# Is there anybody....OUT THERE? The industry ignores me.



## William The Concurer (Jan 8, 2021)

This might sound off the wall; even paranoid. Regardless, I’m commending my “condition” to this forum, and hope for some precious insight, in this era of isolation and career challenges. I write from my fortress of solitude, so kindly tell me if I’ve lost touch with the outside world in the process.

So, trying to be brief ( yeah, right, that ain’t never gonna happen. ed)….

I’ve been a pro composer for many years. In that time, like most, I’ve had my challenges and successes. I’ve worked in TV, music library, film and video games. After originally working from the UK, I made a move to Canada. Don’t ask. It’s been good and bad: too long a story, for this post, which will make War & Peace resemble a pamphlet.

In Canada I got involved with what you might loosely call a production house, CEO'd by a composer, and containing a constellation of technicians, other composers and sound designers, etc. People came and went, but I stuck around.For five years or so, things went great. Because of my “classical”/band/synth background I could do things others couldn’t. And I was quick. Very quick.

I did a lot of TV for them, and some video games, including one major game project for Warner. Suddenly, one day, the Toronto production company that was feeding my guys with 99.9% of all their TV, made a catastrophic business decision, and went bust. Literally overnight, that work dried up. Roughly parallel to this period, and because I’m freelance, I also scored a couple of movies, and later some Discovery Channel.

But once their TV work dried up, my career went into free-fall. The CEO went onto to greater things in games, and I was out of the loop. The outer darkness is not a nice place to be, and a difficult place from which to escape.Thank God for all my past UK/world royalties and the ongoing ones for the Canadian work. But, it’s not something one can sit back and assume will keep coming in. It won’t. Ironically, the royalties have risen considerably, during this most recent time.

Sadly, I’m not a good networker, or salesman, but I’m very good at composing and, once hired, I get on great with the hiring team involved. But here I was: out of work, pretty much because I relied on this lot for most of my gigs, since coming to Canada.In the UK I was doing Discovery, Nat Geo, BBC’s, C4 and C5 ,etc., but those bridges had been burned.

I’ve been trying to drum up work for the last two or so years, via email, with no success at all. In fact, not only do people not listen to my music, they simply do not show the professional courtesy of even replying. I contacted Universal US, De Wolfe and a couple of other production music houses, all of whom advertise that they are taking submissions. They will not listen to my links, and they don’t even respond to my followups, to explain why they’re ignoring me. Then there’s Extreme Music. Around the time of the Warner game, I got in touch with them ( UK ) and the guy was very friendly and interested. After I sent him some links…. nothing. Zero, nada. Didn’t even play one track! I’ve since emailed him many times, but he simply refuses to engage with me, and this extends to everyone I contact. It’s bizarre and unsettling, frankly. And painful.Can you appreciate my paranoia now??

My intro emails are friendly, humorous, articulate and, well, the music is up there with the top 5%, imo. This is not a conceit. This is pure self-belief, and self-knowledge of my worth. I don’t write down. Eg: my comedy is sophisticated. It’s in John Williams, Danny Elfman territory. Not cheesy or cheap.

Yes, it’s a very nice view from my fortress of solitude, but damned lonely now.Most of my presently unpublished work is high-end and cinematic, and yet not a single person in a decision-making position will even listen to it. Rejection upon listening is one thing, but to be completely ignored by everyone. That’s downright strange. It seems that I've been reduced to a hobbyist; a wannabe, which is a sobering nightmare

I’ve understandably(?) concluded there is something almost sinister about this. Like I’ve been black-listed (huh??), or (worse) my karma has caught up with me, and you can’t buck karma.Of course, COVID hasn’t helped, but the rot set in two years before. I’ve tried directors (where contactable), producers, their agents, TV, music library; all with the same bleak, blank result.I’m the Invisible Man.

I’m asking any kind, remotely interested member(s) here, for advice, experiences and/or to contact me privately ( if inclined), and I’ll provide some links to my work, then perhaps you can put me right. Am I going crazy, or is my music vacuous drivel: the product of a deluded lunatic? Sadly, the decision-makers won’t even listen, to form any opinion; so, garbage or genius (steady on) it doesn’t even matter.

I’m not divulging my real name here, but PM me, and you will then know who I am. I hope you understand.

Many thanks for indulging my protracted ravings and, seriously, I do not feel that I’m arrogant, in having strong belief in my work. I look forward to hearing from anyone. Sorry for the length of this; it won’t happen again!

The best to you all,

Will The Concurer


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## YaniDee (Jan 8, 2021)

This is no consolation, but at least you've had a run at a professional career as a composer..there are people, with talent and continued effort that never even get a toe in the door. I have had some success as a performer, touring with a couple of name bands, but never had a taste of seeing my compositions used in mainstream media (I compose daily but never even submitted anything, though it's still on the back burner).
I'm sure you're as competent as you say, it's hard to fool yourself into thinking you're good if you're not.
I can offer no advice other than optimism and perseverance. We've all heard accounts of artists being turned down for years before eventual success. Good luck, and all the best.


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## tebling (Jan 8, 2021)

Do you have an agent or some other form of representation?


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## José Herring (Jan 8, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> This might sound off the wall; even paranoid. Regardless, I’m commending my “condition” to this forum, and hope for some precious insight, in this era of isolation and career challenges. I write from my fortress of solitude, so kindly tell me if I’ve lost touch with the outside world in the process.
> 
> So, trying to be brief ( yeah, right, that ain’t never gonna happen. ed)….
> 
> ...


I couldn't make it to the end, but I got the drift. 

You are contacting the wrong people. You are contacting music people that are either struggling to find work themselves or are struggling with too many music people trying to submit their work. In other words, they aren't looking for people. 

Contact the buyers directly. Talk to film makers, TV producers, music supervisors looking for composers for projects ect... Do a little more leg work and find out when they need music, then set out a daily schedule of contacting people. For me I've done mostly films and I know the scene a little better. I can feel when they are looking for composers. I'm sure every type of industry, games, ect has their own sort of time table. 

Don't send music. You may end up sending the wrong music they'll just dismiss you as not right for the project. Get them to engage with you. Send your credits, links to your websites, links to your imdb.com page. Study their film or TV show a little, find something to like about it and talk to them about that. Phones still work, emails work and letters work too but letters are expensive these days. You aren't trying to "sell your music" you're trying to sell you as the solution to their problem of needing to find somebody to do their music. 

You've been in a support roll for other composers. Now that support role has vanished. Time to grow a bit and become your own music house. 

You can see it as a set back or you can see it as you've done all you can in the shadows the next step for you is to take the lead. It will mean just getting in communication with people that are hard to communicate with, they don't speak your language, but, in the end, that director or producer or music supervisor that you contact has more power to actually get you work than contacting 1000 music library companies. 

Remember some people are real dicks. Don't take it personally. They're that way with everybody. They don't last in an industry that's built on relationships, but they sure make it miserable when you're trying to get yourself out there. 

Your situation isn't uncommon but it will take some work to get yourself out of the rut of relying on others to place your music. 

