Is "Good Enough" Good Enough?

[BraveNote]

Yeah man. I've got this freakin pumpkin you would'nt believe!! HA HA HA HA!!! Great analogy MOJO!!! I need a freakin train car ta hep this baby along!!! HA HA HA HA!!!!!

[BraveNote]

"That kind of pressure would pretty much kill my creativity and my spirit, which is why I chose never to go there."Create your own "pressure" and allow only enough stress to keep your genius on edge. Then relax. "If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room." Ben Franklin

[ggalen]

>>>PB said: "I'm not in the business of selling anything. I'm in the business of composing, writing, engineering and producing fine and quality music. Always was, am now, and most likely always will be. It's what I profess and know the best."PB,Then all is well and there is no need to worry about whether anyone wants to buy your music or not. That's not the purpose of your music.It's for self expression and the love of creating it.I think it's the people who want to earn a living at it and therefore need others to like and buy their music...it's those musicians who are concerned with how to make music that sells.And we all know that high artistic quality is not the main determining factor in what the public spends money on.

[wta]

I'm diggin this thread y'all, there some real issues being workout and this stuff is real life. 'Is Good Enough Good Enough?' this question really makes me wanna get to whats REAL and what conjecture and gg had a HUGE point,"the main determining factor is what the public spends money on." Its supply and demand and the public dictates who rises and who falls by who they spend their money, THEY pay the aritsts not a label, the labels are not much more than lending institutions, bankers if you will and they're only leading on a sure bet. But this thread is about licensing and how good the music really needs to be to get licensed. Is good enough good enough? I see a lot of stuff in peer to peer and on other sites from guys who are trying to figure out "Where is the bar", I was that guy as I entered the gates of Taxi and my research showed Taxi could answer that question for me and they have in spades. The answer is NO good enough is NOT good enough and that ever work/pieces of music must be without issues, must be on target and must be broadcast quality. Can we do that without high end studios? Yes BUT we've got to get the education on how to pull it off and get the gear to do it. In conjunction we've GOT to figure out what the music sups are needing in general and supply the need. With these ducks lined up we can make a full time income in about 5 years give or take. Some faster because they invest MORE of their "spare" time chewing on this bone. Good enough might make your friends and family happy but we all know how much income we can earn off them...

[hummingbird]

For me the Matt Hirt videos pretty much spell out how to make money at Film/TV. Get the tools, gain the skills, get feedback, keep working at it, build a large broadcast quality catalogue, find your niche, etc. I used my TAXI membership, and feedback from my peers, to assess when "good enough" became 'good enough'... I didn't have any forwards for my first 3 years of membership, despite many submissions. Things changed when I got the right tools, improved my skills, and used my creativity and inspiration to write music for listings/needs. Thus a "F" became my benchmark for 'what's good enough'.When it comes to pitching songs... it was at RR 2006 I decided to change my focus to writing for film/tv. I already wrote many instrumentals - I just didn't have the tools to make them broadcast quality. But I realized that I wrote songs for myself, as a singer/songwriter, and I figured it would be OK to focus on expressing myself in song just for myself, and also create BQ instrumentals for film/tv use. Best of both worlds

[BraveNote]

Yes. Thanks ggalen. "Then all is well and there is no need to worry about whether anyone wants to buy your music or not."You've come close to the reality of this here. What is good enough for one music manager may or may not be good enough for the other. What's "close" about your response is, when the artist feels he or she has done the absolute best they can to deliver and whether or not the music gets placed, there must be some kind of resolve at the writer's end to go on to the next project/song and be content knowing they've given it all they could. This is artistic. Not diplomatic. This is not Mickey-D's, have it your way. All has to be well and one should not "worry" about whether the material is accepted or not. Here's where I'm trying to make my point about not competing and wanting to appease, or turn out massive amounts of product on time when never really knowing where you stand exactly with the music manager/director, or other persons deemed authoritative. No. I refuse to chase the rabbit. It is, what it is according to my personal music history and being a product of what influenced me to write these music pieces places the work in a particularly competitive and original environment automatically. If you want me to write it "that" way, either write it yourself, show me the money up front or get someone else to write it. If it's not "good enough" for you, Oh well. But don't impose demands on what the value of that creative currency already is.Please forgive the attitude sounding rhetoric but. I've passed this way many, many times before in my career. There's no magic in the way business is conducted in the industry. It's all about the bottom line. The magic is in the music.

