How long should I give them...

[annayarbrough]

Hey all! Wow, long time no post—hope you are all doing well!

Been ruminating on the following and thought... Taxi people have got to have some ideas on this one!

I'm curious as to how long you leave work in the hands of a publisher—particularly if it's exclusive—before you decide that work may serve you better elsewhere. Obviously film/TV placements can be a long game, so I'm not talking about prematurely pulling work from libraries here. But I have a couple of situations where I've got work signed that's getting zero traction at all, and I have other outlets that I can sign the work with immediately (and make money off them right away).

Obviously not trying to burn bridges here either, but I have one or two situations where it just doesn't seem to make business or financial sense to leave things sitting on a shelf for too long if the publishers aren't pushing them (or don't have any use for them).

If you've been in this situation before—how long have you given it? A few years? A year? Ten years ( )? Have you just pulled the work and put it where it makes you money? How have you balanced giving it time to be used versus what makes sense financially right now?

Again, the situations I'm talking about involve immediate (and good) income somewhere else—this isn't a case of pulling something to try my chances somewhere else. Also these are instances where it's permissible to end the agreement whenever—have already passed any time constraints.

Thanks guys!

[AlanHall]

Do you have a contract with an exclusive publisher? Then there is a reversion clause as to when you get your music back. Usually some number of years, so patience is a virtue in this game (insert some variation on 'write, submit, forget..' here).
I don't need to remind you that contracts with non-exclusive libraries don't require such restraint. You retain all your rights.

If you've forwarded to an exclusive library, but not signed a contract, then feel free to take the best deal that comes along. You're not legally bound to sign a contract if library "A" is dragging it's heels, and library "B" wants to sign you immediately. HTH

edit: I see you hinted that you've passed the reversion date. At that point I think all it takes is letter, unless there's some kind of limited enrollment/disenrollment period. Sorry , out of my depth here

[cosmicdolphin]

Hey Anna..hope you are well ..I take it these are Exclusive tracks ?

Kinda depends. I think you have to give it a few years at least IMHO...which probably coincides with the shorter reversion clauses.

Sometimes a Library will collect tracks for a certain show and then all the music goes to the Supe by the deadline and can get placed fairly quickly ( I've had track placed within 3-4 months that way )

Other times they are just refreshing their catalogue so it can sit there gathering dust until who knows when. I know a lot of your work is pretty 'timeless' so it won't go out of fashion the way some of my music will over time so I think you have a much bigger window of usefulness for it.

Clearly you have a choice to make between possibly upsetting Publisher A Vs earning money with Publisher B. It's good that you know they will get you some ££'s right away ! I wish I had that info, it's usually a wing and a prayer.

So things to weigh up :-

How big a deal is publisher A for you ? Are they good to work with , do you have personal contact with folks there..i.e. do they know you or do you feel like you are just a number? Do you know how any other writers are doing who have tracks there ? Is the website/social media active ? Are they responsive ? Or does it look like nobody has updated anything for a number of years and the Library has kinda gone into stasis ?

Same question for Publisher B

Personally I always feel I can write something better than my old tracks so I've never been tempted to pull any , even though a couple of Libraries have gotten me bugger all over a period of years. I just don't send them anything new now.

Message / Email me if you wanna talk names !

Mark

[markhimley]

Following - curious to see what insight cumulates here. I've got some loosely similar situations I'm considering. Very loosely similar - but same ballpark.

[funsongs]

sent you a PM.
Peter

[funsongs]

Following - curious to see what insight cumulates here. I've got some loosely similar situations I'm considering. Very loosely similar - but same ballpark.

Sent you a PM, too...

[crs7string]

Anna,

I am a big believer in controlling what we can control and letting everything else go.

Every time I look at the production music model, I come back to the only thing we can control is getting a large volume of music in the marketplace. And, hopefully over time, the quality improves.

This business moves at a snail’s pace most of the time. I have had placements from music placed in libraries 6, 7 and 8 years after the music was signed.

Also, if the library you are referring to has international sub publishers it can take even longer to see if you have had results (placements) . Add 2 to 3 years to the time line.

Chuck

[cosmicdolphin]

This business moves at a snail’s pace most of the time. I have had placements from music placed in libraries 6, 7 and 8 years after the music was signed.

I just got some royalties for a track that is my fastest turnaround so far...

Written in December 2018 - Aired May 2019 - Royalties Distributed Apr 2020

On the same statement was a new placement for a track I wrote in Feb 2016...my 5th Taxi submission ( and it was a Return )...I made more than my $5 back though

[DesireInspires]

Pull the tracks now.

[Kolstad]

I would just take care of business. A business would understand this. Its just business.