Exclusive Deals

[edmondredd]

I've got an exclusive deal with a library out there, and it has the publisher's rights in perpetuity.
I totally understand that, but it feels a tad weird..
so many questions running around in my head, like what if the library stops working, or got sold, or I don't know.. what happens then with the rights?
What if the library can't get good placements? what if it's an 'amateur' one.. if such thing exists
Maybe this cue could have been placed somewhere, if that cue was signed with another one..

Too many variables, and I would like to hear from you guys, and especially the ones that already have signed similar deals, what are your take on that matter?

[eeoo]

If you only have a few songs in your catalog and they mean a lot to you it's understandable to be hesitant to sign them away forever. That said, if you're in this to make a go of it as a source of income you'll need to not be too precious about any individual songs/cues. It's understood among the guys making a living at this that it's best to diversify your catalog, spread it out among many publishers both exclusive and no-ex and see which publishers get your catalog work. You can also expect the majority of your catalog to never see the light of day, at least that's been my experience. Obviously it's a numbers game, keep churning them out and getting them in the pipeline. I try not to worry about signing my best songs away in perpetuity because I think my next song will be my best but there are some deals I wish I had back, nature of the biz. Live and learn and move on.

Definitely do some research on this publisher before signing and don't hesitate to talk with them personally and get a feel for them, it's a two way relationship.

Hope that helps!

EO

[edmondredd]

Thank you Ethan for your take on this one.. and I totally agree on the fact that your best cue is the next one.
I was more concerned about choosing a good library, since it's an exclusive one.
Thanks again for your thoughts, I appreciate