Once you get a gig, get a lawyer. That was always my biggest mistake. I never recognized the importance of the legal aspects and it ended up burning me in the end. I won't make that mistake again.


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## gyprock (Jan 9, 2021)

Why not try and create a product where you are the boss and you are not seeking others to employ you? If you have so much experience, what about creating an online course? Selling “the dream” of being a composer is potentially more profitable than being the composer. People pay for courses that can create light bulb moments in their own journeys. There are plenty of course providers that don’t have a wealth of experience and very few that do. Become one of the latter.


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## GNP (Jan 9, 2021)

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

YOU'RE NOT BEING IGNORED!!!!!!

I SEE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!














Unfortunately I'm another fellow composer, so I can't help.


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## muk (Jan 9, 2021)

Your experiences are the norm for library music nowadays. Libraries are so flooded with submissions that they don't reply to emails normally, let alone listen to the tracks. I hope that's a bit of comfort to you, as it is not because of you or your music that you haven't heard back. A few years ago, a member here, Carles, was trying to break into library music. His music and mockups were much admired here. He had a rough start, but also got a lot of support on this forum. I remember him getting accepted by a few libraries after a while, and placements starting to come in. I don't know whether he ultimately made it, as he hasn't been posting here for a few years.

My point is, it's very hard and discouraging to find music libraries to work with. Even if your music is great, it takes a lot of research and hustling. You need a thick skin and keep at it, as you will not get any response most of the time. If this keeps happening to you, maybe you could do more research. Try to not only find the libraries, but the exact person to send your music to. You'll have to send a lot of emails, but eventually, you will get a few responses. And then hopefully you can build from there.

One library that does listen to all submissions they get is Gothic Storm by Dan Graham. It takes them a while (two or three months I think) to do so, because they have a massive backlog. But they will listen. I would suggest submitting to this library. Even if you don't get accepted, you will get an email packed full of valuable information. It's a classy company, and Dan is very generous in sharing his experience and advce.

Another valuable source of information is the ten part series Dan Graham wrote for Sound on Sound:






All About Library Music: Part 1


Production music is rarely glamorous, but it can be very lucrative. In the first of a major new series, we explain how to get your foot in the door.




www.soundonsound.com





Worth checking out if you haven't already.

So yeah, it's a rough spot you are in. Finding the first library that accepts your submissions is the hardest. Once that's accomplished, the pressure will lighten. Good luck, and don't give up.


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## jcrosby (Jan 9, 2021)

Is it possible some of you're reaching has been to niche libraries you don't fill a niche for?

Trailer libraries for example get submissions day in and out that simply don't fit the genre. Basically it's one thing to be really good at what you do, it's another to be judicious in what you send to whom... I had a trailer library on the hook when I 1st started transitioning into it and spent 6 months of getting rejections from them before I really nailed the genre and they briefed me. (I failed on the 1st brief. My ego was bruised for sure... But when I look back now I don't see how they could have accepted what I submitted... It just wasn't up to scratch.)

That said I was politely *persistent* and didn't give up because I was really careful/thoughtful in my communications with them, in doing so I was able to keep the door open for occasional submissions...

TLDR; It's one thing to write 'cinematic music', trailer-ish music, etc... It's another thing to write music that is trailer music through and through... (Which I'm only using as one example here..) And while the difference may seem subtle on the surface, these guys live and breathe this genre, are constantly paying attention to what's trending in the genre, and are listening to your music through the lens of how competitive it can be with clients that have large budgets and expect A+ music that results in a trailer that grabs your attention in brief moment of previews where every trailer's also competing for your attention. In short they can identify it on the spot...)

A happy-ish ending to that saga (not in a yay me! way!) - that 1st track they accepted was a direct pitch to Marvel... The main takeaway is my social skills kept the communication going, and persistence was the key to keep going at it. Getting swept up in my bruised ego would have caused me to fold my hand immediately...

Jose has great advice... Try and get a dialogue going, even if only long enough to get an idea of they might be looking for, if/when you do, politely ask them if you can link them to a few pieces in that specific style... And be self-critical in listening to what you plan on sending and asking if it's really what they're asking for.

And you'e going to have to face the reality that you're going to need to roll up your sleeves and do some hard networking if you want to move forward... To paraphrase someone I knew from ASCAP a number of years ago who had a great line... 'You can be the most talented person in the room. If you don't know how to network, or develop the ability to engage someone in a conversation in a way that sparks some interest you're just another guy in the room with a ton of talent and no work to show for it"...

You have to sharpen those social skills, and more importantly break away from whatever narrative you've boxed yourself into. The work is out there. It is indeed harder to find than ever, but it is there and you don't have to be in NY/LA/London to get it depending on the niche you're interested in...

As far as your coment about your 'comedy' music being sophisticated... I originally come form a broadcast music background as well. In my experience the majority of TV outlets aren't looking for sophisticated comedy music, but (sadly) lowest common denominator 'dramedy' music. I've written an arsenal of music in this genre and the stuff that has consistently licensed the least (by far) are the sophisticated/elfman-esque, etc, tracks. The stuff that does license frequently? Low common denominator 'dramedy'. Since I don't work with anyone who has a client like disney that may want something a bit more elegant, the stuff that's always winds up in a brief is blanket cable, low common denominator, generic 'dramedy'...

And there's no shame in writing it if it means you're writing music and earning a living, which is the ultimate goal is it not?

Anyway do hope things improve... Lots of great advice here... Mine would be know the client/library/target, and be thoughtful in anything you send out so that you can be sure it's appropriate, or (talented as you may be) up to snuff in a niche genre like say trailer music... And don't let the rejection knock you down. You've already done this before which means you can absolutely do this again if you persist.


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## Tim_Wells (Jan 9, 2021)

No great words of wisdom here. But thank you for your honesty. Your post is enlightening and so are the responses.

I think you should feel proud and validated by the success you've had with your career. As mentioned, only a few see that level of achievement. 

I don't know if this is entirely applicable to your situation, but I saw this quote from Martina Navratilova yesterday and it struck me: "The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else".


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 9, 2021)

I think it's pretty much the same for most of us, it's dog-eat-dog out there, and mostly a game of luck and chance. As a Canadian, I rarely focus on Canadian gigs (with the exception of live theatre), as I already have longterm relationships. Most of my other successes are international, and fortunately I don't need to rely on composition as my primary income (I can't imagine the stress of trying to compose full time in Canada). All I can offer for advice is to scour sites (like Mandy) for contacts and continue sending out cold emails.....even production libraries. I'd say you're lucky if you email 50 production libraries and and get a reply from two of three, and one of those might license a few tracks. The key is persistence.


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## Ivan M. (Jan 9, 2021)

I can't offer any advice, sorry, I do know business doesn't care about art, but I would like to listen to your music.


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## mybadmemory (Jan 10, 2021)

"Sadly, I’m not a good networker, or salesman, but I’m very good at composing."

"I’ve been trying to drum up work for the last two or so years, via email, with no success at all."


