# Music Libaries??



## tomhartman (Jun 16, 2009)

I was speaking with a fellow composer lately who said that if he ever was having trouble making ends meet, he would write library cues, since he knew people who were doing quite well at it.

I'm not sure if this is actually the case, since I had always heard that for one to do well they had to have had their music out there for a long time in order for it to grab as many royalties as possible, but I've never done it so I could be wrong.

I'm wondering if any of you have any experience with library writing, and what the best approach is for getting involved in it. Doing a Google search brings up a myriad of them, no way to tell what the legit ones are, etc.

Thanks for any input.

Tom H


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## lux (Jun 18, 2009)

Hey Tom,

hows goin man? i'll give my actual impressions about this, based on a short experience:

- As a first statement i'm strongly convinced that future is SKIPPING sample libraries. Most of them are starting acting like studios more than catalogues. Probably having composers join forces and getting direct contact with agencies involved in productions is the future. I'm doing that here in Italy and I've sold way more in ten days with a couple of phone calls that i did in two years with libraries and dozens cues involved. 

- Actually sample libraries are more interested to show numbers rather than having any music. Most of the "good" work is done by inhouse composers, and often owners of small and mid sized libraries are composers themselves. So youre likely to get choosen as a third step, once the first two have been attempted (library inhouse composers and owners). 

- Catalogues are really big. As stated many times on this board the chance of being choosen/used is very low. As a matter of fact big libs have good contacts and too much music while small libs have weak contacts but you are well considered. Both cases this not leads to big incomes.

- I know of a few guys doing well. Most of times they are on the market from a very long time (that means having their pieces pushed a bit by the library guys they know) or they are hired for specific tasks.

- Contacting them is easy. You send out a CD or you ask by email if you can send a digital submission. Half they say no, with some pictoresque reason like "we want all cd's standing up in our archives" and stuff like that. But in general they will listen you and write you back, its their interest.

- Sometimes its a bit harder, you'll probably exchange email for a while and half of them you will be not recognized by the guy youre talking to..."hey, i recall, its you that sent those fantastic mariachi tracks", "no, thats not me".

- Forget about licensing split. I made this mistake once and i blame myself for that. Most of times they will do blankets and you'll see a couple pennies. So ask for good money in advance and then forget the piece.

- Somehow i think the strict relationship between production and libraries is getting weaker those days. People want to negotiate music they will use, and they want to customize things. Thats why Music libraries are getting the "inhouse composers" root. They can offer custom. This sadly reduce your chance to be choosen if you just make part of a catalogue.

Positive side is that you can have music listed on catalogues quite easily if youre good (and of course you are). But, unless you reach to be hired, not so much money will take your root. As i stated above i think joining forces with other guys and trying to get or use your own contacts could make a difference. You need to join forces because actually you need to offer a "corporate" appeal, and thats not supposed to happen if youre alone. Usually.

I would try to not get stuck on a single library. It doesnt pay today.

oh, forgot, i've contacted a few libs using taxi. It looks very slow those days, but its still a way to get in touch. In general i'm suggesting it. 

I just dont have a good list handy (can provide in a few hours) but probably one of the bros here have a link to a list of libraries and can post it.

This is just my very limited experience with that.
Luca


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## tomhartman (Jun 18, 2009)

Hey Luca! Forgot you were up here!

Good points, all. As usual, always trying to seek out new ways to keep income coming in. The one friend of mine who does this and does well did say to me that he started years and years ago, and the music has been out there forever. He gets checks annually that really add up. I didn't get into it at the right time apparently

TAXI I have mixed feelings about. I do know the guy who started it (he was an engineer on a lot of my work in the early 80s here in Florida!). Nice guy. I've heard the horror stories of course, but I also know someone down here that got a few industrial film jobs right after sending them in to Taxi. He is very good, wrote a lot of the cues heard on America's Most Wanted, very good at dark stuff. So it's another possible outlet.

Talk soon my friend!

Tom


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## midphase (Jun 19, 2009)

Whatever Luca said, plus I think we're about to see a massive amount of music libraries go out of business.

Networks aren't paying, there's too much competition, and more and more stuff is going to places that don't pay PRO's (like the net and on-demand programming).

AFAIK, the only way to make any "real" money through music libraries is to have massive amounts of music and a great working relationship with a library that has tons of clients (which believe it or not narrows it down to a handful).


