# 200 Tracks In One Library



## Vasim (May 17, 2020)

Hi All

My only publisher has changed genre so I'm not needed anymore. I left them with 200 tracks and was curious to know if you think that is a good amount.

Planning on working with one or two more libraries in the future.

Thanks
Vasim


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## GNP (May 17, 2020)

Is there any way to take your 200 tracks from the bastards and run?


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## Vasim (May 17, 2020)

No the contract is for ever. I will like to point out the library is great. They was my first one with 200 tracks in the system after nine month's. Just asking is that a good start to get some decent imcome within the next year and a half etc


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## Daryl (May 17, 2020)

Vasim said:


> No the contract is for ever.



Assuming that they "exploit" your music properly. If they don't put enough effort in, because they don't sell your genre any more, then you can indeed take your tracks back. Contact a lawyer.



Vasim said:


> I will like to point out the library is great. They was my first one with 200 tracks in the system after nine month's. Just asking is that a good start to get some decent income within the next year and a half etc


What is decent?
Are your tracks any good?
What territories are you tracks being licenced in?
How much money do you normally earn from thee tracks.

These are all basic questions that have to be answered before any meaningful answer can be given.


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## Vasim (May 17, 2020)

What is decent? From my view they have been a library since early 2003. Not that it means everything.
Are your tracks any good? Like most composers would say yes.
What territories are you tracks being licenced in? US - ABC - TV promos at some point with Sub Publishers.
How much money do you normally earn from thee tracks. No placements yet or not that I know.

Would you take tunesat as a placement bet. Nothing shows up with my uploads so nothing placed?


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## GNP (May 17, 2020)

Vasim said:


> What is decent? From my view they have been a library since early 2003. Not that it means everything.
> Are your tracks any good? Like most composers would say yes.
> What territories are you tracks being licenced in? US - ABC - TV promos at some point with Sub Publishers.
> How much money do you normally earn from thee tracks. No placements yet or not that I know.
> ...



It's really up to you to notice how well your tracks are doing. Mine ain't doing so well, which is why I'd rather take commissioned projects rather than simply churning out endless numbers of mediocre ones, and hoping to strike the jackpot.

Commisioned projects have alot more benefits than just "churning and hoping to hit the jackpot" production tracks - namely being - you elevate yourself as a film composer, and also, you earn alot more at one shot.

I think it's wise to start networking and spreading your worth by word of mouth - rather than depending on some production track company to hand your '200 tracks' to networks, many often times, whom would never really pick your tracks.

Commissioned projects make you a better composer, as well as earns you more income, rather than churning out 200 tracks and hoping they get used somewhere for only a few cents on the dollar.

The question is, are you a composer who only knows how to churn out tracks that are easy for editors to edit, or are you a composer where the ENTIRE FUCKING PROJECT'S DESTINY is placed in your hands?

It takes ALOT MORE of intuition to interact and understand a director or a producer for a specific project, than just simply making your tracks easy for editors to edit. Are you willing to climb THIS mountain?


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## StevenMcDonald (May 17, 2020)

Vasim said:


> Hi All
> 
> My only publisher has changed genre so I'm not needed anymore. I left them with 200 tracks and was curious to know if you think that is a good amount.
> 
> ...



It's impossible to say really. 200 is a lot, but whether or not it will earn well depends on the quality of the music and the quality of the sales/licensing team pushing it to the clients. Regardless, it's a bit of an irrelevant question. There's never really "enough" with production music. Just keep writing for other publishers don't stop feeding the machine. You'll stay relevant and continue to improve, as well as learning which publishers are working out best for you.



GNP said:


> It's really up to you to notice how well your tracks are doing. Mine ain't doing so well, which is why I'd rather take commissioned projects rather than simply churning out endless numbers of mediocre ones, and hoping to strike the jackpot.
> 
> Commisioned projects have alot more benefits than just "churning and hoping to hit the jackpot" production tracks - namely being - you elevate yourself as a film composer, and also, you earn alot more at one shot.
> 
> ...



Having a high number of tracks out there doesn't mean you're just mindlessly churning and hoping for some luck, FYI. Successful library composers are almost always writing to specific briefs put forward by music supervisors who are targeting specific ad campaigns or TV shows, or even by the producers/directors who are creating the shows.


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## Daryl (May 18, 2020)

Vasim said:


> What is decent? From my view they have been a library since early 2003. Not that it means everything.
> Are your tracks any good? Like most composers would say yes.


OK, well in library terms, those are really old tracks. If they are well recorded, with good, live players, they may have some use. If they are using samples, it is unlikely that they will ever earn you anything substantial.


