WELCOME TO THE 30-DAY MUSIC LICENSING DEEP DIVE. FROM THIS PAGE YOU CAN ACCESS THE DAILY LEADS, LESSONS AND TUTORIALS. THESE WILL BE POSTED DAILY, EVERY DAY FOR 30 CONSECUTIVE DAYS, STARTING ON May 1.
IN THE MEANTIME, YOU CAN ACCESS ALL THE BONUS ITEMS BELOW:
ACCESS THE MUSIC LICENSING REFERENCE LIBRARY
ACCESS MUSIC LICENSING ESSENTIALS
ACCESS THE 2025 MUSIC LICENSING DIRECTORY
IN THE MEANTIME, YOU CAN ACCESS ALL THE BONUS ITEMS BELOW:
ACCESS THE MUSIC LICENSING REFERENCE LIBRARY
ACCESS MUSIC LICENSING ESSENTIALS
ACCESS THE 2025 MUSIC LICENSING DIRECTORY
Welcome to the 30 Day Deep Dive!
I hope you're excited to get started. I've put a lot of thought and effort into this program, and my goal over the next 30 days is to give you all the information, tools and resources you need to succeed in licensing your music.
Every day, for the next 30 days, I'll be posting a different lead and I'll also be posting a lesson, assignment and video tutorial.
My goal is to present all of the information to you in a way that isn't overwhelming and will allow you to move forward, one step at a time, each day, throughout the 30-day long program. I suggest having 30 to 60 minutes each day to devote to going through all the information I present and submitting your tracks. But, you can always go back and catch up if you miss a day or two, and all of the information can be reviewed at your convenience right here, from this page.
With that said, let's get started!
Today's Lesson - Study The Market:
One of the keys to licensing music successfully is to have a good grasp on the wide variety of music that actually gets licensed. You need to study the "market" as you would in any other industry to be competitive. A lot of artists are simply making the music they make, with little or no thought to licensing, and then shopping it around here and there, after the fact. After their music is already made. This isn't necessarily wrong. You could license music this way. But taking this approach leaves a lot to luck. Maybe you're writing music that works for licensing, maybe you're not. By studying and really paying attention to music that is being used on a regular basis, you'll get a much clearer idea of what the demands of the music licensing marketplace are and where your music fits in.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to start really paying attention to music that is used in tv shows, films, commercials and so on. The next movie or TV show you watch, I want you to really focus on the songs that are being used. Notice what songs are used and how they're used. Notice the relationship between the dialog and the lyrics of songs. Notice how the style connects with the period and atmosphere of the scene. Notice how the mood of the music relates to the overall story and theme of the show, movie or commercial you're watching. Get a sense for how it all fits together. Could you see your music being used in this way? Do you have music ready to go that would work in a variety of situations? The first step in succeeding in the licensing industry, is really understanding what kind of music gets licensed and why. Don't just make music and then throw it against the wall, hoping it will stick somewhere. This is a craft. Approach it this way and you'll have much more success.
Related: Also, be sure to check out the tracks we've posted in the music licensing reference library.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is about how to prepare your tracks for licensing opportunities and the different types of files you'll need when you start pitching your tracks.
I hope you're excited to get started. I've put a lot of thought and effort into this program, and my goal over the next 30 days is to give you all the information, tools and resources you need to succeed in licensing your music.
Every day, for the next 30 days, I'll be posting a different lead and I'll also be posting a lesson, assignment and video tutorial.
My goal is to present all of the information to you in a way that isn't overwhelming and will allow you to move forward, one step at a time, each day, throughout the 30-day long program. I suggest having 30 to 60 minutes each day to devote to going through all the information I present and submitting your tracks. But, you can always go back and catch up if you miss a day or two, and all of the information can be reviewed at your convenience right here, from this page.
With that said, let's get started!
Today's Lesson - Study The Market:
One of the keys to licensing music successfully is to have a good grasp on the wide variety of music that actually gets licensed. You need to study the "market" as you would in any other industry to be competitive. A lot of artists are simply making the music they make, with little or no thought to licensing, and then shopping it around here and there, after the fact. After their music is already made. This isn't necessarily wrong. You could license music this way. But taking this approach leaves a lot to luck. Maybe you're writing music that works for licensing, maybe you're not. By studying and really paying attention to music that is being used on a regular basis, you'll get a much clearer idea of what the demands of the music licensing marketplace are and where your music fits in.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to start really paying attention to music that is used in tv shows, films, commercials and so on. The next movie or TV show you watch, I want you to really focus on the songs that are being used. Notice what songs are used and how they're used. Notice the relationship between the dialog and the lyrics of songs. Notice how the style connects with the period and atmosphere of the scene. Notice how the mood of the music relates to the overall story and theme of the show, movie or commercial you're watching. Get a sense for how it all fits together. Could you see your music being used in this way? Do you have music ready to go that would work in a variety of situations? The first step in succeeding in the licensing industry, is really understanding what kind of music gets licensed and why. Don't just make music and then throw it against the wall, hoping it will stick somewhere. This is a craft. Approach it this way and you'll have much more success.
Related: Also, be sure to check out the tracks we've posted in the music licensing reference library.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is about how to prepare your tracks for licensing opportunities and the different types of files you'll need when you start pitching your tracks.
Today's Lead:
Black Toast Music
About:
Founded in 1991 by noted musician/composer/producer Bob Mair, Black Toast Music is a leading independent music publisher/production music library located in Los Angeles, CA. Since its launch, the company has placed music in hundreds of television series, including “True Blood,” “Dexter” and “The Wire,” specials and TV movies, dozens of high profile motion pictures, including “Arthur” with Russell Brand, “When In Rome” with Kristen Bell, “I Love You, Phillip Morris,” “Dead Silence,” “Jiminy Glick,” and others, along with videogames, internet advertising campaigns, and numerous, multi-media presentations.
Submit: Black Toast Music Knowledge Base - One Stop Music for All Media
Contact: [email protected]
Black Toast Music
About:
Founded in 1991 by noted musician/composer/producer Bob Mair, Black Toast Music is a leading independent music publisher/production music library located in Los Angeles, CA. Since its launch, the company has placed music in hundreds of television series, including “True Blood,” “Dexter” and “The Wire,” specials and TV movies, dozens of high profile motion pictures, including “Arthur” with Russell Brand, “When In Rome” with Kristen Bell, “I Love You, Phillip Morris,” “Dead Silence,” “Jiminy Glick,” and others, along with videogames, internet advertising campaigns, and numerous, multi-media presentations.
Submit: Black Toast Music Knowledge Base - One Stop Music for All Media
Contact: [email protected]
30 Day Deep Dive Day 2
Today's Lesson - Researching Companies:
I've interviewed over 100 people working in the music licensing industry over the last several years. I've interviewed publishers, supervisors and owners and founders of music libraries. When you talk to this many people working in the same industry, certain recurring themes and patterns come up over and over. One of these themes, is that very few musicians take the time to really research and get to know the companies they're reaching out to, when trying to get their music licensed. Most musicians are just randomly contacting companies, submitting there music to anyone and everyone. I've heard from multiple publishers and supervisors that this is a real issue. Most people working in this industry are inundated with submissions and they simply don't have time to listen to everything that is sent to them. If you're not submitting music that is relevant and you're not demonstrating that you've researched the company you're sending your music to, there's a good chance your music won't be heard.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is two-fold. One is to simply spend time researching the companies you are trying to work with. Go to their website, read their bio, listen to the artists they work with, do a google search and find out as much as you can about them. Look at past projects they've worked on, search for upcoming projects when possible. In short, try to learn as much as you can about each company you want to work with prior to submitting your music. Then, when you do reach out, let them know why you think your music is a good fit. Indicate what projects you think your music would be a good match for. If this isn't possible, let them know what it is about your music stylistically that is a good match for their company. In other words, let them know you've taken the time to learn about their company and you want to help them with their needs. Remember, this is a service oriented business. You are in the business of helping people meet their musical needs.
Part two of today's assignment, is to watch today's video tutorial, about how and why to approach music like a business. This video features an excerpt from an interview I did with Joel Feinberg of DeWolfe Music. Warning: Joel uses some pretty harsh language in getting his point across!
Today's Lesson - Researching Companies:
I've interviewed over 100 people working in the music licensing industry over the last several years. I've interviewed publishers, supervisors and owners and founders of music libraries. When you talk to this many people working in the same industry, certain recurring themes and patterns come up over and over. One of these themes, is that very few musicians take the time to really research and get to know the companies they're reaching out to, when trying to get their music licensed. Most musicians are just randomly contacting companies, submitting there music to anyone and everyone. I've heard from multiple publishers and supervisors that this is a real issue. Most people working in this industry are inundated with submissions and they simply don't have time to listen to everything that is sent to them. If you're not submitting music that is relevant and you're not demonstrating that you've researched the company you're sending your music to, there's a good chance your music won't be heard.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is two-fold. One is to simply spend time researching the companies you are trying to work with. Go to their website, read their bio, listen to the artists they work with, do a google search and find out as much as you can about them. Look at past projects they've worked on, search for upcoming projects when possible. In short, try to learn as much as you can about each company you want to work with prior to submitting your music. Then, when you do reach out, let them know why you think your music is a good fit. Indicate what projects you think your music would be a good match for. If this isn't possible, let them know what it is about your music stylistically that is a good match for their company. In other words, let them know you've taken the time to learn about their company and you want to help them with their needs. Remember, this is a service oriented business. You are in the business of helping people meet their musical needs.