I think those two quotes right there might be part of the explanation. I think the reality is just that as a freelancer you're not an employee but a salesman, and therefore must be a good networker to some degree. If not in real life, then at least on the internet. But just accepting that you're not isn't enough in an industry where very few people are employed and the norm is freelancing. You GOT to sell yourself in one way or another. And emails are just not the way to to that.

I think generally, staying with one client for too long is a dangerous thing to do as a freelancer. I’m not a music industry professional so I might not be aware of the specific dynamics in this particular field, but I have been in the business of games and graphic design for 15 years, 8 of which I ran my own agency, and what I have come to learn is that in order to stay profitable, people need to know who you are. And you constantly need to add to this pool of people.

This can be achieved in different ways of course, it doesn't have to be by being a social outgoing party dude who loves to meet new people and mingle, but if not, then at least doing the internet thing and building a following by blogs, YouTube, social media, and other communities is an absolute necessity. Or by becoming so famous that everyone knows who you are anyway. I’m sure there are more ways too, but one way or the other you got to get your name out there.

Changing projects and clients often, and making them happy is one way that works too. Since they’ll both come back to you as well as spread the word. But I do think staying with one and the same source of income for too long (a few years is definitely too long) without simultaneously building your brand and network elsewhere will many times backfire the day that particular client for some reason can’t sustain it.

If your music is as good as you say, and it's the networking / sales that is what's holding you back, you kind of already have the answer right there? That's where you need to put your time and effort in order to get back in. Being good at a craft is only half of the equation in being able to make a living out of it. The other half is being able to sell it, and neglecting that, unless you happen to stumble across something out of pure luck, is unfortunately to limit it to being a hobby and not a business.

If you really don't want to do the any kind of networking / sales at all, perhaps trying to find an employment would be a better path than continuing the freelance route? Though getting employment also require you to network and sell yourself of course, but it's more of a one time effort and not as much an important part of your everyday job as when you're running a business, which in the end is what freelancing is.

Best of luck! <3


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## CGR (Jan 10, 2021)

Some very insightful responses here. The more I ponder these issues, the more I believe that a big part of success is continuing to "show up" and keep creating. To quote the comedian/actor/musician Steve Martin: "Be so good they can't ignore you."

There are so many factors out of your control, but focusing on what you can control and persisting is paramount in my opinion. Honing your skills and becoming known for a particular niche or skill is also a way of setting yourself apart from the pack, and "being heard above the noise".

I realise what I've written is a little vague and maybe clichéd, but be assured that you are not alone in your frustrations, and are not being paranoid. Expressing these thoughts is a valuable part of clarifying and defining a path forward.


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## Dietz (Jan 10, 2021)

tebling said:


> Do you have an agent or some other form of representation?


That would have been my first question, too. You know the old proverbial saying: Better to have 50 percent of a good business than 100% of nothing.

... that said, I know that it's not easy to find an agency either, especially in smaller markets.


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## jcrosby (Jan 10, 2021)

CGR said:


> The more I ponder these issues, the more I believe that a big part of success is continuing to "show up" and keep creating.


Absolutely. Years ago I had a guitar teacher that planted a seed that have become words I live by:

"The question isn't: Can you make music into a career?
The question is: Are you going to give up before you open the right door(s)"....

Obviously you need talent. But no one _discovers_ you based on talent alone. No one discovers you ever... Like anything in life that doesn't involve punching a clock and confining yourself to a cubicle, persistence and tenacity are just as critical as talent.


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## jononotbono (Jan 10, 2021)

muk said:


> Another valuable source of information is the ten part series Dan Graham wrote for Sound on Sound:


Dan is a legend.


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## William The Concurer (Jan 10, 2021)

Much appreciation to the many who took this seriously, and contributed with a myriad of considered, constructive ideas and philosophies.The amazing response really took me by surprise. Obviously I cannot agree with it all: everyone is entitled to their own wrong opinions. Joke. Um, JOKE. I won’t respond to all the messages, but I really did value most of them.

I can now see that I overemphasised music library in the post. I did also mention my concerted attempts, aimed at directors and producers, and this is actually the primary target for me. For the record, I do have several tracks out with Universal Music UK, from some time ago, but I want to realign things with US, because it seems more appropriate to my present location. They don’t answer, as stated. I still do some occasional work for a small few other libraries, but I was particularly interested in, eg., Extreme for the fact that they also work with music editors, and additionally cross over into commercial releases. I have two fully finished, album length “projects”, but right now cannot get a single person to hear them. One has an interesting story to it, and it was commissioned by a BBC producer friend of mine, but still hasn’t seen the light of day, dammit. More COVID intervention there. FYI, it’s about pirates. Historical ones. And I own the rights.

As for lawyers, et al, of course, that's a given, but certainly sound advice.Better the lawyer you know, than the other lawyer you didn’t see coming. From behind. In a limo.

I don’t have an agent. My prevailing understanding is that music agents will not generally seek out work for their artists, and usually only get involved when a firm offer has been placed for an assignment. Then they renegotiate and take their cut. And networking aside, an agent usually waits to be approached by whatever-the-production-is, is interested in hiring their composer. So, if I walked into an agency, off the street (unlikely these days, without getting arrested for being a bandit) seeking representation, but with nothing up front, they’d laugh me out the door. But if I came in with an offer from Christopher Nolan to score his new oeuvre, I’d be Mr. Frankly, I Want To Have Your Babies.


Upon rereading my post, I think what I didn't clarify was my ambition ( and I'm certainly full of that) to make the leap from the average to the extraordinary. From the mundane to the visionary. I believe it's in me. I _know_ it's in me. And us. But who said the journey would be easy? No gain without pain.


Anyway, to everyone who read my post, and kindly contributed thus far, it’s most warmly appreciated. We’re all in this together, and I wish you all the greatest success in your dreams.

WTC


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## bvaughn0402 (Jan 10, 2021)

What do you guys think of any kind of paid representation?

I was looking into MusicGateway, as it seems you pay and they will critique your tracks and even help pitch your songs. I'm not sure if they are good.

And if not them, I wonder if there is another company like that.

Anyone know?

There are traditional routes ... finding emails of companies and pitching songs. But as mentioned above, that might be a losing battles in today's world.

There are companies like Taxi that could at least funnel your music to interested parties. 

But I do wonder if having some type of agent (even if paid) is the better path in this market.


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## Daryl (Jan 11, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> "Sadly, I’m not a good networker, or salesman..."



You have given yourself the answer already. Why aren't you any good at this? I doubt you were any good at composing when you started either. Or playing an instrument. You spent many hours learning to do both of those. So how many hours have you put into networking and learning to be good at it? Or have you just accepted that you're "no good"?

My advice would be to set yourself a "New Year's Resolution" that when we are out of this shitty phase, and can go and meet people again, put yourself out there. Meet people. Doesn't really matter who they are. Get yourself known. Practice "meetings". Become comfortable with selling yourself. Find a "sales personality". It doesn't' have to be you, but needs to be something you can put on, like a costume, whenever you have to sell yourself. Read some books on sales. Learn about how to talk to different personality types.

