TAXI.com

Hello Taxi:I just received your monthly listings. Regarding the listing below: Is that $2,000.00 per tune or $2,000.00 total for all 8-12 tunes? If it's the latter, that about $200.00 per tune for a buyout. New Listing LIGHT/INSPIRATIONAL ELECTRONICA INSTRUMENTALS for corporate motivation and Film/TV placements are sought after by a Major Music Publisher with distribution through a huge Production Music Library. This Publisher is also an Emmy-winning Composer for daytime television and this is a fantastic opportunity to be introduced to a Publishing/Licensing relationship as well as the possibilities of future composition projects with a VERY successful industry pro. Excellent arrangements, performances and recordings are a must! The stylistic approach is open here, but you'll want to be sure the tone isn't dark or heavy - think light, inspirational, uplifting. This Publisher will be looking to sign 8-12 tracks for an upfront "buyout" fee that will be in the $2K range. While it will be an exclusive purchase of the material, this Publisher will not take any portion of your writer's share. He won't be looking for custom compositions, but rather a collection of "B" material - tracks that are laying dormant in your catalog. While we can be a bit more liberal for this one, you'll want to be sure that the compositions themselves are very well written and the recordings are Broadcast Quality. Please submit 2-3 instrumentals online or per CD, but be prepared to send more if the Publisher gets in touch with you. He will ultimately be interested in signing 8-12 tracks for the buyout fee mentioned above. All submissions will be screened on a YES/NO BASIS - NO CRITIQUES FROM TAXI - and must be received no later than February 26, 2009. TAXI #Y090226ELSubmit to this listing TAXI # Y090226ELThanks.

My interpretation is the 2K is for 8-12 tunes, but I suggest you call TAXI for clarification.Mazz

Jan 15, 2009, 8:01am, ewxxxx wrote:Hello Taxi:I just received your monthly listings. Regarding the listing below: Is that $2,000.00 per tune or $2,000.00 total for all 8-12 tunes? If it's the latter, that about $200.00 per tune for a buyout. That's a great question. They way it is listed is very ambiguous. If it is only $2,000 for ALL the tunes then you're right, $200+/- per tune. That's pretty low. I noticed that this publisher (a daytime TV composer) has several listings like this. Looks like they're trying to build a music library in one fell swoop!Steve

Like Mazz, I interpret it as 2k for 8-12 tracks.In my little bit of experience and from what I have heard, upfront money isn't that common and when you do get it it is usually fairly small. I'd do 8-12 for 2k in a heartbeat, especially if it is a very successful publisher like the listing says. The real money on all of this is back end anyways, so if the publisher is really good then he will secure you a number of placements that should exceed the upfront money. The upfront money is just "bonus" money.-Steve

Jan 15, 2009, 9:49am, stevebarden wrote:[quote author=ewxxxx board=listings thread=11659 post=114932 time=1232035313]If it is only $2,000 for ALL the tunes then you're right, $200+/- per tune. That's pretty low. I wouldn't consider that low if it is a good publisher. Not at all. Half of the tracks I have signed I was paid WELL under $200 each upfront, and the other half I wasn't paid anything at all for. Thats more of the norm really. To get a guaranteed $200 per track PLUS performance royalties is great. Gimme gimme.-Steve

$200? I think that you spend more that that on a demo. I remember when publishing company's were given out like for 10-20 songs like $15k but I guess times has change!JPBe BlessedI rock with on name!

Jan 15, 2009, 3:01pm, slideboardouts wrote:Jan 15, 2009, 9:49am, stevebarden wrote:[quote author=ewxxxx board=listings thread=11659 post=114932 time=1232035313]If it is only $2,000 for ALL the tunes then you're right, $200+/- per tune. That's pretty low. I wouldn't consider that low if it is a good publisher. Not at all. Half of the tracks I have signed I was paid WELL under $200 each upfront, and the other half I wasn't paid anything at all for. Thats more of the norm really. To get a guaranteed $200 per track PLUS performance royalties is great. Gimme gimme.-SteveVERY well said, Steve.Add to that the fact that this business is all about building relationships (with"very successful award-winning composer/publishers"), and this sounds like a pretty terrific opportunity, with the potential for major LONG-HAUL benefits, to me.

My exceptionally low experience with upfront (sometimes called "sync" fees? Help?) says I'm lucky to get $50 for a track that is picked for a project. Zero is also very probable.You still get all your back end, which is where it's at, if the song gets placed, used, and broadcast.It's a buyout though...once you sign it over, it their's (check for a reversion date if you ever want the song back). If I had a stash of "better than just OK" songs that weren't seeing love, I'd put those dozen songs to work in a heartbeat with this listing. Libraries may have different arrangements for composers, so if you can get in this way and then work up the food chain...Just my 99.5% uneducated $0.02 that might need to be corrected.

Jan 16, 2009, 6:04pm, devin wrote:My exceptionally low experience with upfront (sometimes called "sync" fees? Help?) says I'm lucky to get $50 for a track that is picked for a project. Zero is also very probable.I think that a sync fee and upfront money is a little bit different...well the way I'm referring to it anyways . I guess technically a sync fee could be considered a type of "upfront" money. Sync fees I believe are generally what you get when the track is picked, placed, or sold like you mentioned. What I was referring to as "upfront" money is money that you get per track when you sign the contract, regardless of whether or not any music is used. I don't really know if "upfront money" is the technically correct term for it (or if there even is one)...maybe buyout is a better word for it. I don't know What you described I think is fairly common (in my experience anyways), thats why I think that getting a guaranteed $200 is such a good deal -Steve

There's nothing in the listing that says you can't negotiate for a reversion if sales don't exceed a given amount. Like Steve said, if it's a good publisher (lots of placements=good), no sweat; they shouldn't have a problem with such a clause as long as the target is reasonable.