Re: Intermusic Library

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mattfig
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Re: Music Library

Post by mattfig » Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:04 am

Oh yeah, thank you so much for the youtube links Ms. Hummingbird...Those will be helpful and informative!Cheers!

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Re: Music Library

Post by hummingbird » Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:28 am

Quote:Oh yeah, thank you so much for the youtube links Ms. Hummingbird...Those will be helpful and informative!Cheers!here's the actual link...http://youtube.com/user/taximusic
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Re: Music Library

Post by matto » Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:32 am

Quote:For the record, I don't send emails monthly asking for progress and the few that I've sent have been respectful and polite...I find the company to be shady because they were easy to deal with prior to the contract being signed...And MIA since...Perhaps they are so busy pitching my tunes that they just can't find time to reply to email...!I wasn't trying to imply you were being impolite, sorry if it came off that way. What I was trying to say is companies DO get a lot of those types of complaint emails, and it causes some of them to be less than responsive. It's also normal for there not to be much (or any) correspondence after a deal has been signed, that in itself is not an indication of "shadyness". Keep in mind that their top priority is (and should be) pitching their/your music and keeping in touch with the music supervisors and other users of music. That's how everybody makes money...I've also found that some companies will always tell me when they place one of my songs, some will occasionally, and some never do...there's just checks showing up from time to time... , and of course I see it on the royalty statements. Some of the companies that never tell me make me a lot of money, so paucity of library/writer correspondence is not an indication of their ability to secure placements. Of course it's still nice to get advance notice of any placements, so I can watch the show/movie... Just some additional perspective...matto

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Re: Music Library

Post by mattfig » Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:35 am

FYI, I deleted my first post here thinking it would delete the thread and not just the single post...You guys have been very helpful and I realized that I was wrong to pursue my issues in a public forum the way I did...It doesn't help anyone involved and can only strain a business relationship that I would like to value, not take for granted, and re-establish...So, to anyone who reads this, my first post was something like this:Wah...Wah...Wahhhhhh!!

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Re: Music Library

Post by jewelwing » Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:26 am

Actually, I'm glad you started this thread. I'm in the position of signing a contract with a new music library, and some of the discussion here related to concerns I've had. So I was interested to read about various people's experiences.I also wondered - did the contract you signed allow you to continue using your music and original music title for purposes like on your own CD or pitching it directly for a project, just not to another music library? That kind of clause at least provides some way you can keep using your music.Jewel

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Re: Music Library

Post by hummingbird » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:04 pm

Quote:did the contract you signed allow you to continue using your music and original music title for purposes like on your own CD or pitching it directly for a project, just not to another music library? That kind of clause at least provides some way you can keep using your music.JewelIt seemed to me that the first post was about an exclusive deal. That being said, we have had some discussion about exclusive and non-exclusive deals. The difficulty is, even if you have a re-titled piece signed with a music library with a non-exclusive deal... it's my understanding you still have to be extremely careful about placing that piece with another library or publisher. The reason? They are all shopping music to different sources, of course, but now and then there would be overlap... and if a music supervisor gets the same piece from two sources, they will pass because of licencing/copyright concerns. Matto could probably say more about this, but I imagine that unless the placements are for radically different markets (i.e., one is video games and the other is a band recording the song), even "non'-exclusives" should be considered close to exclusive when dealing with music libraries & publishers. If Matt has a chance, maybe he could weigh in on this
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Re: Music Library

Post by jewelwing » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:17 pm

A type of music library deal I 've been seeing recently (possibly different from the post that started this thread) is an exlcusive deal with regard to music libraries and publishers (in other words, you can't make a deal with another library or publisher), but allows you as the writer to continue to pitch the work directly to a film project, for example, as long as there is no middle-person. And you retain the right to put the music on your own CD. I guess that combines some elements of exclusive and non-exclusive.