Vasim said:


> Are your tracks any good? Like most composers would say yes.


In which case, if you're right, the problem is the Publish/distribution system. not the compositions.


Vasim said:


> What territories are you tracks being licenced in? US - ABC - TV promos at some point with Sub Publishers.


Have you managed to get a report from the Publishers as to why your tracks are not doing very well?


Vasim said:


> How much money do you normally earn from thee tracks. No placements yet or not that I know.
> 
> Would you take tunesat as a placement bet. Nothing shows up with my uploads so nothing placed?


It is the Publisher's duty to follow up all such "evidence". If they are not doing so, that is another reason you could take your tracks back, if you wished to do so.


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## Daryl (May 18, 2020)

GNP said:


> It's really up to you to notice how well your tracks are doing. Mine ain't doing so well, which is why I'd rather take commissioned projects rather than simply churning out endless numbers of mediocre ones, and hoping to strike the jackpot.


However, doesn't that sort of point to the fact that you don't know how to write library tracks? 

Admittedly it's not "the good old days" any more, but there is s till a decent living to be had, if you know what you're doing.


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## SamC (May 22, 2020)

GNP said:


> Commisioned projects have alot more benefits than just "churning and hoping to hit the jackpot" production tracks - namely being - you elevate yourself as a film composer, and also, you earn alot more at one shot.



You can do both you know. I don’t know why composers have this mindset you have either/or. I mean Lorne Balfe still writes library tracks. 

If you go in with the attitude that you’re “churning out mediocre tracks” it’s impossible to do good work.

You can write across many different styles to bespoke briefs, get your tracks recorded by full orchestras and get them synced to great campaigns and tv shows. Writing that much across different styles is very valuable training - and producers who like those tracks can end up using you more or hiring you outright. It’s what you make of it.

OP, I wish these questions were easy to answer but they really aren’t. The only advice I can give you is diversify. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket and wait for the money. It’s not wise.

On top of that, it’s an extremely difficult time to enter this business.


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## merlinhimself (May 22, 2020)

Library tracks are great if you get in one that gets good placements. I think on average every 10 tracks usually show up as somewhere between 500-800 per royalty distribution statement for me. And every now and then you write one that just seems get picked up a lot. But like some of the others said, diversify, same thing that happened to you could happen again so its always good to be working a little for a a couple than all for one.


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## RonOrchComp (May 23, 2020)

GNP said:


> Is there any way to take your 200 tracks from the bastards and run?



Since when are the people who own and operate a library _bastards_ because they make a business decision to cater to new clientele?


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## RonOrchComp (May 23, 2020)

Vasim - you have already been given good, sound advice, and I have not much to add, save for the fact that in today's world, 200 tracks is next to nothing.

Get with some other libraries, and get to work. 

Good luck.


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## asherpope (May 23, 2020)

Confusing thread. OP says "the library is great" but then explains they haven't had any placements through them. If I had 200 tracks with a library and no record of placements after over six months I certainly wouldn't be calling them 'great'.


RonOrchComp said:


> Since when are the people who own and operate a library _bastards_ because they make a business decision to cater to new clientele?


To quote the genius wisdom of Peep Show's Super Hans "careful, coz some of these record labels just wanna give you an advance, promote ya and then make a profit for them...and you"


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## Vasim (May 28, 2020)

asherpope said:


> Confusing thread. OP says "the library is great" but then explains they haven't had any placements through them. If I had 200 tracks with a library and no record of placements after over six months I certainly wouldn't be calling them 'great'.
> 
> My album has been put on hold for release which I was told. As far as placements go how important is it for a composer to have an album out. Editors and sups have heard the music but nothing is happening due to no album out or not?


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## GtrString (May 28, 2020)

I would never trust a library with 200 tracks.. wayyy to much risk! Portfolio thinking, like on the stock market, is something you should adopt, imo.. In the scenario you describe, I would be concerned with 20. A good library, is a library that gives you ROI!


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## Daryl (May 28, 2020)

GtrString said:


> I would never trust a library with 200 tracks.. wayyy to much risk! Portfolio thinking, like on the stock market, is something you should adopt, imo.. In the scenario you describe, I would be concerned with 20. A good library, is a library that gives you ROI!


I think it all depends on the library. Certainly, unless you own the label, you shouldn't put all of your eggs into one basket, but 200 tracks is only a couple of years of work for many successful library composers, and if you are expecting a long career, you'll eventually run out of libraries to write for, if you limit the track numbers for each of them too severely.


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