Music Library Directory

[mani]

Gus,Is your very first contact with libraries normally by email? I've heard others (including Matto I think) say that cold-calling is not a good idea. Is this your experience also?Also, if they're not interested in the particular tunes you've submitted to them, how do you leave the door open for more submissions? And how long do you have to leave it before resubmittting to the same company?Thanks in advance.

[davewalton]

Quote:I've heard others (including Matto I think) say that cold-calling is not a good idea. Is this your experience also?I'm not sure anyone can say. Unless you know the person you're contacting, everying is a cold call (snail mail, email, phone call, whatever). I just try to perceive what is the most convenient way for them to receive my request. I usually perceive that as being email. Snail mail would be my second choice (with a pre-paid return envelope) and a phone call would be my last choice (never done it). Don't be timid. You have to think that they're VERY anxious to find that next great tune, because they are. They WANT to hear from you. That's what they do for a living. Get the notion that they don't want to hear from you completely out of your mind. I've had good responses via email sending a request to submit music and including a couple of links as example. Quote:Also, if they're not interested in the particular tunes you've submitted to them, how do you leave the door open for more submissions? And how long do you have to leave it before resubmittting to the same company?Thanks in advance.The door is ALWAYS open unless your music really sucks canal water. Somehow there's a myth that once you submit you can never submit again. Fooey, I say! Don't submit the same rejected songs (to the same library), but don't hesitate to submit rejected songs to other libraries. Mostly it has to do with need and what one library needs doesn't have anything to do with what another library might need. I try to submit new stuff every quarter. It keeps my name in front of them without causing them to tear their hair out. If they REALLY don't want to hear from you, they'll tell you so. Mostly it's reasons like "We're not producing any more CD's at this time." Unless they go out of business they'll produce another CD or set of CD's so I just check back later, maybe six months in that case.OK, repeat after me... I will not be timid, I will not be timid... Dave

[mani]

Thanks for the info Dave. How many songs do you normally submit at a time??

[davewalton]

Quote:Thanks for the info Dave. How many songs do you normally submit at a time??This isn't tried-and-true tested. For all I know I could be shooting myself in the foot, but those that reply are always more than polite, so I'm assuming I'm offending no one.I usually send a brief email asking for permission to submit, tell them which category on their site I fit into (I look at their site and use their terminology), and include two or three links as examples of basic quality. After that, they dictate to me how many songs they want me to send if it comes to that. A lot of the music library websites have specific areas for composers to submit material.I should also point out that I don't submit to a lot of music libraries. Mostly I'm sending stuff to big name production companies like "Fred's Film Company" and begging them for scoring opportunities. Still the concept is the same. Don't hesitate to ask. My limited experience is that these are fun people that love their jobs. They love to talk music all day long and they listen to music all day long. Might as well be your music. Dave

[roughly]

Thanks for all that info Dave. It's always good to know if we're offending anyone or looking amatuerish by doing things that aren't common practice.

[matto]

Quote:Unless you know the person you're contacting, everying is a cold call (snail mail, email, phone call, whatever). The big difference between a phone call and an email is that the email is a lot less intrusive. You can check your email whenever you have time to do so. Whereas the phone may ring when you're in the middle of something and have absolutely no time to talk to some new composer. That's why I always recommend email.Quote:The door is ALWAYS open unless your music really sucks canal water. Well...the door is always open for quality music which works for the intended purpose. It's not open for unprofessional music or stuff that may be great but unusable for library music. I would really use your Taxi experience as a guide here. If your music routinely gets rejected for music library listings (important: only music library listings are relevant for this), you'd be wasting your time sending lots of stuff directly to music libraries, cause your stuff is simply not ready yet, or not appropriate for this market. On the other hand if your stuff gets forwarded 50% of the time or more for music library listings, by all means pitch to as many libraries as will allow you to send a demo.matto

[davewalton]

Quote:On the other hand if your stuff gets forwarded 50% of the time or more for music library listings, by all means pitch to as many libraries as will allow you to send a demo.I'd also say to use the critique itself as your guide. If you get solid marks but no forwards it might mean nothing more than that you're bad at targeting listings. Getting a foward does have a non-music component to it. Lots of good songs get returned because of bad targeting. The critique will tell you if your song, your music in general, needs work. I gotta tell you, I'm not sure how I'd know where I'm at musically without those critiques. I don't take every single critique to heart, but as a group in their entirety they're the most useful feedback I have.Dave

[nomiyah]

Maybe they should change the name from Taxi A&R to Taxi University.