[BraveNote]

"And we all know that high artistic quality is not the main determining factor in what the public spends money on."Too bad Huh? Guess that prooves pretty well what entity sets the bar for true artistic value....I'll tell you when your music isn't good enough. 1. When you ask someone in to your studio and play a new piece for them, their cell rings and they leave the room.2. The dog stops howling to the melodies.3. The wife storms in while you're doing the final mix and makes you take out the garbage. Now.... please!4. You go to bed after the mix with someone elses song on your mind. OUCH!5. You ask your neighbor in to listen to the final mix. (Mastered) And after it's over he says; "Interesting. Very interesting"...

[ggalen]

PB,The buying public sets the bar. No one else.

[BraveNote]

GG,I sure would like to believe that. I'm not convinced that the RC's have the public's best interest at heart.I love the guitar sound. You've got some great chops too. It's a style I use a lot of in my instrumentals. But you make it sound creamy and smooth. Very nice. Thanks for posting it.

[mojobone]

I guess it's time to re-post Steve Albini's famous rant; a variation and expansion on Hunter S, Thompson's even more famous observation that, "The music industry is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long, plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There is also a negative side." A scathing indictment of the seamy underbelly of the Rock Biz, Steve also explains, among other things, why there's no longer any such thing as a music industry "suit".Warning: adult language follows------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This article originally appeared in Maximum Rock 'n' Roll Issue #133.The Problem With Music by Steve AlbiniWhenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying sh*t. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed.Nobody can see what's printed on the contract. It's too far away, and besides, the sh*t stench is making everybody's eyes water. The lackey shouts to everybody that the first one to swim the trench gets to sign the contract. Everybody dives in the trench and they struggle furiously to get to the other end. Two people arrive simultaneously and begin wrestling furiously, clawing each other and dunking each other under the sh*t. Eventually, one of them capitulates, and there's only one contestant left. He reaches for the pen, but the Lackey says "Actually, I think you need a little more development. Swim again, please. Backstroke. And he does, of course.A & R ScoutsEvery major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "A & R" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire." because historically, the A & R staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly.These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave. Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat, is one of them. Terry Tolkin, former NY independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go is one of them. Al Smith, former soundman at CBGB is one of them. Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine and contributor to Rip, Kerrang and other lowbrow rags is one of them. Many of the annoying turds who used to staff college radio stations are in their ranks as well.There are several reasons A & R scouts are always young. The explanation usually copped-to is that the scout will be "hip to the current musical scene." A more important reason is that the bands will intuitively trust someone they think is a peer, and who speaks fondly of the same formative rock and roll experiences.The A & R person is the first person to make contact with the band, and as such is the first person to promise them the moon. Who better to promise them the moon than an idealistic young turk who expects to be calling the shots in a few years, and who has had no previous experience with a big record company. Hell, he's as naive as the band he's duping. When he tells them no one will interfere in their creative process, he probably even believes it.When he sits down with the band for the first time, over a plate of angel hair pasta, he can tell them with all sincerity that when they sign with company X, they're really signing with him and he's on their side. Remember that great gig I saw you at in '85? Didn't we have a blast.By now, all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum. There is a pervasive caricature in popular culture of a portly, middle aged ex-hipster talking a mile-a-minute, using outdated jargon and calling everybody "baby." After meeting "their" A & R guy, the band will say to themselves and everyone else, "He's not like a record company guy at all! He's like one of us." And they will be right. That's one of the reasons he was hired.These A & R guys are not allowed to write contracts. What they do is present the band with a letter of intent, or "deal memo," which loosely states some terms, and affirms that the band will sign with the label once a contract has been agreed on.The spookiest thing about this harmless sounding little memo, is that it is, for all legal purposes, a binding document. That is, once the band signs it, they are under obligation to conclude a deal with the label. If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength.These letters never have any terms of expiration, so the band remain bound by the deal memo until a contract is signed, no matter