Then start to pick up the phone. Talk to people. Emailing is not enough. You need to put some effort into this. There are 1000s of other composers who will put the effort into networking and meeting people, so you need to stop them having this advantage over you.

Good luck.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 11, 2021)

Daryl said:


> Then start to pick up the phone. Talk to people. Emailing is not enough. You need to put some effort into this. There are 1000s of other composers who will put the effort into networking and meeting people, so you need to stop them having this advantage over you.


As much as I hate that aspect, it's a necessary evil. IMHO, it's one of most important factors in this industry. Let's face it, no one is going to be knocking at our doors all day long simply because we have good music.


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## William The Concurer (Jan 16, 2021)

Daryl said:


> Then start to pick up the phone.


I do appreciate your time, and useful, positive suggestions, but the phone? Respectfully, pick up the phone and call who? I understand the principle, but none of my targets have direct lines, which means you will have to deal with the three-headed guard dogs, who will not let you pass, unless you’re on the list. Whereas, emails can contain easy, clickable links. I don’t think it’s practical to be dictating a link, with a long chain of letters, numbers, slashes and whatever else, down the phone to Cerberus, in the hope it’ll get transmitted to the master.

The downside of emails is, they can get auto-filtered into the spam/trash, or get blocked. Or, again, the three headed pooch reads it and it’s consigned to the litter tray, and you’re a has-bin.

The phone would really be my absolute last resort. Respectfully, you only get one chance to make a first impression.Right? My first impression is Woody Allen on a bad day. Ironically, if someone called _me_, I can be Mr. Damn-Well Charming.

Personal contact, is probably the top way to “get in”, but I don’t think that’s going to happen any time soon. IMO, this pandemic is going to be around for a long time, along with other zeitgeist complications.

I vaguely remember the story of Alan Silvestri meeting Robert Zemeckis at the bar of some golf club(?). They were wearing identical sweaters. Instant talking point, and the conversation developed. Mr. Zemeckis was starting Romancing The Stone, and Mr. Silvestri offered to, er, drum up a demo, which he did it on an old multitrack tape machine. Overnight. The rest is hist…well you get the idea. Maybe someone has the specifics.

Will


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## Daryl (Jan 17, 2021)

Picking up the phone is how to get through the gateway. You talk about the three-headed guard dogs, but at least they are human. With an email, it will either be deleted or not even opened. You're looking for a shortcut. There is no shortcut. You have to talk your way in, and as you've already found out , your method doesn't work. So...

1. You ring the target company
2. You give your (non detailed) sales spiel, being "Mr. Damn-Well Charming"
3. You get the name of the person (people) who is the right person to contact
4. You then email them
5. You then send a follow up email
6. You then ring the company again, saying that you think their emails are not working
7. Then, depending on what happens, there are various "next steps"

Meanwhile...

You rinse and repeat with the next company. There are hundreds of people to contact out there. Someone will take a chance and open your email.

One more thing. How many approaches have you made? 100? 200? 1000? There are more music libraries than ever before, so there are more opportunities than ever before to find a "home".


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 17, 2021)

Daryl said:


> Picking up the phone is how to get through the gateway. You talk about the three-headed guard dogs, but at least they are human. With an email, it will either be deleted or not even opened. You're looking for a shortcut. There is no shortcut. You have to talk your way in, and as you've already found out , your method doesn't work. So...
> 
> 1. You ring the target company
> 2. You give your (non detailed) sales spiel, being "Mr. Damn-Well Charming"
> ...


I have had great success from cold emailing over the years.....but actually phoning? I think the last time I did that was over ten years ago. Personally, I feel that’s a dead end. In our current world, I think people are more likely to respond to email and text as opposed to phone calls.


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## mybadmemory (Jan 17, 2021)

Does this cold call approach actually work for anyone? In my experience any kind of cold contact, regardless of medium, is just the completely wrong way to approach it. And I say that both from the perspective of being the caller, and from the perspective of being the receiver, since I’ve been on both sides.

When I started my business in 2011, I tried the cold contact approach repeatedly though all ways possible for well over a year. It never resulted in anything. The clients we did get was through completely different channels and connections, and cold approached always resulted in zero.

Around a year in, we changed approach and actively started building our own brand instead. We polished our portfolio to really be on the level of where we wanted to be and we actively started to engage in blogging, social media, and overall online presence. All of this led to people starting to contact us instead. It completely turned the tables.

In less than a year we had over 40.000 followers online, and found ourselves in the position of having to turn down clients and work due to not having enough bandwidth. We could pick and choose what we wanted to do, and people applied for work and internship at our studio on a daily basis.

At this point i was suddenly in the position of being the one never picking up the phone or answer any of the emails from people offering their services to us. I realized exactly why it never worked for me a few years back. I just wished they all realized this as well and put their focus into becoming approachable instead of hopelessly approaching others.

Every time we actually did need help, never once did I scout my inbox or answering machine. I went out to actively look for the right person myself, just as anyone would. I scouted portfolios and communities for the best, and approached them just as we ourselves suddenly got approached by others as soon as we shifted from “trying to reach the right person” to just “try to really show off our best stuff to the world” instead.

This is of course just one story, and others might very well have had much better luck with cold approaches than I had. I also reailize that we might have been lucky and that we by pure chance might have happened to fill a certain void at a certain time that was just right.

I just think, as with most things in life, no one really likes it when people come at them and try to sell themselves, regardless of if it’s professional, in dating, or in any other area. Just try to be the best, at the craft, at the presentation, and and the reach. All three equally impairment. And people will find you instead.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 17, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> Does this cold call approach actually work for anyone?


For me, I’d say 90% of my most successful gigs are result of cold emails. This applies for live theatre, TV, film, and music libraries. These also developed into great, longterm relationships with directors/producers.


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## mybadmemory (Jan 17, 2021)

Jeremy Spencer said:


> For me, I’d say 90% of my most successful gigs are result of cold emails. This applies for live theatre, TV, film, and music libraries. These also developed into great, longterm relationships with directors/producers.


Interesting! I love to be told wrong, and hearing about opposite perspectives and experiences!

Could it also be that “culture” around this is very different in different industries?


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## William The Concurer (Jan 17, 2021)

Daryl said:


> Picking up the phone is how to get through the gateway.


Thank you for your continued interest and input. Very considered points made, and I appreciate that. I’ve read all the posts carefully, and it seems some people...._concur_ with my phone aversion, but others disagree. This is not to say your (or anyone’s) advice is correct or otherwise. However, I feel it takes a special kind of character to pull off cold calling, and I’m not that particular kind of person.I like your idea of putting on a costume: a great way to get over the neurosis is to become someone else, until one gets found out! I’m certain most theatre actors, or stand ups, etc., are terrified before they go on, but have come up with a way to surmount and vanquish the fear. I’m in awe of people like that.

I feel what you’re suggesting ( at least, in my case) might be most useful for production music. As previously written, I realise I overstressed the music library aspect, because my overarching intention is geared towards film and TV.