Part two of today's assignment, is to watch today's video tutorial, about how and why to approach music like a business. This video features an excerpt from an interview I did with Joel Feinberg of DeWolfe Music. Warning: Joel uses some pretty harsh language in getting his point across!
Today's Lead:
Marmoset
About: https://www.marmosetmusic.com/our-story
Submit: https://www.marmosetmusic.com/help#artists
Contact: https://www.marmosetmusic.com/contact
Marmoset
About: https://www.marmosetmusic.com/our-story
Submit: https://www.marmosetmusic.com/help#artists
Contact: https://www.marmosetmusic.com/contact
30 Day Music Licensing Deep Dive - Day 3
Today's Lesson - Professionalism:
I think it's safe to say that most artists, when they go about trying to get their music licensed, are primarily focused on themselves. They're focused on their music and trying to meet their goals. This is completely understandable and it makes total sense. You make music and you're passionate about it and you're passionate about your goal of hearing your music in TV and Films. So, of course you're going to be focused on your music and your goals. However, if you're trying to license your music through different music licensing companies (libraries, publishers, supervisors, etc) it's not just about you and your music. If you're trying to work with someone else professionally, you have to also be aware of the goals and needs of those you're trying to work with. What are their needs and how can you serve them? How can you make their lives easier? How can you help them do their job and help them achieve their goals. When you start to make this shift and keep this in mind in every email exchange, conversation and interaction you have with people in this business, you'll start to make a lot more headway. You'll also start to see more clearly why perhaps you haven't had as much success as you would have liked in the past, if you've only been focused on your music and achieving your own goals.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is an extension of yesterday's assignment. Yesterday I talked about how it's important to research companies and demonstrate you've done a little homework before blindly submitting your music to anyone who will listen. This demonstrates you're not just focused on your goals, but that you're also interested in helping others meet their goals. Along the same lines, think about other ways you can demonstrate you are professional and going to be easy to work with. Publishers and Supervisors are looking for musicians who are going to be easy to work with and efficient. One way to demonstrate this is by anticipating the different types of needs of those in the business and having different edits and versions of your tracks ready to go (See the video from Day 1 for more on this topic). Another thing you can do is make a showreel featuring some of your best tracks alongside some of your placements, if you have them, and if not just using stock video footage or other footage that works to accompany your music. Doing things like this will help you stand out from your competition and demonstrate that you're professional and take your craft seriously.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is a 30 minute video presentation about how to create an effective showreel, featuring producer Gary Gray.
Today's Lesson - Professionalism:
I think it's safe to say that most artists, when they go about trying to get their music licensed, are primarily focused on themselves. They're focused on their music and trying to meet their goals. This is completely understandable and it makes total sense. You make music and you're passionate about it and you're passionate about your goal of hearing your music in TV and Films. So, of course you're going to be focused on your music and your goals. However, if you're trying to license your music through different music licensing companies (libraries, publishers, supervisors, etc) it's not just about you and your music. If you're trying to work with someone else professionally, you have to also be aware of the goals and needs of those you're trying to work with. What are their needs and how can you serve them? How can you make their lives easier? How can you help them do their job and help them achieve their goals. When you start to make this shift and keep this in mind in every email exchange, conversation and interaction you have with people in this business, you'll start to make a lot more headway. You'll also start to see more clearly why perhaps you haven't had as much success as you would have liked in the past, if you've only been focused on your music and achieving your own goals.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is an extension of yesterday's assignment. Yesterday I talked about how it's important to research companies and demonstrate you've done a little homework before blindly submitting your music to anyone who will listen. This demonstrates you're not just focused on your goals, but that you're also interested in helping others meet their goals. Along the same lines, think about other ways you can demonstrate you are professional and going to be easy to work with. Publishers and Supervisors are looking for musicians who are going to be easy to work with and efficient. One way to demonstrate this is by anticipating the different types of needs of those in the business and having different edits and versions of your tracks ready to go (See the video from Day 1 for more on this topic). Another thing you can do is make a showreel featuring some of your best tracks alongside some of your placements, if you have them, and if not just using stock video footage or other footage that works to accompany your music. Doing things like this will help you stand out from your competition and demonstrate that you're professional and take your craft seriously.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is a 30 minute video presentation about how to create an effective showreel, featuring producer Gary Gray.
Today's Lead:
DeWolfe Music
About: https://www.dewolfemusic.com/
Submit: https://www.dewolfemusic.com/page/compose
Contact: https://www.dewolfemusic.com/page/contact
DeWolfe Music
About: https://www.dewolfemusic.com/
Submit: https://www.dewolfemusic.com/page/compose
Contact: https://www.dewolfemusic.com/page/contact
30 Day Music Licensing Deep Dive - Day 4
Today's lesson - Production Quality:
Music production is an important component of getting your music licensed. If you have amazing songs that work great for licensing, but they're not adequately produced for licensing, you won't be able to license them. It's that simple. Your songs need to be ready to go, as is. Knowing this, it's important that you take the time to objectively assess whether your songs are ready to go, production wise. Now music production isn't an exact science. It's somewhat subjective, even among music publishers and supervisors. Different people have different tastes and preferences. It's unlikely that you'll ever please everyone. But with that said, a lot of music that is being submitted to music licensing companies, simply isn't "good enough" production wise. Make sure you're not one of these artists. Take the time to really study the market, get a feel for the production quality of music that is being consistently licensed and make sure your music is on the same level, in terms of the quality of music production. Getting your production quality up to speed might involve improving your own production skills, if you produce your own music, or it might involve working with an outside producer. Whatever the case, make sure you know the quality you're shooting for and do whatever you have to do to get there.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to study the production quality of music that is being licensed and determine whether or not your tracks meet this standard. There are a few different ways to do this, the easiest is to probably simply check out music libraries websites and listen to the artists they work with. Many publishers and libraries will feature music they work with right on their website. Spend some time really getting to know the market and what music is being licensed where. On day one, I asked you to research and listen to music that's being licensed to get a feel for what kind of music is licensed. Today I want you to research and listen to music and specifically focus on the music production. If you listen to enough music that is being licensed, you'll see there is actually a wide variety, in terms of production quality. Some tv shows and placements have lower standards than others. Typically the more lucrative the placement, the more stringent the standards are in terms of production quality. Make sure your tracks at least meet the minimum standards necessary for music licensing, before you start shopping them around.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial is about what I like to think of as the "Three Pillars Of Music Licensing". I think there are three main areas you need to master when it comes to successfully licensing your music. They are: songwriting/composition, production and marketing. Check out the video for more.
Today's lesson - Production Quality:
Music production is an important component of getting your music licensed. If you have amazing songs that work great for licensing, but they're not adequately produced for licensing, you won't be able to license them. It's that simple. Your songs need to be ready to go, as is. Knowing this, it's important that you take the time to objectively assess whether your songs are ready to go, production wise. Now music production isn't an exact science. It's somewhat subjective, even among music publishers and supervisors. Different people have different tastes and preferences. It's unlikely that you'll ever please everyone. But with that said, a lot of music that is being submitted to music licensing companies, simply isn't "good enough" production wise. Make sure you're not one of these artists. Take the time to really study the market, get a feel for the production quality of music that is being consistently licensed and make sure your music is on the same level, in terms of the quality of music production. Getting your production quality up to speed might involve improving your own production skills, if you produce your own music, or it might involve working with an outside producer. Whatever the case, make sure you know the quality you're shooting for and do whatever you have to do to get there.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to study the production quality of music that is being licensed and determine whether or not your tracks meet this standard. There are a few different ways to do this, the easiest is to probably simply check out music libraries websites and listen to the artists they work with. Many publishers and libraries will feature music they work with right on their website. Spend some time really getting to know the market and what music is being licensed where. On day one, I asked you to research and listen to music that's being licensed to get a feel for what kind of music is licensed. Today I want you to research and listen to music and specifically focus on the music production. If you listen to enough music that is being licensed, you'll see there is actually a wide variety, in terms of production quality. Some tv shows and placements have lower standards than others. Typically the more lucrative the placement, the more stringent the standards are in terms of production quality. Make sure your tracks at least meet the minimum standards necessary for music licensing, before you start shopping them around.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial is about what I like to think of as the "Three Pillars Of Music Licensing". I think there are three main areas you need to master when it comes to successfully licensing your music. They are: songwriting/composition, production and marketing. Check out the video for more.
Today's Lead:
Crucial Music
About: https://www.crucialmusic.com/page/about_us
Submit: https://www.crucialmusic.com/user_sessions/new (Select Account)
Contact: https://www.crucialmusic.com/page/wheres_crucial
Crucial Music
About: https://www.crucialmusic.com/page/about_us
Submit: https://www.crucialmusic.com/user_sessions/new (Select Account)
Contact: https://www.crucialmusic.com/page/wheres_crucial
30 Day Deep Dive Day 5
Today's Lesson - Music Licensing Is A Long Term Endeavor:
Music Licensing is a long-term endeavor. It normally takes time to get things rolling. It's not often that an artist decides to start licensing their music and is met with success right out of the gate. Of course, there are exceptions, and anything is possible. But in general, in my experience of working with hundreds of songwriters, it takes time to build momentum in music licensing. It's important that you're aware of this going into things. It can take years to build up your catalog, create connections and get things going to the point where you're making substantial income. Keep this in mind as you're getting started. Be persistent, but also patient.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is really an ongoing assignment. It's a mindset and habit that you need to cultivate. You need to get in the habit of pitching your music on a daily basis. You need to get in the habit of writing and recording new music on a regular basis. You need to get in the habit of developing new contacts and connections in the industry. There are things you can do every single day, to move your career forward. This program make it easy, because I'm giving you leads and videos to watch. You have everything laid out for you. But what else can you do today, right now, that would move your career forward? What phone call could you make? What email could you send? Is there somewhere you could send your music that you've been holding off on? Get in the habit of taking action, every single day. Today's assignment is to pick one new thing, in addition to today's leads, that you can do today that will potentially move your career forward. Maybe you can submit your music to an additional lead by going through the contact info included in the bonus material. Maybe you can spend some time researching new companies you could submit your music to. Maybe you can spend some time recording new material. It's up to you, but pick one extra thing to do today and do it!
