Thanks K
Well - I guess that depends on your POV. I'm not prone to depression for one and I'm not doing it just for the money either - I'd be making music even without Libraries or Taxi although it probably wouldn't be anything very licensable or that anyone outside of friends and family would want to listen to. So I'm partly in in for the thrill of the chase, partly for the friends made along the way and partly for my 15 minutes of fame when you get a good placement.
The fact I've earned anything from music has surprised a lot of people including myself when you think of all the millions of musicians out there making music, let alone all the folks that will try services like Taxi for a while and then give up on it. So I count myself as one of the lucky few though I make my own luck.
It's a whole mixture across the board really. If you want names and numbers PM me. But generally...
2 x Non Ex Taxi Friendly - one of them placed my highest earning cue and don't even have a website...the other was " Critical " ( US Based ) and pay a sync fee - one placement from half a dozen cues
4 x Taxi Friendly Exclusive - the two I've been with the longest have gotten me similar amounts of placements, in the mid teens now. One is too new to tell and the other only has a smaller amount of cues but have one placement ( US based )
1 x Exclusive UK Library that was started a few years back by a composer - one radio placement from 20 cues
1 x Exclusive PMA listed Library - Took 20 cues directly - No placements after several years ( US Based )
1 x Exclusive Library that payed $50 per cue but took some of the writers - Did 15 and had a couple of placements since 2019 ( US based )
1 x German/Uk Based Library with major Sub Pubs - Focusing on this Library now, got accepted in November 20 ..had a first placement from my 2nd submission
Those are the main ones..I tried other RF type places where they let you upload stuff with minimal screening, who sell music to Youtubers etc..for a ton of time and effort only ever had the one " sale " ..not worth my time. One of them works with Taxi or at least used to as I had an offer a few years ago.
My non-ex catalogue is in a few other random non -ex libraries and I've had the odd placement from that lot but nothing really worth mentioning. Since 2018 most of my cues have gone into Exclusive Catalogues, most of them have sub-pub deals and a few of them have distribution with the big boys.
Yes almost all instrumental cues due to the hassle of finding the right singer etc. I am a songwriter but I just found a better workflow was to work on instrumentals.
Yes I've done a number of albums for a few different libraries , had a few placements but some it's too early to tell and others have been held back due to Covid
Most of the libraries do blanket deals yes, I've had some blanket split payments too for getting cues placed under the blanket deal
As an hourly rate it's maybe a tenth of minimum wage
But in terms of challenging oneself, meeting new friends , the thrill of your music being on a TV show and obviously enjoying the music making process then it's a worthwhile endeavor.
I'd probably be sat watching TV or playing Fifa otherwise and I'd rather do this. I think the money will grow - If I can grow it to £10k a year before retirement age that would be worth it.
Mark