how long that takes. The band cannot sign to another label even put out its own material unless they are released from their agreement, which never happens. Make no mistake about it: once a band has signed a letter of intent, they will either eventually sign a contract that suits the label or they will be destroyed.One of my favorite bands was held hostage for the better part of two years by a slick young "He's not like a label guy at all," A & R rep, on the basis of such a deal memo. He had failed to come through on any of his promises [something he did with similar effect to another well-known band], and so the band wanted out. Another label expressed interest, but when the A & R man was asked to release the band, he said he would need money or points, or possibly both, before he would consider it.The new label was afraid the price would be too dear, and they said no thanks. On the cusp of making their signature album, an excellent band, humiliated, broke up from the stress and the many months of inactivity.There's This BandThere's this band. They're pretty ordinary, but they're also pretty good, so they've attracted some attention. They're signed to a moderate-sized "independent" label owned by a distribution company, and they have another two albums owed to the label.They're a little ambitious. They'd like to get signed by a major label so they can have some security you know, get some good equipment, tour in a proper tour bus -- nothing fancy, just a little reward for all the hard work.To that end, they got a manager. He knows some of the label guys, and he can shop their next project to all the right people. He takes his cut, sure, but it's only 15%, and if he can get them signed then it's money well spent. Anyways, it doesn't cost them anything if it doesn't work. 15% of nothing isn't much!One day an A & R scout calls them, says he's 'been following them for a while now, and when their manager mentioned them to him, it just "clicked." Would they like to meet with him about the possibility of working out a deal with his label? Wow. Big Break time.They meet the guy, and y'know what -- he's not what they expected from a label guy. He's young and dresses pretty much like the band does. He knows all their favorite bands. He's like one of them. He tells them he wants to go to bat for them, to try to get them everything they want. He says anything is possible with the right attitude. They conclude the evening by taking home a copy of a deal memo they wrote out and signed on the spot.The A & R guy was full of great ideas, even talked about using a name producer. Butch Vig is out of the question-he wants 100 g's and three points, but they can get Don Fleming for $30,000 plus three points. Even that's a little steep, so maybe they'll go with that guy who used to be in David Letterman's band. He only wants three points. Or they can have just anybody record it (like Warton Tiers, maybe-- cost you 5 or 7 grand] and have Andy Wallace remix it for 4 grand a track plus 2 points. It was a lot to think about.Well, they like this guy and they trust him. Besides, they already signed the deal memo. He must have been serious about wanting them to sign. They break the news to their current label, and the label manager says he wants them to succeed, so they have his blessing. He will need to be compensated, of course, for the remaining albums left on their contract, but he'll work it out with the label himself. Sub Pop made millions from selling off Nirvana, and Twin Tone hasn't done bad either: 50 grand for the Babes and 60 grand for the Poster Children-- without having to sell a single additional record. It'll be something modest. The new label doesn't mind, so long as it's recoupable out of royalties.Well, they get the final contract, and it's not quite what they expected. They figure it's better to be safe than sorry and they turn it over to a lawyer--one who says he's experienced in entertainment law and he hammers out a few bugs. They're still not sure about it, but the lawyer says he's seen a lot of contracts, and theirs is pretty good. They'll be great royalty: 13% [less a 10% packaging deduction]. Wasn't it Buffalo Tom that were only getting 12% less 10? Whatever.The old label only wants 50 grand, and no points. Hell, Sub Pop got 3 points when they let Nirvana go. They're signed for four years, with options on each year, for a total of over a million dollars! That's a lot of money in any man's English. The first year's advance alone is $250,000. Just think about it, a quarter million, just for being in a rock band!Their manager thinks it's a great deal, especially the large advance. Besides, he knows a publishing company that will take the band on if they get signed, and even give them an advance of 20 grand, so they'll be making that money too. The manager says publishing is pretty mysterious, and nobody really knows where all the money comes from, but the lawyer can look that contract over too. Hell, it's free money.Their booking agent is excited about the band signing to a major. He says they can maybe average $1,000 or $2,000 a night from now on. That's enough to justify a five week tour, and with tour support, they can use a proper crew, buy some good equipment and even get a tour bus! Buses are pretty expensive, but if you figure in the price of a hotel room for everybody In the band and crew, they're actually about the same cost. Some bands like Therapy? and Sloan