Exclusive deal / 20% seems unfavorable

[mazz]

Quote:Yep - Matto has the science down on this and I pretty much agree wholeheartedly with his views.Mazz and Martin also know well of which they speak so you are getting some excellent advice here.You can never have enough contacts and relationships and as you build your catalog you will see which publishers work for you and which don't.One of our first publishers was one of the absolute nicest people on the planet and gave us a great deal, but she just could not get us placements. So as Mazz probably meant to say, if you get 50% of zero dollars that is still zero dollars.Best of luck,CiscoCisco, that is what I meant to say! Thanks a lot for clarifying my zero sum game!! I'm finishing up documenting a bunch of submixes and my brain is jello today!Good luck to everyone that is fortunate enough to be offered a deal!Mazz

[ragani]

Quote:Looking at my own catalog, 6 out of my 10 highest grossing songs are 0% sync deals, the rest 50%. I'm not in any way saying this would be typical, and I'm sure others' results might be quite different, but the point is that in the right hands a 0% sync song can gross you just as much as a 50% sync song.Okay, I have to ask... where do the earnings from a 0% sync song come from?

[ljweber70]

Quote:Quote:Looking at my own catalog, 6 out of my 10 highest grossing songs are 0% sync deals, the rest 50%. I'm not in any way saying this would be typical, and I'm sure others' results might be quite different, but the point is that in the right hands a 0% sync song can gross you just as much as a 50% sync song.Okay, I have to ask... where do the earnings from a 0% sync song come from?From PRO (BMI and ASCAP) performance royalties, I believe. 50% for you and 50% for the libraryLarry

[slideboardouts]

Quote:Quote:Looking at my own catalog, 6 out of my 10 highest grossing songs are 0% sync deals, the rest 50%. I'm not in any way saying this would be typical, and I'm sure others' results might be quite different, but the point is that in the right hands a 0% sync song can gross you just as much as a 50% sync song.Okay, I have to ask... where do the earnings from a 0% sync song come from?I believe it comes from the performance royalties that would be issued from your PRO. The sync fee I think is just the initial amount you get for having your song synced to film etc. I might be wrong though.-Steve

[matto]

Quote:I believe it comes from the performance royalties that would be issued from your PRO. The sync fee I think is just the initial amount you get for having your song synced to film etc. I might be wrong though.No you're absolutely correct! And so is Larry.

[ragani]

Ah, thanks guys. I thought that might be the answer. So the amount the library pays you is in addition to what you get from the PRO's? That is, if the music library contract is for 50/50 split (most of mine are), you will also be getting additional payments from BMI/ASCAP when the song shows up in film/tv?

[ljweber70]

Quote:Ah, thanks guys. I thought that might be the answer. So the amount the library pays you is in addition to what you get from the PRO's? That is, if the music library contract is for 50/50 split (most of mine are), you will also be getting additional payments from BMI/ASCAP when the song shows up in film/tv?This is my understanding (but I'm not an expert): There are generally two sources of income from getting a song placed (in a television show, for example).1. Your share (50%/20%/0%,depending on the deal) of the license fee paid by the user for synchronization with their television scene. The library collects 100% and pays your cut directly to you. The amount of the fee will vary based on several factors including the type of fee. I believe there are several types of license fees: "Royalty Free" or "Buyout" in which the users pays for lifetime usage/ "Needle Drop" which is a per use fee/ or "Blanket Licensing" where a user "leases" a group of songs for a preset number of uses or period of time. 2. 50% of performance royalties (sometimes called "back-end" income) paid to you by your PRO (BMI, ASCAP, SESAC) when the song is aired on television. Your 50% share is called the songwriter's share, the other 50% is called the publisher's share and it is paid to the library. The amount of the royalty payments is based on a number of factors ranging from time slot, length of track, cable vs. network, etc. On a side note, I don't believe PRO royalties are paid for songs placed (performed) in U.S. films. I hope that helps clarify your question. Again, I'm not an expert and most of what I've learned is from right here on the forum and doing some research on the internet. If anyone sees an error in my explanation, please let me know Larry

[matto]

You have done your homework Larry!

[ragani]

And you all saved me from having to do much of mine [homework, that is]-- thanks, you guys! Now... back to the studio...