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## Peter Emanuel Roos (Aug 28, 2009)

Names?

Megatrax for example?

VideoHelper from Stew Winter?


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## gsilbers (Aug 28, 2009)

there are ton of postings in filmmusic.net and craiglist to join small music libraries. 

maybe if u sign a non exclusive agreement with a lot of them for the same song 

itll be the best, but im iam guessing it doesnt work that way. 



but what i do know from working in post fir different shows, most of the producers will 
refer to them as music "packages" in which they dont get different songs that go together for a specific show but a composer will make a package of songs for a show that all sounds similar. thus, it would be a like making a pop CD where you could have the sad song, the upllifting song etc but this is for a show. sometimes is commissioned other times is already made.


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## germancomponist (Aug 28, 2009)

I think music libraries are good to use as temp tracks. :-D


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## dinerdog (Aug 28, 2009)

Also be aware that even the biggest libraries aren't above fucking musicians at a later date:

"In a letter to composers with music represented by Pump Audio, the retitling library has announced that beginning July 1, composers will receive only 35% of the sync fee for placements, a 30% cut from the current 50% paid to composers. Pump Audio’s share of the sync fees increases to 65%.

The letter says that “…to fully support the 400+ person Getty Images sales staff and invest in marketing and technology needs that we must make adjustments to the current revenue split system” and states that those composers who do not accept the new split will have their music removed from the Pump Audio/Getty Images system “no later than December 31, 2009.”


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## billval3 (Aug 28, 2009)

dinerdog @ Fri Aug 28 said:


> The letter says that “…to fully support the 400+ person Getty Images sales staff and invest in marketing and technology needs that we must make adjustments to the current revenue split system” and states that those composers who do not accept the new split will have their music removed from the Pump Audio/Getty Images system “no later than December 31, 2009.”



Wouldn't it have been nice if EVERYONE walked at that point? :x


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## RiffWraith (Aug 28, 2009)

dinerdog @ Fri Aug 28 said:


> ....composers will receive only 35% of the sync fee for placements, a 30% cut from the current 50% paid .....



Yeah - and I'd like to meet the person that typed those numbers into a calculator.


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## R. Soul (Aug 28, 2009)

RiffWraith @ Fri Aug 28 said:


> dinerdog @ Fri Aug 28 said:
> 
> 
> > ....composers will receive only 35% of the sync fee for placements, a 30% cut from the current 50% paid .....
> ...


I think you misunderstood the numbers.

It was 50% before (and 50% to the library).
Now it's 35% (and 65% to the library).

So it's a drop from 50% to 35% which is essentially a 30% (and not 15% :wink: )


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## RiffWraith (Aug 28, 2009)

Hey R.

No, I did not misunderstand.

If it is a drop from what it was - then it's 15%. If it was 50, and it is now 35, that is a drop of 15. A cut from the current is what was stated - not what the difference is from what the composer gets vs. what the lib gets. Had it said that, then it would be 30.

Cheers.


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## germancomponist (Aug 28, 2009)

billval3 @ Fri Aug 28 said:


> dinerdog @ Fri Aug 28 said:
> 
> 
> > The letter says that “…to fully support the 400+ person Getty Images sales staff and invest in marketing and technology needs that we must make adjustments to the current revenue split system” and states that those composers who do not accept the new split will have their music removed from the Pump Audio/Getty Images system “no later than December 31, 2009.”
> ...



+++ 1


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## _taylor (Aug 29, 2009)

interoctave @ Sat Aug 29 said:


> FYI to everyone, composer Art Munson just launched a site this week where music libraries are identified and rated by anyone who wants to contribute. You can post comments anonymously if you wish, and add any music libraries you know of that are not yet listed. This could be a valuable resource for everyone.
> 
> The site is: http://musiclibraryreport.com/
> 
> - R. Safir



Very cool, thanks for the heads up.


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## Desire Inspires (Sep 7, 2017)

midphase said:


> Whatever Luca said, plus I think we're about to see a massive amount of music libraries go out of business.
> 
> Networks aren't paying, there's too much competition, and more and more stuff is going to places that don't pay PRO's (like the net and on-demand programming).
> 
> AFAIK, the only way to make any "real" money through music libraries is to have massive amounts of music and a great working relationship with a library that has tons of clients (which believe it or not narrows it down to a handful).



Have many went out of business since 2009? I have seen a list at MLR. Some have went under, but others have grown and prospered.


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