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Re: Music Library

Post by mattfig » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:23 pm

Looking at it now, I can't quite believe I signed it...But, we've already been down that route Here's the spooky parts of mine:1) Assignor agrees to assign Music Company X one hundred percent (100%) ownership of the master recording for the work, worldwide in the present and future. Music Company X shall be the owner of the master recording of the Work. I'll sum up the rest:2)I get "writer's share" of public performance incomeThey get publishing3) Company X pas me 50% of all domestic fees and 25% of international fees from per use or other basis including needle-drops, track fees, sync fees and mechanical fees4) I get 50% of sheet music publication5. Lyrical royalties I don't understand...Sorry...It references some clausesIt goes on and if there's anything specific anyone wants to know, I'll be happy to answer...Basically I transfered the copyright of 2 songs to Company XHope this helps shed more light on the subject

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Re: Music Library

Post by aubreyz » Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:22 pm

Quote:Looking at it now, I can't quite believe I signed it...But, we've already been down that route Here's the spooky parts of mine:1) Assignor agrees to assign Music Company X one hundred percent (100%) ownership of the master recording for the work, worldwide in the present and future. Music Company X shall be the owner of the master recording of the Work. I'll sum up the rest:2)I get "writer's share" of public performance incomeThey get publishing3) Company X pas me 50% of all domestic fees and 25% of international fees from per use or other basis including needle-drops, track fees, sync fees and mechanical fees4) I get 50% of sheet music publication5. Lyrical royalties I don't understand...Sorry...It references some clausesIt goes on and if there's anything specific anyone wants to know, I'll be happy to answer...Basically I transfered the copyright of 2 songs to Company XHope this helps shed more light on the subject I'm very interested in the responses from those like Matto, who have licensed a lot of tracks, in relation to this contract clause. I have primarily dealt directly with clients and not libraries but so far, I have NEVER given up ownership of the Master, but this may be standard in some exclusive agreements. Heck, I'm so bad I even own the masters for some albums I produced for people (lol... read any contract I ask you to sign very carefully )The actual terms of this contract and the splits are very standard and seem fair-- but assigning master rights with no reversion clause... wow. Don't know if I could ever bring myself to sign that. If this is typical, then I have some adjusting to do.Aub

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Re: Music Library

Post by matto » Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:00 pm

Quote:Looking at it now, I can't quite believe I signed it...But, we've already been down that route Here's the spooky parts of mine:1) Assignor agrees to assign Music Company X one hundred percent (100%) ownership of the master recording for the work, worldwide in the present and future. Music Company X shall be the owner of the master recording of the Work. I'll sum up the rest:2)I get "writer's share" of public performance incomeThey get publishing3) Company X pas me 50% of all domestic fees and 25% of international fees from per use or other basis including needle-drops, track fees, sync fees and mechanical fees4) I get 50% of sheet music publication5. Lyrical royalties I don't understand...Sorry...It references some clausesIt goes on and if there's anything specific anyone wants to know, I'll be happy to answer...Basically I transfered the copyright of 2 songs to Company XHope this helps shed more light on the subject There's nothing really "spooky" about this contract, it's pretty much a standard 50/50 split exclusive deal with the exception of international track fees. To Aub, yeah transferring the ownership of the composition and master is standard in most exclusive library deals.The only thing this contract doesn't have is a reversion clause, but for companies that release music to the film/tv communities on CD and distribute those CD's worldwide (not saying this is necessarily one of them), reversion clauses are really impractical...they can't really recall all their "Modern Rock" CD's from around the world because one writer in Poughkeepsie wants his song back. It's important to understand that there are real reasons behind these types of deals...it's not just "greedy companies trying to rip you off".I know a lot of songwriters get freaked out about "giving up their publishing", but...are you really gonna be your own publisher and have the time and know how to build up relationships with music supervisors and editors that can get your songs placed? If not, you need somebody else to do that for you...and surely that person or company deserves to get paid for making you money with your music...or not? I've found that the vast majority of companies that I have music signed with are doing a much better job than I ever could at getting my music placed. And I gladly give them their share, considering that it is in large part because of their efforts that I'm able to make a living doing what I love to do most. And that's writing and producing music...not marketing it... matto

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