Forum Newbie/Music Library Etiquette Question

[rk000]

Hi Everyone, After almost three years as a Taxi member, I will be signing my first deal this week thanks to the house that Laskow built! Taxi has been a wonderful resource and this forum has been especially helpful to me recently. It will be a Music Library deal for two instrumental acoustic guitar tracks in the style of Michael Hedges and Michael Gulezian - though I very much remain a student of the masters. The beautiful irony is that, of all the material I've submitted through Taxi, I spent the least amount of time on the tracks that finally got me a deal.I have more instrumental acoustic tracks (which I will be recording pronto) that I will submit to the Library directly. Nonetheless, I have much more material in the pop/funk/soul and country/folk genres that I have written or co-written from a few different projects, past and present. I am not a full-time performing musician, so the Library route seems to be my best opportunity at the moment. I would like to find a home for this material now and in the future, but the Library I'm working with now only wants instrumental music. I plan to send in instrumental mixes of the full songs I write and co-write, but would ideally like to find a Library or publisher looking for full songs in these genres.I'm assuming loyalty is probably appreciated, so this is my plan:1) Submit instrumental mixes of full songs to the Library I'm working with now.2) If that Library has no need for them, ask my contact for a referral to another Library or publisher.3) Referral in hand, submit material directly to second Library.4) If no dice, ask for another referral and the cycle continues.Does this make sense to the wise veterans out there? If not, how can I build new bridges without burning others?I appreciate your help!Thank you,Bobby

[elser]

Hey rk, I don't have the answers to any of your questions since I have yet to sign any deals myself, but I wonder if you could post a link to the guitar songs. I write that kind of stuff too and I'm curious about what works. Sorry I can't help with your question but I'd like to hear your tunes if possible. Elser

[rk000]

Hi Elser,Check out 'First Light Last' and 'Never Again' on <www.taxi.com/bobbykleinprojects>.After noticing a few instrumental guitar listings, I recorded these with a friend one night just to see what would happen. As you'll hear, they are recorded live (warts and all) with two small diaphragm condenser mics. I don't have the fancy pickups. We added a little reverb in Logic and did a very basic mix. Like you, I really had no idea what the response would be. 'First Light Last' was forwarded the first time I submitted it. Before I heard anything more, I paid for a custom critique of 'Never Again' and did not exactly get a rave review, mostly for being melody-lite. I sent that one directly to the Library after they contacted me the first time and they liked it - especially the main hook. I'm still learning myself, but my advice would be to get a no frills recording of your best material and just see what happens. If I can be of any more help, let me know.Good luck,Bobby

[matto]

Bobby,I would only submit the instrumental mixes of your songs to this library if you feel the instrumental works well on its own, and if you won't regret not being able to pitch the vocal song elsewhere if this guy likes the instrumentals.There are many libraries out there who sign vocal songs, so if you have a lot of them and they are really good, wait for the right opportunity or seek it out by pitching directly to libraries that do want songs.I think when you sign your first deal there's a tendency to want to give them everything you got cause you're so glad somebody finally wants your stuff . But the prudent thing is to give them *some* things, and hold others back for other potential opportunities. It's also best not to overwhelm this contact by throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them...you don't want to appear too over eager.You already know they like your guitar instrumentals, and you say they weren't even too hard to do. So maybe you'd just want to do a few more of those for them...or *ask* them if they are looking for anything else.Also, it may be tricky to get a real referral (read: recommendation) from a company you just signed a few cuts with; usually they'd wanna get to know you real well before putting their creds on the line by recommending you to somebody else.So I'm not sure how realistic that is, but again, make sure you don't go overboard and become a pita. Nothing ruins a budding and promising relationship faster than somebody who is "too demanding".Travelling Ed has coined a phrase we often use to describe what you should do: "gently push yourself forward" That kind of sums it up...matto

[rk000]

That makes sense. Thanks, Matto!

[elser]

Hey Bobby, listened to your tunes, very nice. I'm debating whether to record steel or nylon string. I don't do alot of tunings, nylon string doesn't do it as well, so that might be the 'path less travelled'. If you havn't checked him out yet you should listen to Don Ross, besides amazing technique, his tunes really set him apart, for me at least. I've got 'Passion Session' and listen to it alot. Anyways....

[gitarrero]

rk, just a note:* you need to own the master rights of your recordings if you want to give them to libraries (this means: if somebody else played on the recordings (e.g. drums), than you need to have a signed agreement that you now own the master rights from that person (release form).* if you're not the only writer (co-writers involved) than they need to sign the contract from the library too.all the best and good luck,martin

[rk000]

Hi Elser,I'll check out Don Ross. If you don't know of him already, Ben Woolman is another great player. If I could write something as good as his 'Novella', I would dance a very contented jig. I only play steel string, so sorry I don't have any advice on recording nylon. In researching other music libraries, you definitely hear both so you really can't go wrong. Hi Gitarrero,Thanks for the reminder. For now, that is not an issue because no one else plays on the tracks the Library wants at the moment. I will keep that in mind in the future and appreciate your help!-Bobby