Turning Down Contracts

[andygabrys]

My biggest, HUGE mistake was signing about 30 of my compositions to a music library "IN PERPETUITY". Forever and ever.

You HAVE to ask for a "Reversion Clause" after 2-3 years, max. If the library won't do that, they aren't reputable, or active. Big error on my part.

Good luck,

Ern

Only 30? LMAO! I have signed over 100 to such deals. A few are paying. The rest are doing nothing. You live and you learn.

Ha! Not too worried here.

I have hundreds signed to exclusive in perp. Every year as I create more - some get used right off, some “incubate” for a while. Two tracks I created and signed to an in perp exclusive in 2014 were used as themes ($$ royalty rate) at the end of 2017.

[ernstinen]

Only 30? LMAO! I have signed over 100 to such deals. A few are paying. The rest are doing nothing. You live and you learn.

Laugh your ass off, alright. That's just dumb. Unless you have NO track record, DEMAND a reversion clause. If the company you signed your life's work to can't make any connections for you (and them, of course), anyone who does that is extremely naive. And I used to be. No more. Complete idiocy. Stand up for your art, and yourself.

[ochaim]

Only 30? LMAO! I have signed over 100 to such deals. A few are paying. The rest are doing nothing. You live and you learn.

Laugh your ass off, alright. That's just dumb. Unless you have NO track record, DEMAND a reversion clause. If the company you signed your life's work to can't make any connections for you (and them, of course), anyone who does that is extremely naive. And I used to be. No more. Complete idiocy. Stand up for your art, and yourself.

I highly doubt those >100 of tracks Andy signed are his "life's work" or that he's the least precious about them. Not very difficult when you're writing to briefs. It's also Pareto's principle at work there.

I believe it takes a fair amount of "growth mindset" to make a living writing production music. Knowing that a small percentage of your work will earn the majority of your wages, most of your life's work is ahead of you and not behind you.

As Andy already said,
"

The long game is favored in music licensing. Most people tend to have a balance of all situations, and just keep creating.

[andygabrys]

Ha!

Ha!

[andygabrys]

ha!

[andygabrys]

Actually gotta give credits to DI for that one:

My biggest, HUGE mistake was signing about 30 of my compositions to a music library "IN PERPETUITY". Forever and ever.

You HAVE to ask for a "Reversion Clause" after 2-3 years, max. If the library won't do that, they aren't reputable, or active. Big error on my part.

Good luck,

Ern

Only 30? LMAO! I have signed over 100 to such deals. A few are paying. The rest are doing nothing. You live and you learn.

But this:

Laugh your ass off, alright. That's just dumb. Unless you have NO track record, DEMAND a reversion clause. If the company you signed your life's work to can't make any connections for you (and them, of course), anyone who does that is extremely naive. And I used to be. No more. Complete idiocy. Stand up for your art, and yourself.

Life's work? How much time do you spend writing an average cue? Hopefully not a lifetime? :lol

[ochaim]

oops! misread quotes within quotes.

Actually gotta give credits to DI for that one:

My biggest, HUGE mistake was signing about 30 of my compositions to a music library "IN PERPETUITY". Forever and ever.

You HAVE to ask for a "Reversion Clause" after 2-3 years, max. If the library won't do that, they aren't reputable, or active. Big error on my part.

Good luck,

Ern

Only 30? LMAO! I have signed over 100 to such deals. A few are paying. The rest are doing nothing. You live and you learn.

[andygabrys]

....Not very difficult when you're writing to briefs. ......Knowing that a small percentage of your work will earn the majority of your wages, most of your life's work is ahead of you and not behind you.

Yeah I agree.

[DesireInspires]

Only 30? LMAO! I have signed over 100 to such deals. A few are paying. The rest are doing nothing. You live and you learn.

Laugh your ass off, alright. That's just dumb. Unless you have NO track record, DEMAND a reversion clause. If the company you signed your life's work to can't make any connections for you (and them, of course), anyone who does that is extremely naive. And I used to be. No more. Complete idiocy. Stand up for your art, and yourself.

LMFAO!!

Music is a commodity; necessary but not highly valued in most cases.

Just throw these tracks out there and work with music libraries to get paid. There is little one can do outside of that.

It’s May and I already have made close to 100 cues. I just write and write and write. Most will earn nothing. A few will earn something. A select few will earn a lot (at least I hope so!).

My life’s work isn’t done until I kick the bucket.

[alarawany]

I have never done this before