Publisher asked can they "keep titles" (non-exclusive deal)

[arska]

As mentioned in subject, I got e-mail where owner of publishing company wants to sign couple of my instrumental tracks. This person did ask "Also, please let me know if I can KEEP THESE titles or if I need to re-title." I did give the approval to keep the titles, hope I didn't blow up by doing so...

Does this basically just mean that if my tracks would have already been used by some other publisher who wants to use exclusively my original track titles, then I'd need answer that new company needs to re-title.. ?

These tracks are not signed to anywhere else yet.

[eeoo]

Yes if they're not already signed elsewhere with those titles you are fine. Just remember to re-title them if you decide to sign them with another non-exclusive.

[hummingbird]

Just a comment - I recently had to re-title some tracks before submitting to a non-exclusive. I thought it was a great exercise. My initial titles were kinda weird and often didn't relate well to the actual music. The exercise of rethinking the names helped me to better match the title to the music, and thereby make the cues more marketable IMO. [ For example, "Skippin" sounded like it was a children's cue, but it was actually dramedy, lol. ]

[arska]

Ok thanks for comments, good point to re-title already in advance after first sign with a track.

[DesireInspires]

Keep titles? What does that mean? No one owns a title to a song.

[hummingbird]

Keep titles? What does that mean? No one owns a title to a song.

Retitle library asking if the titles the tracks were submitted with, may be kept for registration with a PRO. IE asking if the writer retitled before submitting.

[DesireInspires]

Keep titles? What does that mean? No one owns a title to a song.

Retitle library asking if the titles the tracks were submitted with, may be kept for registration with a PRO. IE asking if the writer retitled before submitting.

Isn't the retitle library supposed to retitle? Are you telling me that the retitle library is too lazy to come up with new titles for the same master recording/composition?

[guscave]

Keep titles? What does that mean? No one owns a title to a song.

Retitle library asking if the titles the tracks were submitted with, may be kept for registration with a PRO. IE asking if the writer retitled before submitting.

Isn't the retitle library supposed to retitle? Are you telling me that the retitle library is too lazy to come up with new titles for the same master recording/composition?

Not all non-exclusive libraries re-title. If you haven’t registered your song with the PRO and haven’t submitted it to another library yet, it’s easier for them to register the track with the PRO using the original title. It gives them (and their clients) peace of mind knowing that all the necessary rights have been cleared because “on paper”, the whole deal looks like an exclusive licensing between composer and publisher.

I've noticed that more music sups are becoming weary of re-titles.

[Russell Landwehr]

Isn't the retitle library supposed to retitle? Are you telling me that the retitle library is too lazy to come up with new titles for the same master recording/composition?

Some re-title with a prefix to designate their library and catalog number. However, some libraries don't use prefixes and just shop straight up titles. It is a good idea when shopping cues to non-ex libraries to first re-title the cue to something that isn't registered.

As far as "laziness"... really? They beat the streets constantly for new shows, they constantly stay in touch with current contacts on both sides, they process requests and send out briefs, they screen and process incoming submissions including fixing filenames and metadata, they register the cues with multiple PROs.... and the list goes on... and you want to slap "lazy" on a library that wants YOU to give them a clear re-title???

Anyway, judging by the email, the library arska is talking about would probably have re-titled the cues themselves if the titles they were sent weren't clear to register.

Russell Landwehr

[DesireInspires]

As far as "laziness"... really? They beat the streets constantly for new shows, they constantly stay in touch with current contacts on both sides, they process requests and send out briefs, they screen and process incoming submissions including fixing filenames and metadata, they register the cues with multiple PROs.... and the list goes on... and you want to slap "lazy" on a library that wants YOU to give them a clear re-title???
Russell Landwehr

Don't libraries have staff to do all of those things?