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial is about how to stay motivated when you're first starting out in the licensing industry. It can be challenging to stay motivated in the beginning and in this video I break down my strategy for staying motivated and positive.
Today's Lesson - Music Licensing Is A Long Term Endeavor:
Music Licensing is a long-term endeavor. It normally takes time to get things rolling. It's not often that an artist decides to start licensing their music and is met with success right out of the gate. Of course, there are exceptions, and anything is possible. But in general, in my experience of working with hundreds of songwriters, it takes time to build momentum in music licensing. It's important that you're aware of this going into things. It can take years to build up your catalog, create connections and get things going to the point where you're making substantial income. Keep this in mind as you're getting started. Be persistent, but also patient.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is really an ongoing assignment. It's a mindset and habit that you need to cultivate. You need to get in the habit of pitching your music on a daily basis. You need to get in the habit of writing and recording new music on a regular basis. You need to get in the habit of developing new contacts and connections in the industry. There are things you can do every single day, to move your career forward. This program make it easy, because I'm giving you leads and videos to watch. You have everything laid out for you. But what else can you do today, right now, that would move your career forward? What phone call could you make? What email could you send? Is there somewhere you could send your music that you've been holding off on? Get in the habit of taking action, every single day. Today's assignment is to pick one new thing, in addition to today's leads, that you can do today that will potentially move your career forward. Maybe you can submit your music to an additional lead by going through the contact info included in the bonus material. Maybe you can spend some time researching new companies you could submit your music to. Maybe you can spend some time recording new material. It's up to you, but pick one extra thing to do today and do it!
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial is about how to stay motivated when you're first starting out in the licensing industry. It can be challenging to stay motivated in the beginning and in this video I break down my strategy for staying motivated and positive.
Today's Lead:
Triple Scoop Music
About: http://triplescoopmusic.com/
Submit: https://help.triplescoopmusic.com/hc/en-us/sections/203256223-For-Artists-Composers-Record-Labels
Contact: http://triplescoopmusic.com/About/ContactUs.aspx
Triple Scoop Music
About: http://triplescoopmusic.com/
Submit: https://help.triplescoopmusic.com/hc/en-us/sections/203256223-For-Artists-Composers-Record-Labels
Contact: http://triplescoopmusic.com/About/ContactUs.aspx
30 Day Deep Dive Day 6
Today's Lesson - Focus On What You Can Control:
Success in music licensing is part luck and part hard work. My favorite expression about luck is that luck is "when preparation and opportunity meet". You can't really control when luck comes your way. You might get a lucky break tomorrow or you might work hard for months and seem to not be able to catch a break. There's an element of luck and timing that's outside of your control when it comes to music licensing. However, the one thing you can control is the work you put into licensing and the effort you put forth. Focus on the thing you can actually control and change. Do you need to write and record more songs to increase your odds of being successful? Do that. Do you need to cultivate more relationships and connections in the industry? Focus on that. Focus on the things you can actually control and you'll start to get more and more "lucky" breaks.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch a recent webinar I recorded with guitarist and composer Dario Forzato. This webinar was recorded live and made available exclusively to members of How To License Your Music Premium. The webinar is an hour long and Dario goes into detail regarding the mindset and work ethic you need to succeed in music licensing. Dario is based out of LA and has seen a huge amount of success licensing his music in tv and films over the last few years, with hundreds of credits to his resume. Check out the webinar below!
Today's Video Tutorial:
Webinar with guitarist/composer Dario Forzato.
Today's Lesson - Focus On What You Can Control:
Success in music licensing is part luck and part hard work. My favorite expression about luck is that luck is "when preparation and opportunity meet". You can't really control when luck comes your way. You might get a lucky break tomorrow or you might work hard for months and seem to not be able to catch a break. There's an element of luck and timing that's outside of your control when it comes to music licensing. However, the one thing you can control is the work you put into licensing and the effort you put forth. Focus on the thing you can actually control and change. Do you need to write and record more songs to increase your odds of being successful? Do that. Do you need to cultivate more relationships and connections in the industry? Focus on that. Focus on the things you can actually control and you'll start to get more and more "lucky" breaks.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch a recent webinar I recorded with guitarist and composer Dario Forzato. This webinar was recorded live and made available exclusively to members of How To License Your Music Premium. The webinar is an hour long and Dario goes into detail regarding the mindset and work ethic you need to succeed in music licensing. Dario is based out of LA and has seen a huge amount of success licensing his music in tv and films over the last few years, with hundreds of credits to his resume. Check out the webinar below!
Today's Video Tutorial:
Webinar with guitarist/composer Dario Forzato.
Today's Lead:
One Sun Music
About: http://www.onesunmusic.com/
Submit: http://www.onesunmusic.com/contact
Contact: http://www.onesunmusic.com/contact
One Sun Music
About: http://www.onesunmusic.com/
Submit: http://www.onesunmusic.com/contact
Contact: http://www.onesunmusic.com/contact
30 Day Deep Dive Day 7
Today's Lesson - Subject Matter And Lyrics:
Today's lesson applies to those of you who write music with lyrics and vocals. One of the keys to success in music licensing is really understanding how music is used in the context of licensing. When it comes to songs with vocals, there is almost always a connection between the lyrics of the song being used and whatever is happening in the tv show, film or scene in which the song is placed. Songs tend to play a supporting role in the context of tv and film. Music is used to enhance the scene in which it is used. Knowing this, start to think about themes and story lines that typically come up in tv shows, films and so on. Would your music work in a broad range of situations? Do you naturally write songs that would work for tv and films? Or are your lyrics obscure and about themes that don't normally arise in typical stories, tv shows, films and so on? The more universal your lyrics the better, when it comes to licensing.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch a film or a series, it can be anything really, and pay close attention to the lyrics in the songs that are being used. Notice how the lyrics connect to the theme of the show or film. There is almost always a connection between the lyrics and what's happening in the scene in which a song is being used. Start to really pay attention to this connection and imagine yourself as the music supervisor. Does their song selection make sense? Would you have picked a different song? Do you have music that would have worked as well or even better? The more you can put yourself in the shoes of music supervisors and really understand how and why they pick the songs they do, the better you'll be able to anticipate their needs and write music that works in the context of licensing.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is about the subject matter of songs used in TV and Films.
Today's Lesson - Subject Matter And Lyrics:
Today's lesson applies to those of you who write music with lyrics and vocals. One of the keys to success in music licensing is really understanding how music is used in the context of licensing. When it comes to songs with vocals, there is almost always a connection between the lyrics of the song being used and whatever is happening in the tv show, film or scene in which the song is placed. Songs tend to play a supporting role in the context of tv and film. Music is used to enhance the scene in which it is used. Knowing this, start to think about themes and story lines that typically come up in tv shows, films and so on. Would your music work in a broad range of situations? Do you naturally write songs that would work for tv and films? Or are your lyrics obscure and about themes that don't normally arise in typical stories, tv shows, films and so on? The more universal your lyrics the better, when it comes to licensing.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch a film or a series, it can be anything really, and pay close attention to the lyrics in the songs that are being used. Notice how the lyrics connect to the theme of the show or film. There is almost always a connection between the lyrics and what's happening in the scene in which a song is being used. Start to really pay attention to this connection and imagine yourself as the music supervisor. Does their song selection make sense? Would you have picked a different song? Do you have music that would have worked as well or even better? The more you can put yourself in the shoes of music supervisors and really understand how and why they pick the songs they do, the better you'll be able to anticipate their needs and write music that works in the context of licensing.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is about the subject matter of songs used in TV and Films.
Today's Lead:
Anara Publishing
About: https://www.anarapublishing.com/
Submit: https://www.anarapublishing.com/
Contact: https://www.anarapublishing.com/contact/
Anara Publishing
About: https://www.anarapublishing.com/
Submit: https://www.anarapublishing.com/
Contact: https://www.anarapublishing.com/contact/
30 Day Deep Dive Day 8
Today's Lesson - Instrumental Mixes:
When submitting your vocal tracks to music libraries and publishers, if accepted, you will almost invariably be asked to supply instrumental mixes of your tracks. The reason you'll be asked for the instrumental versions, is that you are effectively doubling your chances of having your track used, when you also have an instrumental version. Instead of only being able to pitch to opportunities where a vocal version with lyrics is needed, your publisher or library will also be able to pitch to projects and opportunities where instrumental music is needed. Of course simply taking out a vocal track in a song with lyrics isn't exactly the same as writing instrumental music and instrumental cues. But you'd be surprised the number of different opportunities that open up for you when you also have instrumental versions of your songs. For example, I wrote a vocal track several years ago, that due to a falling out with the vocalist I was working with, I never ended up finishing. On a whim, I submitted the instrumental version to my publisher. This track has ended up getting more placements and uses than any other single track I've ever written. It was completely unexpected, but the instrumental version has been placed hundreds of times in a variety of sports shows and sports related programs.
Check out the track, Up To You, below.
