I'll take my head out my own arse....

(edit : I should have read past the first page - there are some magnificent parts to the site...)

edit 2 : there is some serious SERIOUS talent shown on their "our music" page. https://qualityfreemusic.wixsite.com/qualityfreemusic/our-music


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## IFM (Jan 22, 2022)

> Simply, if your MIDI does not sound like real MIDI, chances are you won't cut it in this industry.


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## Ben E (Jan 22, 2022)

My favorite bit:

"Composers submitting tracks will be subject to a small admin fee."


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## jcrosby (Jan 22, 2022)

colony nofi said:


> I can't believe I missed it being not serious. I'll take my head out my own arse....
> 
> (edit : I should have read past the first page - there are some magnificent parts to the site...)
> 
> edit 2 : there is some serious SERIOUS talent shown on their "our music" page. https://qualityfreemusic.wixsite.com/qualityfreemusic/our-music


When I 1st glanced it I thought the same, but after reading through a little later I could see it was a clever put on with lots of silly inside jokes. (Thankfully!)


The bit that maybe laugh the most was:

_Applying a little BLW (Brickwall Limiting) .... It is a war we simply must win!" With this in mind, it is no surprise that Lasse was one of the first in the business to recognize that distortion is the new reverse cymbal._

(Although my honorable mention definitely goes to the line about _construction kits_, and _bypassing the whole learning thing_.)


Well played though for sure!


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## asherpope (Jan 22, 2022)

rgames said:


> This conversation comes up regularly. But I'll add the same note I always do:
> 
> For the 99% of the IP-generating world that is *not* the music business the "no backend" model is accepted as an option without question. On this forum it's like an attack on a religion.
> 
> ...


I've never seen anyone agree with your take when you present it on pretty much any discussion about library music!


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## Baronvonheadless (Feb 7, 2022)

So curious to follow up. Find what you needed or still looking?


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## mrd777 (Feb 7, 2022)

Baronvonheadless said:


> So curious to follow up. Find what you needed or still looking?


Found what was needed. Thanks!


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## jorik nyborg (Apr 13, 2022)

jcrosby said:


> That site's a pretty hilarious put-on... It kind of reminds me of this one:
> 
> *
> 
> ...


Thank you!

BTW, we had to sack Tracy as she was caught stealing Blu Tack :(


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## GtrString (Apr 14, 2022)

OMG, the next Epidemic, suckers unite!

Looks "interesting", don't call us, we will call yoU


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## creativeforge (Apr 14, 2022)

I wonder how many o our members were "hired" and could give actual feedback... unless they had to sign a NDA?


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