I have some decent past achievements, but I’m somewhat paradoxically congenitally ambitious, therefore, what I've done still not good enough. I don't possess the nerve to tell total strangers (perhaps other than in a forum of peers) that I’m worth a listen, for fear of transgressing that line in the sand from confidence to arrogance. Confidence and arrogance is a tricky coin to toss. I do love that self-mocking arrogance, when it's pulled off by a really talented person. I admit, I've lost a lost of my confidence over the last ten or so years.

I’m by no means erecting blocks about this, but I can see how some might consider me negative. Wait a minute: my glass is half empty….need a refull, um, refil


WTC


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 17, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> Interesting! I love to be told wrong, and hearing about opposite perspectives and experiences!
> 
> Could it also be that “culture” around this is very different in different industries?


Jeez, I’m not sure Lol! Maybe I just got lucky. However, I think it really comes down to selling yourself.....telling a total stranger why they should put their faith in your services over anyone else. I always provide links to my website demos, along with demos specifically aimed at what a prospective client might be looking for.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 17, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> I don't possess the nerve to tell total strangers (perhaps other than in a forum of peers) that I’m worth a listen, for fear of transgressing that line in the sand from confidence to arrogance.


This is a necessary evil if you want to get hired. It definitely takes awhile to get your head around that, but in the long run it pays off. Never sell yourself short! Get the gig, and then figure out the logistics later.


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## William The Concurer (Jan 17, 2021)

Jeremy Spencer said:


> This is a necessary evil if you want to get hired. It definitely takes awhile to get your head around that, but in the long run it pays off. Never sell yourself short! Get the gig, and then figure out the logistics later.


Good point and, of course, you're correct, though I do wish evil wasn't compulsory in the equation. In the emails I send out I usually describe myself as being in the top 5%,in the hope that, along with my past work, they'll actually respond; but they do not. So, to them, maybe it's:

1. Bullshit
2.Obnoxious arrogance
3.Obnoxious, bullshit arrogance

Well, anyway, I'm a bloody incandescent genius. The rest of you can fuck off.

William


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## rgames (Jan 17, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> I usually describe myself as being in the top 5%


Maybe that's part of the problem - I have no idea what that means. Maybe the people you contact do.

There's no meaningful "quality" metric in music. I see a lot of composers who kid themselves that they get gigs because they write "quality" music but the truth is they get gigs because they have a network and are able to write music that is "good enough." I think your experience is bearing out that fact - you had a network for your music previously and it went away. Your music isn't any worse but it doesn't matter: you need to build another network.

Regarding phone vs. email - I think it can work either way. I have a very good client who pays decent fees up front but I've only ever communicated with them via email. Then there are a couple music libraries with whom I've had frequent calls but make very little money. Personally, I prefer in-person or at least over-the-phone conversations (I think I'm better live...). Outside the music world, my longest-lasting and most lucrative business dealings have been primarily face-to-face with phone/email as a secondary means of communication. I think that's generally a better way to go.

One way to get in people's faces is to go to trade shows. It's great bang-for-buck because you can hit a lot of people in one spot.

All IMHO of course. Who knows.

rgames


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## William The Concurer (Jan 17, 2021)

rgames said:


> Maybe that's part of the problem - I have no idea what that means. Maybe the people you contact do.
> 
> There's no meaningful "quality" metric in music. I see a lot of composers who kid themselves that they get gigs because they write "quality" music but the truth is they get gigs because they have a network and are able to write music that is "good enough." I think your experience is bearing out that fact - you had a network for your music previously and it went away. Your music isn't any worse but it doesn't matter: you need to build another network.
> 
> ...


Thank you for taking the time, with a considered response. Top 5%. _No-one_ knows what that means, in music, or any other artistic endeavour, because it's sales-speak. Guilty, as charged. It's intended as a, um, "device" to get someone who is solely geared to statistical aesthetics to reply. Maybe I should drop it. How else do I distinguish myself, when I tell them I worked with, eg: Warner, etc, to get their jaded attention?

I'm always in the frontline, whenever anyone asks: who's the best, blah,blah, artist. It's a nonsense question. Opinion is not a measurable science, unless you're the ex-president. Then he is most certainly, the greatest in the recorded history of mankind.

Maybe I should frequent Bel Air golf clubs, and hope I bump into someone wearing the exact same sweater as me. Flippant: moi??

Are there any trade shows operating in the present climate?

Seriously, I took your post....seriously. Thank you.

WTC


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## MartinH. (Jan 18, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> In the emails I send out I usually describe myself as being in the top 5%,in the hope that, along with my past work, they'll actually respond; but they do not.



I know a couple artists (not composers) working on AAA games and they are in the top 5% I'd say, but I've never ever heard a single one of them describe themselves like that. They all seem to be somewhat humble. I have a feeling the composer profession as a whole is a little less modest in how they advertise themselvses, but still I think this 5% thing is a bit cringe and a possible red flag. Because of the Dunning Kruger effect, the worse people actually are, the better they _think _they are (to some extend). I think your past clients will give a better feeling of "actual top tier" than you saying "I'm in the top tier". You know what I mean? 




William The Concurer said:


> Guilty, as charged. It's intended as a, um, "device" to get someone who is solely geared to statistical aesthetics to reply. Maybe I should drop it. How else do I distinguish myself, when I tell them I worked with, eg: Warner, etc, to get their jaded attention?


Consider this possibility: How many low skilled composers do you think have tried that trick before to bullshit their way into a job? I'd wager there were a few. Wouldn't be surprised if that's the line that makes people stop reading your e-mail as they think "ah, another one of 'those', no thanks, not gonna waste my time on this".




William The Concurer said:


> Maybe I should frequent Bel Air golf clubs, and hope I bump into someone wearing the exact same sweater as me. Flippant: moi??


That might not be as far off as you might think... Have you seen Mike Verta's Masterclass on the business side of composing? I haven't but I recommended it to a 3D artist and he liked it. YMMV


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 18, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> In the emails I send out I usually describe myself as being in the top 5%



If you are literally doing this, I hope you can prove you've scored dozens of Hollywood blockbusters.


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## jononotbono (Jan 18, 2021)

I'm probably alone when I say this but...
I just keep thinking about this. 😂 

Never give up man.


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## Cathbad (Jan 18, 2021)

Lots of good points and interesting advice/observations above. And I do identify and sympathise with the OP to a great extent.

I've not much to add, except to mention professional etiquette. As a player, I followed the strict system of rules about how one conducts oneself as a pro instrumentalist. These exist firstly to keep the peace, because performing music is emotive and stressful. And secondly to avoid stepping on anyone's toes, because we're all just trying to pay the bills and it's considered in bad taste to interfere with someone's livelihood.

One of the rules was hospitality. If someone identifies himself to you as a pro musician, perhaps new in town, looking to expand work or even a recent graduate, etiquette dictates that you give him some time. Usually, come and play some duets, sit in with the band at rehearsal tomorrow etc. Apart from being friendly and sociable, this is the way people get to know the nice guys who can also play. It would be considered extremely rude not to observe this courtesy when someone approaches you.