Today's Lesson - Instrumental Mixes:
When submitting your vocal tracks to music libraries and publishers, if accepted, you will almost invariably be asked to supply instrumental mixes of your tracks. The reason you'll be asked for the instrumental versions, is that you are effectively doubling your chances of having your track used, when you also have an instrumental version. Instead of only being able to pitch to opportunities where a vocal version with lyrics is needed, your publisher or library will also be able to pitch to projects and opportunities where instrumental music is needed. Of course simply taking out a vocal track in a song with lyrics isn't exactly the same as writing instrumental music and instrumental cues. But you'd be surprised the number of different opportunities that open up for you when you also have instrumental versions of your songs. For example, I wrote a vocal track several years ago, that due to a falling out with the vocalist I was working with, I never ended up finishing. On a whim, I submitted the instrumental version to my publisher. This track has ended up getting more placements and uses than any other single track I've ever written. It was completely unexpected, but the instrumental version has been placed hundreds of times in a variety of sports shows and sports related programs.
Check out the track, Up To You, below.
Today's Lead:
Audiio
About: Our Story | Audiio
Submit: Contact Us | Audiio
Contact: Contact Us | Audiio
Audiio
About: Our Story | Audiio
Submit: Contact Us | Audiio
Contact: Contact Us | Audiio
30 Day Deep Dive Day 9
Today's Lesson - Styles Of Music:
The style of music you create, will, to a large part, dictate the types of placements your music will work for. For example, if you write music that is reminiscent of classic rock music from the 60s and 70s, your music will work best for movies or tv shows set in that time period or in movies or tv shows who have older character that listen to music from that era. This is a generalization of course, there are always exceptions, but typically the music used will stylistically represent the era the show or film is set in. For example, last night I watched the film The Hangover with my girlfriend, who had never seen the film, and I paid close attention to the music throughout the film. The movie is obviously a lighthearted comedy set in the present day (when it was released) and the main characters are fun loving, carefree, slightly older friends that are out to have a good time in Las Vegas. The soundtrack reflects this storyline and its characters, and mainly consists of Hip Hop, Urban an Dance music. It's the sort of music you would expect to hear in a movie about a group of friends that are partying in Vegas. When you're writing music that you hope to license, it's import to keep in mind how the style of music you create will affect your potential placement opportunities. If you're writing music that sounds dated and is not contemporary this will likely limit your placement opportunities. If you're writing music that sounds like it's from the 20s or 30s, then it will most likely only work in films or shows set in that time period. A question my publisher often asks me when I pitch her new music is where I would see the song or songs being used. At first the question through me off, but it's a good thought experiment when writing new material. It's important to think about where and how each song or composition you create could potentially be used.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to start paying attention to the style of music used in different shows and films. The next time you watch a movie, notice the style of music used and notice the connection between not just the lyrics, but also the style of music and the overall story-line and when and where the movie is taking place. The more you start to notice the link between the style of songs that are licensed and how and why they are used, the better you'll understand where your music could potentially fit into things.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial is about, you guessed it, Styles of music in the context of music licensing.
Today's Lesson - Styles Of Music:
The style of music you create, will, to a large part, dictate the types of placements your music will work for. For example, if you write music that is reminiscent of classic rock music from the 60s and 70s, your music will work best for movies or tv shows set in that time period or in movies or tv shows who have older character that listen to music from that era. This is a generalization of course, there are always exceptions, but typically the music used will stylistically represent the era the show or film is set in. For example, last night I watched the film The Hangover with my girlfriend, who had never seen the film, and I paid close attention to the music throughout the film. The movie is obviously a lighthearted comedy set in the present day (when it was released) and the main characters are fun loving, carefree, slightly older friends that are out to have a good time in Las Vegas. The soundtrack reflects this storyline and its characters, and mainly consists of Hip Hop, Urban an Dance music. It's the sort of music you would expect to hear in a movie about a group of friends that are partying in Vegas. When you're writing music that you hope to license, it's import to keep in mind how the style of music you create will affect your potential placement opportunities. If you're writing music that sounds dated and is not contemporary this will likely limit your placement opportunities. If you're writing music that sounds like it's from the 20s or 30s, then it will most likely only work in films or shows set in that time period. A question my publisher often asks me when I pitch her new music is where I would see the song or songs being used. At first the question through me off, but it's a good thought experiment when writing new material. It's important to think about where and how each song or composition you create could potentially be used.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to start paying attention to the style of music used in different shows and films. The next time you watch a movie, notice the style of music used and notice the connection between not just the lyrics, but also the style of music and the overall story-line and when and where the movie is taking place. The more you start to notice the link between the style of songs that are licensed and how and why they are used, the better you'll understand where your music could potentially fit into things.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial is about, you guessed it, Styles of music in the context of music licensing.
Today's Lead:
Steele Sync
About: https://steelesync.com/about/
Submit: https://steelesync.com/contact-2/
Contact: [email protected]
Steele Sync
About: https://steelesync.com/about/
Submit: https://steelesync.com/contact-2/
Contact: [email protected]
30 Day Deep Dive Day 10
Today's Lesson - Metadata:
Today let’s talk about the really fun and stimulating topic of metadata. I hope you catch my sarcasm. It might not be a fun and exciting topic, but when it comes to licensing your music, it is important. So, what is “metadata”? Metadata refers to the data and information that describes your tracks. It contains information like artist name, song name, album name, genre, who your songs sound like and so on. It’s the sort of descriptive data that helps potential clients find your tracks and it also tells publishers and supervisors who you are, how to contact you and so on.
There’s basically two different types of metadata. The first kind of metadata is the information you embed into your tracks property fields so that when people play your tracks in media players like Itunes or Windows Media Player they’ll know the song name, who the artist is, how to contact you and so on. This is something everyone who is trying to license their music should do by default, for every song you start pitching.
To tag your tracks, so that the metadata is embedded into your file, simply right click on the track, open the details tab, and enter as much information as possible. You can fill out fields for artist name, album name, genre, bpm, publisher info, your website and so on. The more you can fill out the better. Make it as easy as possible for people listening to and screening your music to find you.
You might be thinking, but why do I need to do this if I’m going to email someone my tracks. Won’t they know it’s from me if they get an email from me? Well, they might. But what if someone downloads your tracks, forgets who it came from and goes back to the listen to your songs that are now on their hard drive six months later. As I’ve stated before, most publishers and supervisors are dealing with a very high volume of music. Things frequently get misplaced.
Tagging your tracks with the track’s metadata is sort of like the digital version of putting your contact information directly on your CD back when CDs were the norm. Some of you might be too young to remember this, but back when I was starting out in the music business many years ago, the norm when it came to trying to get gigs, license music and so on, was to send CDs out. It was important to have all your contact info clearly labeled on the CD. That way, if someone opened your package, took out your CD and had it lying on their car seat a few weeks later, they could easily figure out who the CD came from and how to get ahold of the artist if they liked it. It’s the same idea with tagging your tracks.
I frequently get files of music sent to me from clients for my music marketing company, Music Pitchers, with no artist name in the file. When I download files it goes into my download folder. I normally organize it right away and move the music into a corresponding folder that I have set up for each artist I work with. But, sometimes I get busy and I forget to do this. When there’s no name or no metadata in the tracks I have no idea who the music belongs to. I now make it very clear to all the artists I work with that they need to put their name in the file name of the files they send me and it’s no longer an issue. But if you’re pitching your music to someone new you want to make it as easy as possible for them to easily access as much information about your tracks as possible, so be sure to properly embed as much information as you can about your tracks into your track’s properties.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to make sure all your tracks and files have the relevant metadata embedded into your tracks. See above for details on how to do this.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is a video version of today's lesson and goes into a bit more detail on this topic
Today's Lesson - Metadata:
Today let’s talk about the really fun and stimulating topic of metadata. I hope you catch my sarcasm. It might not be a fun and exciting topic, but when it comes to licensing your music, it is important. So, what is “metadata”? Metadata refers to the data and information that describes your tracks. It contains information like artist name, song name, album name, genre, who your songs sound like and so on. It’s the sort of descriptive data that helps potential clients find your tracks and it also tells publishers and supervisors who you are, how to contact you and so on.
There’s basically two different types of metadata. The first kind of metadata is the information you embed into your tracks property fields so that when people play your tracks in media players like Itunes or Windows Media Player they’ll know the song name, who the artist is, how to contact you and so on. This is something everyone who is trying to license their music should do by default, for every song you start pitching.
To tag your tracks, so that the metadata is embedded into your file, simply right click on the track, open the details tab, and enter as much information as possible. You can fill out fields for artist name, album name, genre, bpm, publisher info, your website and so on. The more you can fill out the better. Make it as easy as possible for people listening to and screening your music to find you.
You might be thinking, but why do I need to do this if I’m going to email someone my tracks. Won’t they know it’s from me if they get an email from me? Well, they might. But what if someone downloads your tracks, forgets who it came from and goes back to the listen to your songs that are now on their hard drive six months later. As I’ve stated before, most publishers and supervisors are dealing with a very high volume of music. Things frequently get misplaced.
Tagging your tracks with the track’s metadata is sort of like the digital version of putting your contact information directly on your CD back when CDs were the norm. Some of you might be too young to remember this, but back when I was starting out in the music business many years ago, the norm when it came to trying to get gigs, license music and so on, was to send CDs out. It was important to have all your contact info clearly labeled on the CD. That way, if someone opened your package, took out your CD and had it lying on their car seat a few weeks later, they could easily figure out who the CD came from and how to get ahold of the artist if they liked it. It’s the same idea with tagging your tracks.
