Conversations on Music Licensing
By Lorelei Loveridge
THIS WEEK IS ABOUT MUSIC LICENSING – ONE OF THE MOST LUCRATIVE WAYS TO SECURE LONG-TERM INCOME IN THIS BUSINESS
(Adapted from the 20 Nov 2009 ‘Friday Update’ to members of
the Facebook group Performing Songwriters (United Worldwide) otherwise known as
PSUW.)
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I know a LOT of people here have experience in this arena. So, please share
what you know on the talkback here, and please refer others to weigh in on this
subject if you have contacts with wisdom/experience (thanks):
TALKBACK 16: Licensing Music for Film/TV Synchronization, etc.
http://bit.ly/6P25aL
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WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THIS
My first album Endless Contradictions garnered a licensing deal with the
producers of prime-time TV shows Party of Five/Dawson Creek in the U.S., and I
continue to earn international royalties 13 years later (for airplay in
countries, worldwide) for over 1 minute of music taken from my first album
track (put your BEST track forward, first, as you know!!!).
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HOW IT HAPPENS
My experience is limited to the trials and success and failures I’ve
encountered in this business, but I hope it’s worth something to you.
1. A former radio program director/DJ that I knew contacted the secretary (now
president) of what is now the Alberta Music Association in Canada – http://www.www.amia.ca – to request that a
limited number of press kits/CD’s be sent to him to pass on to a music director
working for Columbia TriStar. He ran in many music circles and knew the music
producer wanting to synch music. The unnamed producer did not want to advertise
for music, as he would be swamped. So, a personal ‘filtering process’ was put
into place through…friends/acquaintances. Important to know. Get to know your
local radio DJ’s!
2. Peter Spellman of Berklee College of Music’s Career Development Centre and http://www.mbsolutions.com (he’s an expert on
music biz for indies and the head of the centre) talked to me about the need to
target shows and know what they’re about, then directly contact producers of
these programs using the FILM AND TELEVISION MUSIC GUIDE (link below at
bottom).
Like everything, this is a HUGE resource. I suggest getting together with a few
artists and sharing the workload. Buying the directory alone will not get you
deals; you have to work it. Candidly speaking, cold-emailing hasn’t worked for
me, from this resource…yet. I will be following up with phone calls.
3. Taking the advice of an expert in licensing that I met at the WOMEX world
music expo a few weeks ago in Copenhagen, Denmark (I chaired a panel at the
conference on ‘adventures in world music’ re. the making of my latest album):
DO NOT focus exclusively on the big companies.
LOOK AT YOUR LOCAL/REGIONAL MARKET, AND WORK WITH YOUR
PERFORMING RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS. A lot of support by way of
intros occurs at this level. (Helpful, focusing advice within the realm of
‘doable’, I felt.)
4. Look at where other artists are getting their deals from and approach the
same companies. I’ve done it by scanning the websites of artists I respect and
noting that some of them name their affiliated music licensing organization.
Following suit and submitting, I have been invited to submit music for
consideration. That’s one step closer to…something. Perhaps.
5. Remember: it’s about the music. Need I say more? Finished masters are
required. Albums that are old – unlike with radio – are always welcome.
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KEY POINT TO BE REMEMBERED:
It IS a business of relationships. You have to know people. But it does NOT
NECESSARILY mean that these people must be the music producers of the shows
themselves. You NEVER know who knows who in this business. Get out there and
talk to people. Everywhere. All the time.
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NATURE OF AGREEMENT:
There’s so much to say about this, books cover this subject. Get a lawyer until
you know what you’re doing. It was expensive for me, but in the end worth it to
have peace of mind that I wasn’t being ripped off. Additionally, I’ll summarize
my experience and add a comment:
An up-front fee was paid for the finished masters to be used in the tv shows;
then the royalties came in, months later. (My parents were duly impressed.) It
took time, but the first few years were very lucrative. Now, the earnings are
meager, but they continue to pay for my SOCAN (Canadian performing rights org)
magazine for pro members. Good enough for me.
Furthermore, once I scare up some paperwork, I will be able to collect on the
fee owed for the use of this music on the DVD sets that were produced using
this music. (Hint 2: chase down your owed fees, etc! I knew at the start that
if the shows were pressed to video or DVD, I would be entitled to another fee.
13 years later, I’m happy to say: I was able to chase down the correct people
to collect.)
Examining deals today, it appears that up-front fees are lower than when I
first started off. In the case of one TV series, I know that up-front fees
aren’t paid…but you can earn the royalties. The formulas are many. BE AWARE
AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. KEEP RESEARCHING.
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LINKS TO HELP YOU:
1. Various orgs appearing to be involved in music licensing:
http://www.musiciansnetwork.com/network/Licensing/index.html
2. Film and TV Licensing Guide:
http://www.musicregistry.com
3. ‘Money for Your Music: The Cold Hard Facts About Music Licensing’ (an
article put out by a favorite resource of mine, the Music Biz Academy):
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/gman_money.htm
4. Tonnes more very interesting links on this (dig a bit and read…worth it):
http://www.mediawebsource.com/musiclicensing.htm
FINALLY, A TOOL FOR YOUR WEBSITE THAT MIGHT HELP YOU PRESENT YOUR CATALOG OF
MUSIC EFFECTIVELY TO ‘LICENSERS’
I haven’t checked this out, but plan to – as it looks good – and I have had
positive interaction with Michael Borges, the founder of this co/product. You
are entitled to try it out for free for one month:
LICENSE QUOTE (Publish and License your music from your own Licensing Store)
http://www.licensequote.com
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IN CLOSING
I hope this info is helpful info to you. It may seem overwhelming. If so, do
the smart thing (musicians can be so stupid, duplicating these services
individually instead of working together to split the workload and share the
earnings):
Get a few people working this angle. Report back to me if you have positive
results, and don’t forget to comment on the PERFORMING SONGWRITERS (UNITED
WORLDWIDE) TALKBACK (above) re. TAXI – http://www.taxi.com – and other services that
may also be of help you.
Finally, I invite you to join my Facebook ‘page’ (link under
my name), where I continue to post tips/inspiration mid-week. Thanks and good
luck. Carve out some time in your life for this. It’s long-term income,
remember. At the UK ‘In the City’ music conference in October, it was driven
home that publishing is the most stable side of the music business when it
comes to comparing it to the other 2/3 revenue streams (live/record sales). Put
that in your pipe and smoke it.
Cheers,
Lorelei Loveridge
Artist & Founder/Rabble Rouser of PSUW and Orderly Bazaar
Orderly Bazaar Records & Publishing
‘Specialized in roots, rock, ethnic, jazz, fusion and other
travel related shenanigans’
http://www.loreleiloveridge.com
http://www.myspace.com/loreleiloveridge
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lorelei-Loveridge-World-Travelling-Songwriter/142530793312
Performing Songwriters (United Worldwide)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110532175707&ref=mf