But I don't think film and TV folks and production music library staff have ever heard about these rules. Even other composers seem a bit less acquainted with professional etiquette than they might be. Perhaps I'm just being old-fashioned, but that's the way I'll continue to do things.


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## William The Concurer (Jan 18, 2021)

MartinH. said:


> "I know a couple artists (not composers) working on AAA games and they are in the top 5% I'd say, but I've never ever heard a single one of them describe themselves like that.........etc"


Thank you kindly for contributing. As I pointed out in my earlier message, everyone is entitled to their own wrong opinions, but thank you for yours. I have them; wrong opinions, I mean. One can draw hasty conclusions from hastily written words. People that know me have never, ever described me as arrogant, or even deluded. In fact, probably the opposite, and that has been the cause of my professional shortcomings. Eg: I'm not good at dealing with praise, frankly. When I communicate with the business people, they are clearly told the top 5% is just my opinion, and I try to make a joke of it. 

On the other hand, even the _written_ word is clearly open to interpretation, so perhaps, in future, the 5%-thing should go. To hijack the cliche: right now, it's 5% of nothing. I think one can inhabit the top 5%, in terms of quality, but not necessarily achievement, or demonstrable success. There's a distinction, but it can get lost. As stated in others' posts on VI, there are many highly talented people who get nowhere at all. 

I certainly don't believe ( and hope) I come over as a cheap salesman: the links are there for them to decide.I'm now sure that, because of the content of my posts, some people have made up their minds about me. It's perfectly normal. I do it, and catch myself, and try to step back and consider contexts. Like anyone else, the real me is not necessarily the words I write. Sometimes. A bit like Darryl's excellent costume analogy.

I've never bullshitted my way into anything. I was always hired for my talent/skills. In fact, I usually deny I'm even that talented. Rather: highly skilled. There are certain, fabulously popular "artists", who are feted for their genius, but in my ( obviously, wrong) opinion are about as far removed from discernible, genuine talent as it's possible to be, and that their adoring fans are labouring under some mass Jedi mind-trick. It's reassuring to know I'm not alone in this idea.

As for Mike Verta. I like him a lot. His music and his persona/presentations.The masterclass. I haven't seen it, and neither have you. Not sure how one can recommend something without seeing it. Must try that sometime! Seriously, I'm sure it's great, so will try to locate it. 

I have an unfortunate tendency to overwrite. Sorry.

Many thanks, once again.

W


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## William The Concurer (Jan 18, 2021)

jononotbono said:


> I'm probably alone when I say this but...
> I just keep thinking about this. 😂
> 
> Never give up man.


Perfecton. Thank you!


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## William The Concurer (Jan 18, 2021)

Cathbad said:


> "Lots of good points and interesting advice/observations above. And I do identify and sympathise with the OP to a great extent......" etc.


Many thanks for those excellent and sensible words.....


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## MartinH. (Jan 18, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> Thank you kindly for contributing. As I pointed out in my earlier message, everyone is entitled to their own wrong opinions, but thank you for yours. I have them; wrong opinions, I mean. One can draw hasty conclusions from hastily written words. People that know me have never, ever described me as arrogant, or even deluded. In fact, probably the opposite, and that has been the cause of my professional shortcomings. Eg: I'm not good at dealing with praise, frankly. When I communicate with the business people, they are clearly told the top 5% is just my opinion, and I try to make a joke of it.


I make no assumptions about you, my appologies if that did come across the wrong way! My point is: potential clients that only can judge you from that one first email they get from you, _might_ judge you based on that. 



William The Concurer said:


> As for Mike Verta. I like him a lot. His music and his persona/presentations.The masterclass. I haven't seen it, and neither have you. Not sure how one can recommend something without seeing it. Must try that sometime! Seriously, I'm sure it's great, so will try to locate it.


If you've seen a couple of his masterclasses, you'll understand how I can in good confidence recommend it without having seen it. He's dropped bits and pieces of related career advice throughout various classes and live streams, the story of how he got his first gig as a Jazz composer won't be different in the business masterclass than in wherever I heard it first. He often said "It's not about _who _you know, it's about _how _you know them". Does that sound familiar? It's possible you've heard a lot of his business advice already. So like I said, YMMV.



William The Concurer said:


> I have an unfortunate tendency to overwrite. Sorry.


No problem, so do I! I can tell you from frustrating experience, that this doesn't work well with some people - they just don't read long mails properly. 
I know some more public figures (public enough to get tons of mails but not rich enough to warrant hiring someone to screen them thoroughly for them) have a default policy of "all long emails go straight to the bin - unread". So I'd recommend to keep it super short, and have the other info that you care about on your website or in your reel, in a way that it's easily absorbed on the side while checking out your demos. 

Just my 2 cents of course...


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## William The Concurer (Jan 18, 2021)

MartinH. Thank you. Nothing personal taken, Sir. I was attempting to respond in a general way, so don't worry.

Mike's stuff. I was just having some fun with you but, seriously, he's great. Fantastic composer (IMO) and does a great service to enlighten and inform.

Yes, long emails. You're right. There. I can be brief.

w


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## SupremeFist (Jan 18, 2021)

As a fellow diffident Brit I feel your difficulty, but I agree with others that the "top 5%" line sounds really bad, like you're overcompensating and getting the tone wrong, coming over like a grandiose internet random. Your credits can speak for themselves!


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## Trash Panda (Jan 18, 2021)

As a hiring manager, if I see a cover letter with someone making braggadocios claims like being "in the top X%" of anything, I dismiss that applicant then and there, because that's a personality red flag for someone I don't know. They might be extremely humble or have a quirky sense of humor, but without the context of personally knowing them, I have no way of knowing that and no interest in spending the time to find out. On to the next person who doesn't come across as a diva in their intro letter.

One of the most helpful things I learned in the business world in general is assessing not how I see myself, but getting feedback on how others perceive how I am. Even better when that feedback can come from someone who I'm not friends with or work with on a daily basis.


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## MiloMcCarthyMusic (Jan 18, 2021)

jcrosby said:


> Is it possible some of you're reaching has been to niche libraries you don't fill a niche for?
> 
> Trailer libraries for example get submissions day in and out that simply don't fit the genre. Basically it's one thing to be really good at what you do, it's another to be judicious in what you send to whom... I had a trailer library on the hook when I 1st started transitioning into it and spent 6 months of getting rejections from them before I really nailed the genre and they briefed me. (I failed on the 1st brief. My ego was bruised for sure... But when I look back now I don't see how they could have accepted what I submitted... It just wasn't up to scratch.)
> 
> ...


how would you descibe this "Dramedy" style you mentioned?


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## William The Concurer (Jan 18, 2021)

SupremeFist said:


> As a fellow diffident Brit I feel your difficulty, but I agree with others that the "top 5%" line sounds really bad, like you're overcompensating agi and getting the tone wrong, coming over like a grandiose internet random. Your credits can speak for themselves!