I frequently get files of music sent to me from clients for my music marketing company, Music Pitchers, with no artist name in the file. When I download files it goes into my download folder. I normally organize it right away and move the music into a corresponding folder that I have set up for each artist I work with. But, sometimes I get busy and I forget to do this. When there’s no name or no metadata in the tracks I have no idea who the music belongs to. I now make it very clear to all the artists I work with that they need to put their name in the file name of the files they send me and it’s no longer an issue. But if you’re pitching your music to someone new you want to make it as easy as possible for them to easily access as much information about your tracks as possible, so be sure to properly embed as much information as you can about your tracks into your track’s properties.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to make sure all your tracks and files have the relevant metadata embedded into your tracks. See above for details on how to do this.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is a video version of today's lesson and goes into a bit more detail on this topic
Today's Lead:
Vanacore Music
About: About Vanacore — Vanacore Music - Custom Score and Music Library
Submit: Links to Lee [email protected]
Contact: [email protected]
Vanacore Music
About: About Vanacore — Vanacore Music - Custom Score and Music Library
Submit: Links to Lee [email protected]
Contact: [email protected]
30 Day Deep Dive Day 11
Today's Lesson - Growing Your Catalog:
The more tracks you have in your catalog, the more potential licensing opportunities you'll have tracks that are a good fit for. Makes sense right? Part of a long term strategy for making money via music licensing is to work towards growing a large catalog. With a few exceptions, most writers I know and work with that make substantial money in music licensing have large catalogs, of hundreds or even thousands of tracks. It takes time to get there, but part of the plan for becoming successful should involve regularly creating and recording new tracks that you can add to libraries that you work with and also pitch to new contacts. You should ideally be making new music every week. I know some writers who create a track a day. Depending on the style of music you're making, this isn't as difficult as it sounds, especially as you become more proficient at recording and producing your tracks. Regardless of the size of your catalog now, think about coming up with a recording schedule that you can stick to, in order to grow your catalog over time. Everyone is different, and how many tracks you're able to write and record will vary depending on your schedule and overall goals. I typically aim to write and record at least one new track a week. My plate is pretty full with several different projects at any given time, so this is what I find works for me. It's prolific enough that over the years I've been able to build up to hundreds of songs. But it's not so stressful that I get burnt out.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to come up with a recording and writing schedule that you can commit to. If you want music licensing to be a job, that pays you like a job, then you need to treat it like a job. You need to commit to this in the same way you would commit to any full time endeavor. Music licensing is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time to get things rolling, but a crucial part of your overall success will be dependent on the quality and the size of your catalog of music. As you work towards building relationships, also work towards creating a great catalog of music that you can pitch to a variety of opportunities. Stick to what you can do best. But within the context of the kind of music you make, work towards making a lot of it, so when different opportunities are presented to you you'll be able to pitch music that is relevant. Think about how much time you can realistically devote to this right now and come up with a plan for executing. Can you record one song a week? Two? Three? Can you only do one song every two weeks? Determine what you actually have the time and motivation to do and start following through!
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is about exclusive vs non-exclusive contracts.
Today's Lesson - Growing Your Catalog:
The more tracks you have in your catalog, the more potential licensing opportunities you'll have tracks that are a good fit for. Makes sense right? Part of a long term strategy for making money via music licensing is to work towards growing a large catalog. With a few exceptions, most writers I know and work with that make substantial money in music licensing have large catalogs, of hundreds or even thousands of tracks. It takes time to get there, but part of the plan for becoming successful should involve regularly creating and recording new tracks that you can add to libraries that you work with and also pitch to new contacts. You should ideally be making new music every week. I know some writers who create a track a day. Depending on the style of music you're making, this isn't as difficult as it sounds, especially as you become more proficient at recording and producing your tracks. Regardless of the size of your catalog now, think about coming up with a recording schedule that you can stick to, in order to grow your catalog over time. Everyone is different, and how many tracks you're able to write and record will vary depending on your schedule and overall goals. I typically aim to write and record at least one new track a week. My plate is pretty full with several different projects at any given time, so this is what I find works for me. It's prolific enough that over the years I've been able to build up to hundreds of songs. But it's not so stressful that I get burnt out.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to come up with a recording and writing schedule that you can commit to. If you want music licensing to be a job, that pays you like a job, then you need to treat it like a job. You need to commit to this in the same way you would commit to any full time endeavor. Music licensing is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time to get things rolling, but a crucial part of your overall success will be dependent on the quality and the size of your catalog of music. As you work towards building relationships, also work towards creating a great catalog of music that you can pitch to a variety of opportunities. Stick to what you can do best. But within the context of the kind of music you make, work towards making a lot of it, so when different opportunities are presented to you you'll be able to pitch music that is relevant. Think about how much time you can realistically devote to this right now and come up with a plan for executing. Can you record one song a week? Two? Three? Can you only do one song every two weeks? Determine what you actually have the time and motivation to do and start following through!
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video is about exclusive vs non-exclusive contracts.
Today's Lead:
Liquid Cinema
About: http://www.liquidcinema.com/about.html
Submit: http://www.liquidcinema.com/contact.html
Contact: http://www.liquidcinema.com/contact.html
Liquid Cinema
About: http://www.liquidcinema.com/about.html
Submit: http://www.liquidcinema.com/contact.html
Contact: http://www.liquidcinema.com/contact.html
30 Day Deep Dive Day 12
Today's Lesson - Getting Paid:
There are two ways you get paid when licensing music. For many projects, there is an upfront sync fee for the rights to use your music. The amount of the sync fee varies greatly from project to project. It could be as low as several hundred dollars for a TV show to tens of thousands of dollars for a major ad campaign. The amount is based on many factors, including the budget of the show or production, the track being licensed and the company and/or person negotiating the sync fee on your behalf. For uses in television, a performance royalty is generated based on how the song is used. In general, the longer the usage and the more prominent a placement is, the more you'll get paid in performance royalties. I've had placements on TV that have earned as little as 20 dollars in performance royalties on the low end, and I've other placements that have generated as much as $2,500 dollars. There is a wide range of potential, depending on the track and the placement.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch the video below that further breaks down how you get paid when licensing music. One of the keys to generating an income from licensing is having a firm grasp on how the business works and the different ways in which you get paid. The better you understand the ins and outs of the business, the better you'll be able to navigate your way through the music licensing maze and make well informed decisions.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lesson - Getting Paid:
There are two ways you get paid when licensing music. For many projects, there is an upfront sync fee for the rights to use your music. The amount of the sync fee varies greatly from project to project. It could be as low as several hundred dollars for a TV show to tens of thousands of dollars for a major ad campaign. The amount is based on many factors, including the budget of the show or production, the track being licensed and the company and/or person negotiating the sync fee on your behalf. For uses in television, a performance royalty is generated based on how the song is used. In general, the longer the usage and the more prominent a placement is, the more you'll get paid in performance royalties. I've had placements on TV that have earned as little as 20 dollars in performance royalties on the low end, and I've other placements that have generated as much as $2,500 dollars. There is a wide range of potential, depending on the track and the placement.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch the video below that further breaks down how you get paid when licensing music. One of the keys to generating an income from licensing is having a firm grasp on how the business works and the different ways in which you get paid. The better you understand the ins and outs of the business, the better you'll be able to navigate your way through the music licensing maze and make well informed decisions.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lead:
Boost Music
About: https://boostmusic.com/contact
Submit: https://boostmusic.com/contact
Contact: https://boostmusic.com/contact
Boost Music
About: https://boostmusic.com/contact
Submit: https://boostmusic.com/contact
Contact: https://boostmusic.com/contact
30 Day Deep Dive Day 13
Today's Lesson - Using Reference Tracks:
One of the best ways to make sure you are creating tracks that work for licensing is to use reference tracks when writing and recording new tracks. A reference track is simply a track that has already been licensed somewhere. Some TV shows, for example, have a very distinct vibe and sound in terms of the tracks they tend to use. When writing for television, it's helpful to listen to reference tracks to make sure you are creating tracks that fit the vibe or mood of a particular show. Of course, if you're not writing for a specific show or project, which if often the case, this is a little harder to do. But, you can still use reference tracks to get inspiration for creating new tracks that you know will work in the context of tv in general.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to find a track that has been licensed elsewhere and write a similar track that is in the same vein. Don't just copy the track. But come up with something new and distinct that could stand on its own, but is close enough to the original track that you're confident it would work for licensing purposes.
You can listen to track in our music licensing reference library, or another great resource, is the website, Tunefind, that lists tracks that have been featured in various television shows.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial dives further into the topic of using reference tracks to license more music.
Today's Lesson - Using Reference Tracks:
One of the best ways to make sure you are creating tracks that work for licensing is to use reference tracks when writing and recording new tracks. A reference track is simply a track that has already been licensed somewhere. Some TV shows, for example, have a very distinct vibe and sound in terms of the tracks they tend to use. When writing for television, it's helpful to listen to reference tracks to make sure you are creating tracks that fit the vibe or mood of a particular show. Of course, if you're not writing for a specific show or project, which if often the case, this is a little harder to do. But, you can still use reference tracks to get inspiration for creating new tracks that you know will work in the context of tv in general.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to find a track that has been licensed elsewhere and write a similar track that is in the same vein. Don't just copy the track. But come up with something new and distinct that could stand on its own, but is close enough to the original track that you're confident it would work for licensing purposes.
You can listen to track in our music licensing reference library, or another great resource, is the website, Tunefind, that lists tracks that have been featured in various television shows.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial dives further into the topic of using reference tracks to license more music.