and Stereolab use buses on their tours even when they're getting paid only a couple hundred bucks a night, and this tour should earn at least a grand or two every night. It'll be worth it. The band will be more comfortable and will play better.The agent says a band on a major label can get a merchandising company to pay them an advance on T-shirt sales! ridiculous! There's a gold mine here! The lawyer Should look over the merchandising contract, just to be safe.They get drunk at the signing party. Polaroids are taken and everybody looks thrilled. The label picked them up in a limo.They decided to go with the producer who used to be in Letterman's band. He had these technicians come in and tune the drums for them and tweak their amps and guitars. He had a guy bring in a slew of expensive old "vintage" microphones. Boy, were they "warm." He even had a guy come in and check the phase of all the equipment in the control room! Boy, was he professional. He used a bunch of equipment on them and by the end of it, they all agreed that it sounded very "punchy," yet "warm."All that hard work paid off. With the help of a video, the album went like hotcakes! They sold a quarter million copies!Here is the math that will explain just how f*cked they are:These figures are representative of amounts that appear in record contracts daily. There's no need to skew the figures to make the scenario look bad, since real-life examples more than abound. Income is underlined, expenses are not.Advance: $ 250,000Manager's cut: $ 37,500Legal fees: $ 10,000 Recording Budget: $ 155,500 Producer's advance: $ 50,000 Studio fee: $ 52,500 Drum, Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors": $ 3,000 Recording tape: $ 8,000 Equipment rental: $ 5,000 Cartage and Transportation: $ 5,000 Lodging while in studio: $ 10,000 Catering: $ 3,000 Mastering: $ 10,000 Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses: $ 2,000 Album Artwork: $ 5,000 Promotional photo shoot and duplication: $ 2,000 Video budget: $ 31,000 Cameras: $ 8,000 Crew: $ 5,000 Processing and transfers: $ 3,000 Off-line: $ 2,000 On-line editing: $ 3,000 Catering: $ 1,000 Stage and construction: $ 3,000 Copies, couriers, transportation: $ 2,000 Director's fee: $ 4,000 Band fund: $ 15,000 New fancy professional drum kit: $ 5,000 New fancy professional guitars [2]: $ 3,000 New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]: $ 4,000 New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar: $ 1,000 New fancy bass amp: $ 1,000 Rehearsal space rental: $ 500 Big blowout party for their friends: $ 500 Tour expense [5 weeks]: $ 50,875 Bus: $ 25,000 Crew [3]: $ 7,500 Food and per diems: $ 7,875 Fuel: $ 3,000 Consumable supplies: $ 3,500 Wardrobe: $ 1,000 Promotion: $ 3,000 Tour gross income: $ 50,000Booking Agent's cut: $ 7,500Manager's cut: $ 7,500 Merchandising advance: $ 20,000Manager's cut: $ 3,000Lawyer's fee: $ 1,000 Publishing advance: $ 20,000Manager's cut: $ 3,000Lawyer's fee: $ 1,000 Record sales: 250,000 @ $12: $ 3,000,000Gross retail revenue Royalty [13% of 90% of retail]: 250,000 @ $12: $ 351,000Less advance: $ 250,000Producer's points [3% less $50,000 advance]: $ 40,000Promotional budget: $ 25,000Recoupable buyout from previous label: $ 50,000Net royalty: $ -14,000Now, on the other hand, let's look at the Record company income:Record wholesale price $6.50 x 250,000 $ 1,625,000 gross incomeArtist Royalties: $ 351,000Deficit from royalties: $ 14,000Costs of manufacturing, packaging and distribution @ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000Label's gross profit: $ 710,000The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game:Record company: $ 710,000Producer: $ 90,000Manager: $ 51,000Studio: $ 52,500Previous label: $ 50,000Booking Agent: $ 7,500Lawyer: $ 12,000Band member net income each: $ 781.25The band is now 1/4 of the way through its contract, has made the music industry more than 3 million dollars richer, but is in the hole $14,000 on royalties. The band members have each earned about 1/20 as much as they would working at a 7-11, but they got to ride in a tour bus for a month.The next album will be about the same, except that the record company will insist they spend more time and money on it. Since the previous one never "recouped," the band will have no leverage, and will oblige.The next tour will be about the same, except the merchandising advance will have already been paid, and the band, strangely enough, won't have earned any royalties from their T-shirts yet. Maybe the T-shirt guys have figured out how to count money like record company guys.Some of your friends are probably already this f*cked...About the Author:Steve Albini is a well-known engineer as well as an equally well-known critic of major labels and the "music industry". Steve has worked with artists ranging from the smallest garage band to the Pixies, Plant-Page and Nirvana. In addition to his recording work, Steve was also the founder of the seminal '80s noise-rock band Big Black, and now plays guitar in the underground rock band Shellac*****************************************************edited for content and brevity. Full rant can be found here:http://mercenaryaudio.com/probwitmusby.htmlThis is why I'm getting into licensing and why I love Taxi. The internet is changing some things, but it hasn't yet changed major label math. I'll still be pursuing an artist career by the DIY method, but that's cuz I'm jes' plumb crazy.