The re-title game is over

[guscave]

If I was to decide, I would make a rule that if a track is signed with a number
of different libraries, the publisher's share would be split even among the
publishers. That would also mean that the client would have no risk, since
the publishers would also share the rights.
- JH

I think this is what could happen if the PRO’s decided to use audio recognition exclusively for accountability of their distribution. However, considering the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of songs on multiple non-exclusive libraries and these libraries are generating millions of dollars in revenue, I don’t see the PRO’s taking a step like this too lightly.

[davewalton]

Just as an aside... most of the listings specify the type of deal...

CONTEMPORARY MODERN ROCK SONGS a la Muse, Thirty Seconds to Mars, etc., needed by an Independent Music Placement company that is very TAXI friendly. Strong, driving melodies will work best here and vivid, epic lyrics will help create a full and dynamic picture. Universal themes are necessary! Vocal and instrumental performances must be top-notch! They offer a non-exclusive, 50/50 split deal - you keep your original copyrights.


I don't know what the percentages are (exclusive vs non-exclusive) but that's there for the members to see.

FWIW,

Dave

[Cat Herder]

There is nothing to "Fear" let's hold this debate for a time that will not iniate panic. I should not have started such a complex issue, it is (Iagree) unfair to newer composers. I can say that composers should be excited about placements because I know Michael's Standards for accepting companies into Taxi. I would like to kill this thread for now...Please! I will ask TAXI to remove it.

[sgs4u]

Personally, I think Cat Herder's advice comes from the perspective of what is best for his own company, and his intentions are obviously, that what is good for his company, will turn out to be good for composers in general.

I can certainly understand not wanting to deal with re-titles. In fact I thought retitling smelled bad when I first heard about it, because of the copyright cloudiness. But it became a vibrant and stable practice that made a lot of composers and libraries money.... and that's not yet over.

When Taxi stops running listings for non-exclusive opportunities, I would declare that the end of the non-exclusive era. Not before.

No one is truly looking out for an individual composer's best interests, more than the composer themselves. I think the most objective best advice for any composer is always going to come from other successful composers. So ask questions, stay curious in public and private.

[admin]

When Taxi stops running listings for non-exclusive opportunities, I would declare that the end of the non-exclusive era. Not before.

I don't think we have that much affect on the total landscape. There are hundreds of non-exclusive libraries out there now, the vast majority of which are small, one or two-person operations. TAXI has cut way back on non-exclusive libraries, but more as a result of the quality of the companies rather than an out of hand objection to the concept of non-exclusivity. Specifically, the concept of non-exclusive as it was originally intended (to allow the creator to license his or her music on their own outside of the library deal) was good for musicians. It turned bad when people started licensing their music their music to multiple libraries, making it hard for supes to know where it came from and who to pay.

So, when faced with a situation like we had yesterday...
A supe who has her own library wants to use TAXI to bulk up on (instrumental and with lyrics) COUNTRY music (which comprises only 2% of the total licensing market) because she has a direct in with a show that is going to use tons of it next season. A GREAT opportunity for our members, but her deal is non-exclusive. That, in and of itself is not bad. It only gets bad if the people who license their music to her also place it in several other libraries.

We can gently suggest that she change her model, but we can only SUGGEST it, we can't force her. Nor do we want to lose the opp for our members.

Also, most of the companies that do exclusive deals are on the larger size. I know the CEOs or top people at virtually all of them. The problem is that they don't generally need as much instrumental music because they've been in business long enough to build substantial stashes and they can get more from their existing composers. They come to TAXI to find SONGS with lyrics, but not instrumentals so much these days.

Personally, I think the solution is hybrid deal that is semi-exclusive, meaning that the creator agrees to license to only ONE library (with only one re-titled version existing), but is allowed to do a direct license on their own, whether that be to a music supe or to an artist who wants to cut it on a record. But as long as a buck can be made at SOME licensing level (greeting cards, small videos, etc.), I think we'll continue to see non-exclusive companies in the market.

And then we have the direct-to-end user situation that has become more prevalent for TAXI in the last year.

For us, as the market is TODAY, our goal is to take there situations on a case-by-case basis, and judge whether or not the opps make good sense for our members.

HTH,
Michael

[Cat Herder]

@sgs4u, those who know me know better than to think I am disingenuous. That comment is not necessary and insulting,

[sgs4u]

@sgs4u, those who know me know better than to think I am disingenuous. That comment is not necessary and insulting,

Did I say you were being disingenous? Not at all. I said you were offering advice which is most likely the advice you want your "cats" to adhere to, because it makes your life better. But it's not necessarily the best advice for them as independent contractors.

If you feel insulted... that's up to you. Do you always feel insulted when someone doesn't agree with you?

No insult was intended.

[DesireInspires]

Whatever happened to the digital fingerprinting thingamajig?

[DesireInspires]

Any updates?


Update: http://deankrippaehne.blogspot.com/2012 ... n.html?m=1

[AmandaAnderson]

I just read through this entire thread - thank you to everyone who posted on it, it was most enlightening and incredibly useful.

My husband, Tony, and I are pretty new to licencing and Taxi (but he has worked in the music business all his adult life), and obviously on a steep learning curve as newbies. We have yet to have our first forward, and are still feeling our way regarding submitting to listings and revising songs and instrumentals to make them suitable.

This whole thread has made so many things much clearer - where before there was nothing but murky fog about music libraries (exclusive, non exclusive, reversion and so many different phrases and so forth), I can now see a lot clearer. I'll now be in a much better position WHEN we are lucky enough to get our first forward and placement with a music library.

No, the info didn't scare me, it made me much more aware of what is what, and far more able to make informed decisions when the time comes (hopefully not tooo far away).

Thank you all for taking part and helping to make a new Taxi cab driver a happier bunny And as someone once said....

I can see clearly now the rain has gone...

Sláinte
Amanda (& Tony) Anderson