Today's Lead:
KQM Productions
About: Home | KQM Production Music
Submit: Submit Music | KQM Production Music
Contact: https://www.kqmproductionmusic.com/custom-page/2468
KQM Productions
About: Home | KQM Production Music
Submit: Submit Music | KQM Production Music
Contact: https://www.kqmproductionmusic.com/custom-page/2468
30 Day Deep Dive Day 14
Today's Lesson - Registering Your Tracks And Cue Sheets:
In order to get paid performance royalties when your songs are used in television, you need to be sure that your tracks are registered with your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc). When tv shows license and use music, they submit something called cue sheets, that list what songs and artists are used in each episode, to the corresponding PROs. PR0s. PROs then in turn distribute performance royalties for each placement, based on how the song was used. The longer and more prominent the placement, the larger the performance royalty.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to make sure you've registered the tracks you are pitching with your Performing Rights Organization. It's important that your tracks are registered, before you start pitching signing them to different companies. You have to have your tracks registered in order to get paid for your placements. Check with your PRO's website for details on the registration process. It's pretty straightforward and only takes several minutes per track.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial breaks down how cue sheets and performance royalties work.
Today's Lesson - Registering Your Tracks And Cue Sheets:
In order to get paid performance royalties when your songs are used in television, you need to be sure that your tracks are registered with your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc). When tv shows license and use music, they submit something called cue sheets, that list what songs and artists are used in each episode, to the corresponding PROs. PR0s. PROs then in turn distribute performance royalties for each placement, based on how the song was used. The longer and more prominent the placement, the larger the performance royalty.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to make sure you've registered the tracks you are pitching with your Performing Rights Organization. It's important that your tracks are registered, before you start pitching signing them to different companies. You have to have your tracks registered in order to get paid for your placements. Check with your PRO's website for details on the registration process. It's pretty straightforward and only takes several minutes per track.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial breaks down how cue sheets and performance royalties work.
Today's Lead:
Figure And Groove
About: http://figureandgroove.com/
Submit: Figure & Groove | contact 2024
Contact: Figure & Groove | contact 2024
Figure And Groove
About: http://figureandgroove.com/
Submit: Figure & Groove | contact 2024
Contact: Figure & Groove | contact 2024
30 Day Deep Dive Day 15
Today's Lesson - Tracking Your Submission And Following Up:
When I first started pursuing music licensing, I wrote a batch of new songs that I took to a studio in the suburbs of Chicago to record professionally. After I recorded the tracks, three to be exact, I sent them off to several publishers working in the licensing industry that I knew of. One of those publishers was a former songwriting teacher of mine at Berklee College of Music, Barbara Jordan. After sending her my tracks, I waited several weeks and I heard nothing. I sort of assumed she had received my tracks and just wasn't interested. I was sort of used to rejection at this point. It's par for course in the music business. But one morning I woke up and on a whim decided to send Barbara a follow up email, just to make sure she received my package. This was back in the day, when mailing actual CDs was the norm. Within about five minutes of emailing her, she replied back, "Aaron, I'm so sorry. I've been meaning to email you. I got your CD and I LOVE your tracks. I know of one place in particular we can pitch one of your tracks right away." Within about three weeks, my song, "All The Love", made its debut on national television, on an episode of The Young & The Restless. Who knows what would have happened had I not simply followed up. I probably would have heard from her eventually, but by following up, I was able to expedite the process and get the answer I had been waiting for. Don't assume that if you don't hear back from someone, they're not interested in your music. They might not be. But they also might be interested, but have just been too busy to get back to you. Or maybe they haven't even had a chance to hear your music yet. You never really know until you get an answer. I always make it a habit to wait three or four weeks after sending my music somewhere, and just politely follow up to see if they received my submission, and if so, to find out what they think.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch today's video tutorial where I further discuss my method for following up on my submissions.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lesson - Tracking Your Submission And Following Up:
When I first started pursuing music licensing, I wrote a batch of new songs that I took to a studio in the suburbs of Chicago to record professionally. After I recorded the tracks, three to be exact, I sent them off to several publishers working in the licensing industry that I knew of. One of those publishers was a former songwriting teacher of mine at Berklee College of Music, Barbara Jordan. After sending her my tracks, I waited several weeks and I heard nothing. I sort of assumed she had received my tracks and just wasn't interested. I was sort of used to rejection at this point. It's par for course in the music business. But one morning I woke up and on a whim decided to send Barbara a follow up email, just to make sure she received my package. This was back in the day, when mailing actual CDs was the norm. Within about five minutes of emailing her, she replied back, "Aaron, I'm so sorry. I've been meaning to email you. I got your CD and I LOVE your tracks. I know of one place in particular we can pitch one of your tracks right away." Within about three weeks, my song, "All The Love", made its debut on national television, on an episode of The Young & The Restless. Who knows what would have happened had I not simply followed up. I probably would have heard from her eventually, but by following up, I was able to expedite the process and get the answer I had been waiting for. Don't assume that if you don't hear back from someone, they're not interested in your music. They might not be. But they also might be interested, but have just been too busy to get back to you. Or maybe they haven't even had a chance to hear your music yet. You never really know until you get an answer. I always make it a habit to wait three or four weeks after sending my music somewhere, and just politely follow up to see if they received my submission, and if so, to find out what they think.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch today's video tutorial where I further discuss my method for following up on my submissions.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lead:
Color The Horizon
About: Color The Horizon Music Licensing
Submit: FAQ | (colorthehorizon.com)
Contact: Color The Horizon Music Licensing
30 Day Deep Dive Day 16
Today's Lesson - Develop A Long Term Game Plan You Can Stick To:
As I pointed out in a previous lesson, music licensing is a long term endeavor. It's easy to become overly focused on waiting and hoping for something to happen. This is totally understandable. Obviously if your goal is to license your music in tv and films, you're going to want to achieve goals related to licensing. I want you to achieve your goals as well. However, in my experience what actually is more effective than being overly focused on hoping and trying to get your tracks licensed, is to instead focus on the the thing you need to do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis that will get you closer to your goals and eventually allow you to achieve them. The licensing business is pretty unpredictable and it can get discouraging and frustrating if your focusing too much energy on waiting for certain thing to happen. What will actually get you there much more quickly it too instead stay focused on simply doing the work you need to do. Focus on writing and recording a great catalog of music. Focus on building and cultivating connections with people in the industry. Focus on following up and submitting more music as you make it, and so on. Instead of being too concerned about any particular goal, focus on the habits that you need to cultivate in order to reach your goals.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to think about putting together an actual game plan that you can execute on a regular basis. Instead of approaching licensing on a short term basis, come up with an actual strategy that you can stick to on an ongoing basis. Think of this as sort of like dieting vs adopting a healthy way of life. I don't want you to just take this program, submit to the companies in the leads section and then just sit back and hope something happens. Instead, develop a strategy that you can actually stick to on a regular basis, for the next several years! I talked about coming up with a plan for growing your catalog and writing and recording new music. Let's extend that to the rest of the areas you need to focus on in order to get your music licensed. How many companies can you reach out to on a daily, weekly and monthly basis? How much time can you allot to networking and marketing your music? How many industry events can you attend each month? How much time can you spend following up with existing contacts? In my experience the more you plan things out and stay organized, the more you'll actually get done. If you simply leave things to chance, or only work towards your goals when you're "feeling it", it's likely you'll move at a much slower place. Ultimately, your schedule and what you do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis are up to you, and will depend on your schedule, motivation, where you're at in your career and so on. But think about developing a plant that focuses on what I refer to as the "3 pillar of music licensing":
1) Your Songs
2) Your Production (Recording)
3) Your Marketing
Ideally, you should be devoting considerable time to each of the three pillars on a weekly basis. Set aside time to write, record and market your music. All three of these pillar are intricately linked to your success. If you're not moving forward, chances are your lacking in at least one of these areas. Come up with a plan for writing, recording and pitching and following up in your tracks each week!
Today's Video Tutorial:
In today's video tutorial I discuss the concept of focusing on habits as opposed to goals.
Today's Lesson - Develop A Long Term Game Plan You Can Stick To:
As I pointed out in a previous lesson, music licensing is a long term endeavor. It's easy to become overly focused on waiting and hoping for something to happen. This is totally understandable. Obviously if your goal is to license your music in tv and films, you're going to want to achieve goals related to licensing. I want you to achieve your goals as well. However, in my experience what actually is more effective than being overly focused on hoping and trying to get your tracks licensed, is to instead focus on the the thing you need to do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis that will get you closer to your goals and eventually allow you to achieve them. The licensing business is pretty unpredictable and it can get discouraging and frustrating if your focusing too much energy on waiting for certain thing to happen. What will actually get you there much more quickly it too instead stay focused on simply doing the work you need to do. Focus on writing and recording a great catalog of music. Focus on building and cultivating connections with people in the industry. Focus on following up and submitting more music as you make it, and so on. Instead of being too concerned about any particular goal, focus on the habits that you need to cultivate in order to reach your goals.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to think about putting together an actual game plan that you can execute on a regular basis. Instead of approaching licensing on a short term basis, come up with an actual strategy that you can stick to on an ongoing basis. Think of this as sort of like dieting vs adopting a healthy way of life. I don't want you to just take this program, submit to the companies in the leads section and then just sit back and hope something happens. Instead, develop a strategy that you can actually stick to on a regular basis, for the next several years! I talked about coming up with a plan for growing your catalog and writing and recording new music. Let's extend that to the rest of the areas you need to focus on in order to get your music licensed. How many companies can you reach out to on a daily, weekly and monthly basis? How much time can you allot to networking and marketing your music? How many industry events can you attend each month? How much time can you spend following up with existing contacts? In my experience the more you plan things out and stay organized, the more you'll actually get done. If you simply leave things to chance, or only work towards your goals when you're "feeling it", it's likely you'll move at a much slower place. Ultimately, your schedule and what you do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis are up to you, and will depend on your schedule, motivation, where you're at in your career and so on. But think about developing a plant that focuses on what I refer to as the "3 pillar of music licensing":
1) Your Songs
2) Your Production (Recording)
3) Your Marketing
Ideally, you should be devoting considerable time to each of the three pillars on a weekly basis. Set aside time to write, record and market your music. All three of these pillar are intricately linked to your success. If you're not moving forward, chances are your lacking in at least one of these areas. Come up with a plan for writing, recording and pitching and following up in your tracks each week!
