I have decided the best way to give back is this thread

[dotted8]

I just want to say thank you for what you're doing! Taking an hour or more out of your day to help people via this thread is very generous and inspiring (hopefully karma will come full circle for you.)



Meow!

[Cat Herder]

Hi Kat,

I have had projects that take longer that evolution itself. I know it can be frustrating waiting for long periods for these things to mature. It is possible, probably likely that your library rep does not know the answer either. I would recommend e-mailing him after 4 to 6 weeks with a nice cordial, well though out e-mail. Thank him for putting you in this position, and just kiss up in a sweet way (not too over the top). Rule: Never call him, you would not believe how busy we can be, I sometimes work 16 hours a day, 7 days with no end in site. If you catch him (unlikely) and he is in a bad mood he may easily mark you off as high maintenance, and that is never good. It could be the end of your career there. Your key word was "A Reputable" library. Let this work itself out. Movies can take 2 or 3 years to complete. I hope this helps.

[Cat Herder]

Hey My Ole Buddy Mazz,

Direct licensing. First lets look at the standard model and how most networks are constructed. I will use ABC for example, and a syndicated show. This show is licensed as programming with ABC, but ABC has affiiate stations. Just like McDonalds, the company does not own all the locations. So this syndicated show is offered to all ABC and affialiates nation wide. Some affiliates may actually not choose to carry the show, so it may show up on a competetors network in peoria (CBS Maybe). So even though your local station is ABC it has some autonamy. When this show airs it is licensed station by station by different entities. One show may have two musical guests. Guest A may be ASCAP, Guest B may be BMI so the network will allow ASCAP and BMI to license the show. Maybe another may have a musical guest who is ASCAP with no BMI guest, thus show will be licensed by ASCAP. In other words in the first show the network pays BMI for all BMI composers, and ASCAP pays all ASCAP composers. In the second show ASCAP pays all ASCAP writers and collects and sends the other portion to BMI so they can distribute. I am leaving SESAC out cause this will get too long. Now in show 3 there is no musical guest, maybe it is some doctor from munchkin land talking about hemoroids.In this case the publisher may have an agreement with a non PRO to collect directly from those stations that choose to participate outside the PRO (ASCAP or BMI) (SESAC is a problem there). So the direct licensing entity has an agreement with ABC for example, which covers all their owned stations, and maybe some portion of affiliate stations, and alternate affiliates. In this case instead of the network and affiliates paying the PROs, they pay an agreed amount to the direct licensor. Lets say that they pay collectively $5,000 per episode. Let's further assume at the end of the quarter that 100 shows were direct licensed. This would total $500,000 to the publisher and writers and devided accordingly. Library composers would be paid by their PRO, I am not sure if it would be at the same rate, you would think it would be but who can tell with these crazy formulas, and affiliates that do not participate would pay the normal rate for all music to ASCAP and BMI. At the end of the quarter the $500,000 would be split in to publishers share and writers share, hopefully down the middle. Next the direct licensor would count the number of needledrops related to the publishers writers and divide $250,000 equally by the total number of needle drops, that is whay there are no vairations for feature, theme, or time. It is a fixed fee. So if a 1 minute piece gets $70.00, a :04 piece gets $70 as well. So if a writer has 500 needle drops she may get somewhere around $35,000. Now the writer will also get his or her share on non-participating station PRO payments. That is, believe it or not as brief a statement as I can make on a very complicated subject. The numbers I use are arbitrary. They would be representitive of a number one show with maybe 20 to 30 million viewers. I hope this helps

[Cat Herder]

Thanks Rob, Maybe it is your good karma that makes me nuts enough to do this.

[T&V Marino]

Dear Mr. Ludwig van Cat Herder,

Could you be so kind as to explain the basics on how to construct an instrumental "music library" track? It seems every music library has different criteria, but there are probably some common elements. Obviously, these tracks/cues are different than writing "hit songs." But over the years, we've found even some of the TAXI screeners have differing opinions about how music library tracks should be composed, and it can get VERY confusing!

Say, for instance, a composer is writing a "dark, dramatic, very sad, tear-jerker-type" piece. How long should the intro be? Can the tempo ever change (get slower or faster) within the piece? Is it always an "A-B-A-B" format? Or, does it need to have "C" section too? Is it a good idea to have a melody? Does it alwyas have to have some type of counter-melody? Is there a "jam" section? Can you change keys -- like from major to minor and vice versa -- within the same piece? What length (in minutes) should a track usually be?

Thank you for your help, and have a purrr-fect day!

Meow -- er, Ciao,

T&V Marino

[bassman]

My question is that I have a song that is either being used or considered (short listed) for a film or TV project with a reputable music library since July. I have personally met one of the music A&R people from this library at SXSW in Austin, so tried to email him once to ask the status, but I never heard back.

One time I did 10 tracks for a publisher. Emailed them several times, no reply. Didn't hear from them for a year. Starting pitching to others. One day, a year or so later, I got an email from the publisher saying the tracks were mastered, printed on cd. Contracts in the post.

[Cat Herder]

Hey TV People,

I need to just remind you that these cues are not Radio music. Sudden changes out of the general flow, key changes, mood changes, and tempo changes are not ok. When an editor is doing a scene if anything like this within the scene changes, so does the cue. Making changes that alter the flavor of the cue will hurt it rather than help it. Cues are matched to scenes, not the other way around. I have long said that cues with just Part A, or Part A and B are best. Now on occasion part C as a bridge is a welcome break if the piece demands it, but it should be very short and just an opportunity to allow the editor to take a breath. It should also be an edit point where it can be removed and the cue continued. This does not mean the cue should be flat and boring. Using different instrumentation to enhance iterations of the verse can be a very welcome change, less so the chorus which most likely will hold the hook. My favorite construction is to build tension, release, or partially release, build tension release, Hook! That said some pieces, or even genres work well with the hook right there up front. The fastest way to get rejected now is to send a piece to the Cat Herder that just goes all over the place chasing butterflies, or one that just lays there and goes to sleep. I will add more to this, but it will take some time. Hopefully this evening. I hope this helps.

[Cat Herder]

Bassman,

I have signed composers this year that gave me disks at the 2008 Rally. I think it was Chuck that said this is a marathon, not a sprint.

[matto]

Great...thanks for the offer - I might not actually know enough to ask this question intelligently but any light you can shed here would be appreciated.

I've done one sync license for a supervisor of a TV show and since I don't have a publisher I listed myself as publisher. (The tunes are registered with BMI at 200%). If I should find a publisher is it easy to change the cue sheets or at least re-direct the revenue to a publisher or will a publisher be uninterested in those tunes?

Thanks in advance.

Ksm,

if you did the sync license yourself you did the job a publisher normally does and therefore why would you want to redirect any of this revenue you yourself generated to a potential future publisher? They should get paid for placements they secure only, not for any that you may have generated in the past or may generate in the future.

[bassman]

Bassman,

I have signed composers this year that gave me disks at the 2008 Rally. I think it was Chuck that said this is a marathon, not a sprint.

Carpe Diem

Wasn't complaining, just sharing (hugs all round)