A bunch of beginner questions?

[fastheartmart]

Hi. I was not sure where to post this and if someone could pount me in the right direction that'd be great.

I've been with Taxi since June 2012 and I stared getting some forwards lately. A few days ago I received a message from a music library who is interested in putting some of my banjo tracks in their music library. I told the representative to go ahead and put them in. This morning he sent some forms to sign and I'm starting to feel like I'm gonna need some help with all this.

I have a bunch of questions:

1) Once a track is submitted to a library, is an artist typically able to decide which songs/tracks will be placed to which places on a case by case basis? I ask in case I would rather not be associated with certain placements. For example, if I don't want my music used for certain scenes or for certain companies?

2) What is the CAE/IPI# ?

3) Do I send this library a link to my Dropbox account and then THEY upload the tracks to their music library? (I think some actually use Soundcloud for this).

Thanks in advance for any help

[kclements]

Hello - welcome to the Forums.

1) Once a track is submitted to a library, is an artist typically able to decide which songs/tracks will be placed to which places on a case by case basis? I ask in case I would rather not be associated with certain placements. For example, if I don't want my music used for certain scenes or for certain companies?

As far as I know, this is not the case. I don't think you can pick and choose where you music goes once it is signed to a library. What you can do is look at the clients the library works with and see if they are clients you want to do business with.

2) What is the CAE/IPI# ?

You get this from your PRO - (i.e. BMI or ASCAP). Edit: Just to clarify, I took away the membership reference. It isn't necessarily the same thing

3) Do I send this library a link to my Dropbox account and then THEY upload the tracks to their music library? (I think some actually use Soundcloud for this).

In my experience, the library gives you an FTP site and their file requirements. Once the track is ready and in the requested format, you upload the tracks to their FTP site.

cheers
kc

[coachdebra]

And if the thought of ftping anything freaks you out - you can download free ftp software - I use FileZilla - and it's literally as easy as dragging and dropping from one folder to another.

[fastheartmart]

Thanks for the help kclements coachdebra

[richmstudios]

Just to be sure check with your PRO what your CAE/IPI# is since it may not be the same as your member ID. I know from experience that with ASCAP the IPI number is distinctly different than the member ID.

[Casey H]

1) Once a track is submitted to a library, is an artist typically able to decide which songs/tracks will be placed to which places on a case by case basis? I ask in case I would rather not be associated with certain placements. For example, if I don't want my music used for certain scenes or for certain companies?

Usually not. Some libraries will let you specificy you don't want your music used in pornography or in association with extreme graphic violence. You are assigning the library power of attorney to make licensing decisions for your music and you have to trust them according to their reputation. Libraries couldn't function if they had to stop and get composer approval for each placement.

2) What is the CAE/IPI# ?

Everyone who is a PRO member, anywhere in the world, has this 9 digit number assigned to them. As Rich said, it is NOT usually the same as your PRO membership number. Contact your PRO for more info.

3) Do I send this library a link to my Dropbox account and then THEY upload the tracks to their music library? (I think some actually use Soundcloud for this).

Every library has a different process for delivering music tracks to them. It could be send a CD, send files by a service such as yousendit or dropbox, or FTP by logging into the library's FTP site. It varies all over the board.

HTH
Casey

[fastheartmart]

Thanks Casey! That does help