Today's Video Tutorial:
In today's video tutorial I discuss the concept of focusing on habits as opposed to goals.
Today's Lead:
Lemoncake
About: https://www.lemoncake.com/about
Submit: https://www.lemoncake.com/submissions
Contact: https://www.lemoncake.com/contact
Lemoncake
About: https://www.lemoncake.com/about
Submit: https://www.lemoncake.com/submissions
Contact: https://www.lemoncake.com/contact
30 Day Deep Dive Day 17
Today's Lesson - Artist Music VS Production Music:
Broadly speaking, there are essentially two categories of music that get licensed in tv shows and films; "artist" music and "production" music. Most music that is licensed falls into one of these two categories. It's important that if you're pursuing licensing, you know which category you fall into. I consider "artist" music to be artists that simply write music they are inspired to write. Maybe they are also performing and touring, releasing music regularly and so on. Then, as a sort of after thought, they pursue licensing when opportunities arise as a way to supplement their income. These types of artists aren't necessarily writing music with the specific goal of licensing it, they're simply making their music and license it when possible. On the other hand, there are composers and songwriters who deliberately set out to make music with the sole purpose of pursuing licensing opportunities. Most "production" music is approached in this manner. It's music that is crafted to work best within the context of licensing. There is a place for both kinds of music in the context of licensing, but which approach you take will alter your songwriting process and in many ways, your overall approach to your career.
If you have no interest in releasing "albums", touring, and building up a fan base for your original music, and your only interest is pursuing licensing opportunities, then it's going to be much easier to focus primarily on music licensing and creating music that works in this context. But if your goal is to be an original artist that tours, releases original albums and so on, it's probably going to be harder to find the time to focus on licensing, and only licensing, when writing and recording music. I don't think there is really a wrong approach, there are just two different approaches based on your overall career goals and interests. Which kind of artist are you? Do you aspire to tour and put out albums? Or do you see yourself more happy staying at home, locked in your studio, creating a wide variety of compositions and songs that work best in tv and films?
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch the video tutorial below that dives deeper into the topic of "artist" music vs "Production" music.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lesson - Artist Music VS Production Music:
Broadly speaking, there are essentially two categories of music that get licensed in tv shows and films; "artist" music and "production" music. Most music that is licensed falls into one of these two categories. It's important that if you're pursuing licensing, you know which category you fall into. I consider "artist" music to be artists that simply write music they are inspired to write. Maybe they are also performing and touring, releasing music regularly and so on. Then, as a sort of after thought, they pursue licensing when opportunities arise as a way to supplement their income. These types of artists aren't necessarily writing music with the specific goal of licensing it, they're simply making their music and license it when possible. On the other hand, there are composers and songwriters who deliberately set out to make music with the sole purpose of pursuing licensing opportunities. Most "production" music is approached in this manner. It's music that is crafted to work best within the context of licensing. There is a place for both kinds of music in the context of licensing, but which approach you take will alter your songwriting process and in many ways, your overall approach to your career.
If you have no interest in releasing "albums", touring, and building up a fan base for your original music, and your only interest is pursuing licensing opportunities, then it's going to be much easier to focus primarily on music licensing and creating music that works in this context. But if your goal is to be an original artist that tours, releases original albums and so on, it's probably going to be harder to find the time to focus on licensing, and only licensing, when writing and recording music. I don't think there is really a wrong approach, there are just two different approaches based on your overall career goals and interests. Which kind of artist are you? Do you aspire to tour and put out albums? Or do you see yourself more happy staying at home, locked in your studio, creating a wide variety of compositions and songs that work best in tv and films?
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch the video tutorial below that dives deeper into the topic of "artist" music vs "Production" music.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lead:
Soundscape
About: License Unlimited Music for Video & Film | Soundscape
Submit: Soundscape | Artist FAQ
Contact: Soundscape | Contact Us
Soundscape
About: License Unlimited Music for Video & Film | Soundscape
Submit: Soundscape | Artist FAQ
Contact: Soundscape | Contact Us
30 Day Deep Dive Day 18
Today's Lesson - Become A Master Of Your Craft:
To succeed in licensing, at a significant level, you need to become a master at your craft. There are LOTS of musicians out there competing in the marketplace. There are far more musicians vying for licensing opportunities than there are licensing opportunities. Knowing this, you need to focus on becoming a master at your craft. Be objective about your own music, is it really as good as the majority of music that is being licensed right now? Can you honestly say your music is ready to be used in tv shows and films? Half of the battle, when it comes to licensing, is making sure the tracks you're pitching are actually ready to be pitched. No amount of networking, submitting music and so on will help if the music itself isn't great.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to check out the website, TuneFind.com. This website lists the songs used in a variety of tv shows and films. You can see which songs are used in each episode and you can even stream the songs directly from the website! Spend some time on this website and really get a good feel for the kinds of songs tv shows and films are using currently. Then, you can decide which songs of yours are the most relevant for licensing and also work on creating more music going forward, that works for licensing.
Visit https://www.tunefind.com/
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial is called "Be A Master Of Your Craft" from composer Eddie Grey. This video is a 50 minute video that goes into how to create sessions templates when composing tracks for TV. The tutorial is part of a much longer course called "How To Be A Full Time TV Composer". Creating session templates will allow you to work more efficiently and get tracks done more quickly.
Today's Lesson - Become A Master Of Your Craft:
To succeed in licensing, at a significant level, you need to become a master at your craft. There are LOTS of musicians out there competing in the marketplace. There are far more musicians vying for licensing opportunities than there are licensing opportunities. Knowing this, you need to focus on becoming a master at your craft. Be objective about your own music, is it really as good as the majority of music that is being licensed right now? Can you honestly say your music is ready to be used in tv shows and films? Half of the battle, when it comes to licensing, is making sure the tracks you're pitching are actually ready to be pitched. No amount of networking, submitting music and so on will help if the music itself isn't great.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to check out the website, TuneFind.com. This website lists the songs used in a variety of tv shows and films. You can see which songs are used in each episode and you can even stream the songs directly from the website! Spend some time on this website and really get a good feel for the kinds of songs tv shows and films are using currently. Then, you can decide which songs of yours are the most relevant for licensing and also work on creating more music going forward, that works for licensing.
Visit https://www.tunefind.com/
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's video tutorial is called "Be A Master Of Your Craft" from composer Eddie Grey. This video is a 50 minute video that goes into how to create sessions templates when composing tracks for TV. The tutorial is part of a much longer course called "How To Be A Full Time TV Composer". Creating session templates will allow you to work more efficiently and get tracks done more quickly.
Today's Lead:
Epitome Music
About: Epitome Music Library (EML) was discovered, and then meticulously extracted from the mind of Ben Kopec. After launching in the summer of 2006, EML became an instant threat to some of the biggest production music libraries in the world. Continuing to be at the vanguard of a musical revolution, EML continues to reinvent themselves to meet the needs of a continuously dynamic marketplace.
Submit: FAQ (epitomemusic.com)
Contact: Contact (epitomemusic.com)
Epitome Music
About: Epitome Music Library (EML) was discovered, and then meticulously extracted from the mind of Ben Kopec. After launching in the summer of 2006, EML became an instant threat to some of the biggest production music libraries in the world. Continuing to be at the vanguard of a musical revolution, EML continues to reinvent themselves to meet the needs of a continuously dynamic marketplace.
Submit: FAQ (epitomemusic.com)
Contact: Contact (epitomemusic.com)
30 Day Deep Dive Day 19
Today's Lesson - Put All Agreements In Writing:
There's an established protocol within the licensing industry for things like sync fees, performance royalties and so on. Most of the time, if you're working with established companies and you've done everything you need to do, like registering your tracks with your PRO and you've made sure to cross all your T's and dot all your I's, you'll get paid without a hitch. Albeit, it might take awhile, after-all, this is a pretty slow moving business in terms of getting compensated. But, there is an area within the context of licensing that is much more of a grey area.
What I'm referring to are working with different collaborators and setting up your own compensation agreements. For example, one area that I've collaborated a lot with different people in, is music production. I've worked with several different producers over the years, who have agreed to work for nothing or little upfront, in exchange for a percentage of any back-end money made in the future. Most of these partnerships have been fruitful and have worked without any problems or issues, in terms of splitting monies earned. Most of these agreements have simply been oral agreements, that were essentially hand shake deals.
But, I ran into an unusual situation recently that has changed my opinion on doing business this way. At this point, I put all business agreements into writing and I suggest you do the same. This way, you'll have a legally binding document to refer to, in the event that there are any disagreements or disputes. See the video below, where I discuss a recent situation that came up, where I didn't have anything in writing, and I had a dispute/misunderstanding with an old friend that ended badly.
Today's Assignment:
Check out today's video on why you should put all agreements in writing!
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lesson - Put All Agreements In Writing:
There's an established protocol within the licensing industry for things like sync fees, performance royalties and so on. Most of the time, if you're working with established companies and you've done everything you need to do, like registering your tracks with your PRO and you've made sure to cross all your T's and dot all your I's, you'll get paid without a hitch. Albeit, it might take awhile, after-all, this is a pretty slow moving business in terms of getting compensated. But, there is an area within the context of licensing that is much more of a grey area.