Thanks for that. Won't be doing it in future, as I defer to the consensus. And thanks for the detail of the opinion. It's probably too late for me now, then....?


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## Trash Panda (Jan 18, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> Thanks for that. Won't be doing it in future, as I defer to the consensus. And thanks for the detail of the opinion. It's probably too late for me now, then....?


Probably not too late. The people you've been emailing likely didn't commit your words to memory if they didn't even bother to click through to your portfolio.


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## GtrString (Jan 18, 2021)

I think the library market is in a sad state at this point. Production lines are down, and libraries are oversaturated with one finger stuff, that is fine for tv and underscore. Composers are in no position to cut deals. There will be no new demand for 3-5 years, and by then they can get the talent, quality ect they require from an AI. If you sign off music now, it will sit on a shelf, slide into a blanket deal or be used as an asset in a library consolidation sale. It's over.

What is left is to do your own library, get on IMDB and start calling production lines as a publisher yourself, not as a composer. Pull back any track you can and create your own market. Composers get screwed, publishers still got a chance.


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## Trash Panda (Jan 18, 2021)

I'm just trying to give some perspective on the way your outreach may be getting perceived. The best way to succeed at grabbing someone's attention in a positive way is to try to imagine their perspective and do something to stand out in a good way while minimizing or removing statements that can be perceived in a negative manner.

Remember, they don't know you from anyone else and are likely getting tons of emails a week from composers trying to pitch themselves as the next John Williams or Hans Zimmer.


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## Cathbad (Jan 18, 2021)

Trash Panda said:


> ...tons of emails a week from composers trying to pitch themselves as the next John Williams or Hans Zimmer.



That's an important point.

Much of the market saturation that is talked about is due to people churning out formulaic impersonations of what's already out there. And there are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to sound like so and so or how to write EPIK TRAYLUR TRAX. 

But second guessing what buyers might want seems not to work. Better to follow one's own musical judgement - assuming one has taken the trouble to develop some - than seek to please people who couldn't tell a plagal cadence from a cinnamon bagel. If they don't like it, well fire me and fuck off, but at least I've written something that, in my not entirely uneducated and inexperienced opinion, is good. Bernard Hermann's attitude, I believe. And since starting to follow his lead, nitpicking from clients has 100% disappeared, replaced by ravingly positive reactions. Must be all those plagal cadences. Amen.


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## mybadmemory (Jan 18, 2021)

I’ve clicked through thousands of emails from people reaching out to me for work. The truth is:

* I rarely had the time to read them. 
* Anything that’s long gets ignored. 
* Don’t SAY you’re good. Show it.

* One paragraph of text is enough.
* Include a picture. I know it shouldn’t matter, but it does.
* Have the link lead DIRECTLY to the work. Don’t expect me to look for it.


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## JonS (Jan 19, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> This might sound off the wall; even paranoid. Regardless, I’m commending my “condition” to this forum, and hope for some precious insight, in this era of isolation and career challenges. I write from my fortress of solitude, so kindly tell me if I’ve lost touch with the outside world in the process.
> 
> So, trying to be brief ( yeah, right, that ain’t never gonna happen. ed)….
> 
> ...


Unfortunately, the reality you are experiencing is common for this biz. To become successful, a composer desperately needs that one film director or one tv producer who wants to only work with you throughout their career. In your case, once this key individual stops hiring you for whatever reason unless they were on the A-list and you have a solid base of major credits and an A-list manager/agent in your corner, there's not a lot one can do to make your career keep going. Sure, you can network till your blue in the face, which is something you should be doing if you cannot fathom any other career choice, but that does not mean this networking will guarantee you a future career. That you think you are talented or even if you are exceptionally talented as a composer has nothing to do with who gets hired in this industry. It's all about relationships, and making that special relationship with the right person is a lot about luck. You can put yourself out there and network as best you can, but one needs massive luck for the right relationship to manifest which can yield a solid career for a composer. 

Try to get a gig working as an assistant for a major A-list composer like Hans Zimmer, if you can't get that kind of gig then try getting a gig as a music director for a major A-list performing artist, if you can't get that gig then try getting a gig as a studio musician for film orchestra recording sessions, if you can't get that gig then perhaps you are not as talented as you think you are. This biz requires enormous luck to play out. Most people in life are ignored, it's no fun, but that's life. Getting big credits on A-list projects can help, but if you were not the main composer there is no guarantee that those credits elevate you to have your own career. If you think you have enough credits in film and tv you should reach out to some A-list managers and agents to see if they want to rep you, if someone is interested then they may get you some gigs, though you cannot count on that either. Another path to becoming a successful film composer is to first become a successful music artist ie. Trent Reznor, Junkie XL, Danny Elfman. However, that path alone is extremely difficult too. If you don't have a father or best friend or college roommate who is an A-list film director or tv producer who also wants to only hire you as their composer then this industry is near impossible to make it in. I am not suggesting you give up, but this is not an easy biz to succeed in. 

The world ignores most people. Becoming a successful composer is one of the more challenging pursuits, as most who go down that path will not succeed. You had some success and experience being in the biz, that may be the closest you ever get, sadly. There are already too many talented composers trying to get hired for not that many major productions. If you reach out to the major film directors and tv producers you will discover that they already have 2-3 composers they work with on everything, so they don't need another composer. If you cannot get an agent but are willing to work as a composer's assistant, it's possible a music agent can refer you to one of his composer clients, but I don't think that work pays well and you probably have to live near the composer who may most likely be in Los Angeles. 

Become the next Elton John first then the film world will stop ignoring you, good luck with that idea. Trying to build a career as a film and tv composer is not the same as other industries. One could graduate top of your class at Yale or Harvard Law School and you will not be ignored as many firms in the biz community will seek you out and hire you. The film world doesn't work like that as I am sure you realize, everyone is ignored until they are successful enough that they are no longer ignored. Most people who aspire to become film and tv composers will not make it. That you had some success is rare too. Unfortunately, luck matters the most in becoming successful in many industries, this one in particular. Good luck!!


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## MartinH. (Jan 19, 2021)

JonS said:


> Try to get a gig working as an assistant for a major A-list composer like Hans Zimmer, if you can't get that kind of gig then try getting a gig as a music director for a major A-list performing artist, if you can't get that gig then try getting a gig as a studio musician for film orchestra recording sessions, if you can't get that gig then perhaps you are not as talented as you think you are.



Is there any specific reason composing for games isn't part of your recommended career options? I don't know for sure but I'd have expected that industry to be easier to find work in, while also not having the same stupid deadlines that film and tv have.


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## JonS (Jan 19, 2021)

MartinH. said:


> Is there any specific reason composing for games isn't part of your recommended career options? I don't know for sure but I'd have expected that industry to be easier to find work in, while also not having the same stupid deadlines that film and tv have.


I’ve yet to compose for video games so I simply don’t have the experience in that side of the biz to share my thoughts 💭 I don’t know how someone succeeds as a video game composer, perhaps ask Daniel James for his insights about it, but you have brought up a valid point.