What I'm referring to are working with different collaborators and setting up your own compensation agreements. For example, one area that I've collaborated a lot with different people in, is music production. I've worked with several different producers over the years, who have agreed to work for nothing or little upfront, in exchange for a percentage of any back-end money made in the future. Most of these partnerships have been fruitful and have worked without any problems or issues, in terms of splitting monies earned. Most of these agreements have simply been oral agreements, that were essentially hand shake deals.
But, I ran into an unusual situation recently that has changed my opinion on doing business this way. At this point, I put all business agreements into writing and I suggest you do the same. This way, you'll have a legally binding document to refer to, in the event that there are any disagreements or disputes. See the video below, where I discuss a recent situation that came up, where I didn't have anything in writing, and I had a dispute/misunderstanding with an old friend that ended badly.
Today's Assignment:
Check out today's video on why you should put all agreements in writing!
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lead:
After Sunset
About: https://www.aftersunsetmusic.com/company/about/
Submit: Contact Us - After Sunset Music
Contact: https://www.aftersunsetmusic.com/contact/
After Sunset
About: https://www.aftersunsetmusic.com/company/about/
Submit: Contact Us - After Sunset Music
Contact: https://www.aftersunsetmusic.com/contact/
30 Day Deep Dive Day 20
Today's Lesson - Buyout Deals:
Buyout deals are similar to exclusive deals, but are even more restrictive. Typically when you do an exclusive publishing deal you still retain the copyright. In other words, you still own the master and the song, but are simply giving someone the exclusive rights to represent your songs in the context of licensing. When you do a buyout deal, you are typically giving someone both the exclusive rights to pitch your music for licensing and also transferring your copyright, in other words, the actual ownership of the song. The difference, is that when you do a buyout deal you'll get some sort of money upfront for ownership of the track. You'll normally still get a writer's royalty anytime your tracks are placed, but you won't be able to do anything else with these tracks, other than wait and collect any royalties whenever the tracks are placed. How much you get per track for a buyout deal will vary, depending on the company and the type of track. A typical fee would be somewhere around 100 to several hundred dollars for a production library track. Vocal tracks tend to generate a bit more. In my opinion, these types of deals make the most sense for composers who are creating a lot of tracks. It's a good way to bring in immediate cash-flow while you're waiting for your tracks to get placed and generate royalties. A couple hundred dollars per track isn't much, but if you did just ten tracks a month at 200 dollars each, you'd have 2k in cashflow for the month, and again, you'd also get performance royalties in most cases, if and when your tracks are placed.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch today's videos on buyout deals and "royalty free" libraries.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lesson - Buyout Deals:
Buyout deals are similar to exclusive deals, but are even more restrictive. Typically when you do an exclusive publishing deal you still retain the copyright. In other words, you still own the master and the song, but are simply giving someone the exclusive rights to represent your songs in the context of licensing. When you do a buyout deal, you are typically giving someone both the exclusive rights to pitch your music for licensing and also transferring your copyright, in other words, the actual ownership of the song. The difference, is that when you do a buyout deal you'll get some sort of money upfront for ownership of the track. You'll normally still get a writer's royalty anytime your tracks are placed, but you won't be able to do anything else with these tracks, other than wait and collect any royalties whenever the tracks are placed. How much you get per track for a buyout deal will vary, depending on the company and the type of track. A typical fee would be somewhere around 100 to several hundred dollars for a production library track. Vocal tracks tend to generate a bit more. In my opinion, these types of deals make the most sense for composers who are creating a lot of tracks. It's a good way to bring in immediate cash-flow while you're waiting for your tracks to get placed and generate royalties. A couple hundred dollars per track isn't much, but if you did just ten tracks a month at 200 dollars each, you'd have 2k in cashflow for the month, and again, you'd also get performance royalties in most cases, if and when your tracks are placed.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch today's videos on buyout deals and "royalty free" libraries.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lead:
Sync Free Music
About: https://syncfreemusic.com/about-us/
Submit: https://syncfreemusic.com/new-composer/
Contact: https://syncfreemusic.com/contact/
Sync Free Music
About: https://syncfreemusic.com/about-us/
Submit: https://syncfreemusic.com/new-composer/
Contact: https://syncfreemusic.com/contact/
30 Day Deep Dive Day 21
Today's Lesson - The Proper Way To End Your Tracks For Licensing:
When you're composing tracks for television and films, it's important that your tracks don't fade out at the end. The reason is that when your tracks fade out, it's harder for music editors to make the end of your tracks fit to a scene. It's easier to work with tracks that have an abrupt ending. The exception is if you're specifically asked to create a track that fades out. There are always exceptions. But generally speaking, it's best to have tracks that don't fade out.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch today's video tutorial from TV composer Eddie Grey. Eddie goes into more detail on this topic and breaks down how to end your tracks.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lesson - The Proper Way To End Your Tracks For Licensing:
When you're composing tracks for television and films, it's important that your tracks don't fade out at the end. The reason is that when your tracks fade out, it's harder for music editors to make the end of your tracks fit to a scene. It's easier to work with tracks that have an abrupt ending. The exception is if you're specifically asked to create a track that fades out. There are always exceptions. But generally speaking, it's best to have tracks that don't fade out.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch today's video tutorial from TV composer Eddie Grey. Eddie goes into more detail on this topic and breaks down how to end your tracks.
Today's Video Tutorial:
Today's Lead:
Mibe Music
About: http://mibemusic.com/about.html
Submit: http://mibemusic.com/submit-music.html
Contact: http://mibemusic.com/contact.html
Mibe Music
About: http://mibemusic.com/about.html
Submit: http://mibemusic.com/submit-music.html
Contact: http://mibemusic.com/contact.html
30 Day Deep Dive Day 22
Today's Lesson - More Thoughts On Music Production:
In today's lesson I wanted to dive a little deeper into the topic of music production. As I stated in a previous lesson, the quality of your music production when licensing your music is critical. You'll be competing with a lot of really well produced tracks when you're pitching your tracks for licensing. But just how important is music production overall? Well, keep in mind, when we're talking about music licensing, there is a very broad range of licensing opportunities for your tracks. On the low end, there are placements that pay nothing upfront and might generate as little 20 dollars per usage on the back end, or even less in some cases, and on the other end of the spectrum, there are major film and ad placements that can generate tens of thousands of dollars. There is a really wide range in terms of what projects pay. As you might expect, generally the more lucrative the placement, the more important it is that your tracks are produced to very high standards. BUT, production quality is important at every level of this business. I look at music production as a craft and art unto itself. In the same way that writing songs and composing music is an art form, so is music production. For many artists who are new to music production, there is a fairly steep learning curve, it might take a year or two to really master music production at the level needed for music licensing. Of course, many artists simply work with outside producers, but this can get costly if you're not careful. Everyone's situation, with respect to music production, and what route you take really depends on a variety of factors. Do you own a home studio? Do you like producing music? Do you have the time? And so on... What works for me is tracking as much as possible in my own home studio and then working with my producer, who mixes and masters my tracks. This approach helps me minimize my costs, but I still leave the bulk of the music production to someone who is more skilled than I am.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch the replay of a recent music licensing mastermind with Producer Gary Gray. Gary hosts a weekly, live 90 minute mastermind for members of HTLYM Premium. If you like this type of content, be sure to also check out all four courses Gary Gray has created on the topic of music production and mastering, available to all How To License Your Music Premium members. More info.
Today's Video Tutorial - Music Licensing Mastermind: Highlights: A Thorough Introduction To In-The-Box Orchestral Realism & Trailer Soundtrack Production!
Today's Lesson - More Thoughts On Music Production:
In today's lesson I wanted to dive a little deeper into the topic of music production. As I stated in a previous lesson, the quality of your music production when licensing your music is critical. You'll be competing with a lot of really well produced tracks when you're pitching your tracks for licensing. But just how important is music production overall? Well, keep in mind, when we're talking about music licensing, there is a very broad range of licensing opportunities for your tracks. On the low end, there are placements that pay nothing upfront and might generate as little 20 dollars per usage on the back end, or even less in some cases, and on the other end of the spectrum, there are major film and ad placements that can generate tens of thousands of dollars. There is a really wide range in terms of what projects pay. As you might expect, generally the more lucrative the placement, the more important it is that your tracks are produced to very high standards. BUT, production quality is important at every level of this business. I look at music production as a craft and art unto itself. In the same way that writing songs and composing music is an art form, so is music production. For many artists who are new to music production, there is a fairly steep learning curve, it might take a year or two to really master music production at the level needed for music licensing. Of course, many artists simply work with outside producers, but this can get costly if you're not careful. Everyone's situation, with respect to music production, and what route you take really depends on a variety of factors. Do you own a home studio? Do you like producing music? Do you have the time? And so on... What works for me is tracking as much as possible in my own home studio and then working with my producer, who mixes and masters my tracks. This approach helps me minimize my costs, but I still leave the bulk of the music production to someone who is more skilled than I am.
Today's Assignment:
Today's assignment is to watch the replay of a recent music licensing mastermind with Producer Gary Gray. Gary hosts a weekly, live 90 minute mastermind for members of HTLYM Premium. If you like this type of content, be sure to also check out all four courses Gary Gray has created on the topic of music production and mastering, available to all How To License Your Music Premium members. More info.
Today's Video Tutorial - Music Licensing Mastermind: Highlights: A Thorough Introduction To In-The-Box Orchestral Realism & Trailer Soundtrack Production!