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## MartinH. (Jan 19, 2021)

JonS said:


> I’ve yet to compose for video games so I simply don’t have the experience in that side of the biz to share my thoughts 💭 I don’t know how someone succeeds as a video game composer, perhaps ask Daniel James for his insights about it, but you have brought up a valid point.


I have no first hand experience there, but I think it's worth considering. Could be interesting to look how some of the composers there managed to break in. Like Daniel James, Jason Graves, Mick Gordon etc..




William The Concurer said:


> I’ve worked in TV, music library, film and video games.





William The Concurer said:


> I don’t write down. Eg: my comedy is sophisticated. It’s in John Williams, Danny Elfman territory. Not cheesy or cheap.


Since you mentioned John Williams, did you know that only a few days ago the news broke that the Star Wars games license no longers is exclusive to EA Games? Maybe it's worth knocking on Ubisoft's door now, since there aren't that many composers who can write very close to what John Williams composed for those movies.









Now That Star Wars Is Free of EA's Exclusivity, What Kind of Games Can We Get?


Exclusivity is not the only obstacle to great Star Wars games.




www.vice.com


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## tabulius (Jan 19, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> Changing projects and clients often, and making them happy is one way that works too. Since they’ll both come back to you as well as spread the word. But I do think staying with one and the same source of income for too long (a few years is definitely too long) without simultaneously building your brand and network elsewhere will many times backfire the day that particular client for some reason can’t sustain it.


This rings true to me at the moment. I'm in a bit similar situation where I had a great source of projects and when years went by I found myself out of work. I first started with mobile and casual games thru a friend that had good connections in that world. I did a few projects that were successful and that led to more work, and that led to more. I remember telling everyone that "I really don't even need to market, projects just seem to appear". Around 10 years ago I also got into a trailer music business (I had an agent that pitched me to a trailer music supervisor) and after a slow start, I started to get a good amount of placements. Not monthly, but with 3-8 placements a year, I made a fine living out of composing. However, I didn't really notice that at the time the game companies started to notice me less and less. Some game companies were closed down, some hired an in-house sound designer / composer, people I knew moved to different companies and different positions etc. Some production companies started using more library music. But there was cash in my bank account, so that didn't get me worried.

I tried my best to force myself in film festivals and game events to meet people. However, I'm super anxious in huge crowds where I don't know anyone but tried my best to fake myself into an extroverted chatty person. Sometimes I did enjoy the process and it felt natural. Most of the time I couldn't fake it and left a nervous unprofessional impression. These visits never really got me any gigs, so I have been avoiding them for the most part. And I did make good money with trailer gigs, so I thought - I don't need to. But ever now and then I have been showing up. I wish I could enjoy these moments more, it feels like a struggle. As an introvert, I don't feel the need to find new friends to hang out with and I HATE selling myself. But now with this global lockdown, even the introverted me is missing to be around with more people, so maybe when things start to open up, I'm happy to fake an extrovert a while 

Now in the last few years, there has been a decline in trailer placements. Game companies don't remember me as "that guy" anymore so I'm back in the start where I noticed I really have to market myself and remind all the people that I exist and what I've done. The "I even don't need to market myself" mentality kicked me in the butt. So remember, even if things are going well, don't forget to find new projects. I don't know how many emails I sent around the world within the last year, but I did get a one game composing gig with cold emailing. Just one, but I'm happy that I did. It showed me that it is possible. Some film directors and production companies have listened to my stuff, gave a compliment of the credits, and have been polite. However, no gigs have come by yet. Back in the day when I was single, I had all the time in the world to compose, market, and mingle. Now I'm married, father of a 4-month-old and 4-year-old, there is less time for my personal one-man company. And it takes more effort and energy to organize the time. Now I realize how much time and energy I had back then.

As most of you have pointed, the "I'm top 5%" is definitely a red flag. Even how you described your emails being, very articulated, infused with a great sense of humor etc. feels out of place for me personally. Especially in Finnish culture, any kind of self bragging is been seen as suspicious or just undesirable. For me, I try to be friendly, keep the email short, give my best examples of projects I've been working on, and give links to my homepage where they can listen to my stuff. I don't tell how great I am, I hope that the work speaks loudly. I try to have a friendly and humble approach.

I appreciate all who have replied to this thread. It gives all of us some ideas and a new perspective. I hope that my example reminds those who are doing great, to keep showing up. Don't get too comfortable like I did.


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## JonS (Jan 19, 2021)

William The Concurer said:


> This might sound off the wall; even paranoid. Regardless, I’m commending my “condition” to this forum, and hope for some precious insight, in this era of isolation and career challenges. I write from my fortress of solitude, so kindly tell me if I’ve lost touch with the outside world in the process.
> 
> So, trying to be brief ( yeah, right, that ain’t never gonna happen. ed)….
> 
> ...


As a general rule, the longer the email the more desperate they will think you are and saying you are top 5% is probably gonna get you completely ignored even more. Less is more. Mention a couple of credits if you have them. Avoid bragging, arrogance and cockiness. I wouldn’t say you are like other top composers. In the end, just be yourself.


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## jcrosby (Jan 19, 2021)

MiloMcCarthyMusic said:


> how would you descibe this "Dramedy" style you mentioned?


Dramedy's the generic 'rom-com' music you hear all over TV (especially reality TV), but it's also used frequently in documentaries as well... There's a good playlist of examples here:









Music for the World's Media | West One Music Group


Production music from West One Music Group, the leading indepenent provider of music for the world's media. Sync for trailers, television, broadcast, promos & online.




www.westonemusic.com


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## gohrev (Jan 25, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> I’ve clicked through thousands of emails from people reaching out to me for work. The truth is:
> 
> * I rarely had the time to read them.
> * Anything that’s long gets ignored.
> ...


I read your posts in this thread with great interest. May I ask what line of work your company is in? I would guess audio engineering, but I may well be far off…


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## gohrev (Jan 25, 2021)

To the OP, @William The Concurer, I ask: Do you keep your emails brief and to the point?
Not trying to be shady here, just wondering if your approach may be a tad too generous in word count.


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## mybadmemory (Jan 25, 2021)

berlin87 said:


> I read your posts in this thread with great interest. May I ask what line of work your company is in? I would guess audio engineering, but I may well be far off…


Thanks! Though I'm just a hobbyist as far as music is concerned. My career is in design, and my company was a graphic design agency working with game developers and publishers, as well as technology and lifestyle brands. It was around for 8 years. I'm now a Head of UX/UI at a game/tech company.


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## gohrev (Jan 25, 2021)

mybadmemory said:


> Thanks! Though I'm just a hobbyist as far as music is concerned. My career is in design, and my company was a graphic design agency working with game developers and publishers, as well as technology and lifestyle brands. It was around for 8 years. I'm now a Head of UX/UI at a game/tech company.


Thank you for your response, and good on you 
I like to think that what you did to attract attention, through organic, _real_ blogging and social media usage (publishing stuff that actually adds value), can be applied to many fields of work.


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