TAXI.com

Hi all,

I'm a new Taxi member, so firstly I'd like to express my gratitude to Taxi for providing such a great platform for songwriters and artists to get their music heard. I haven't cracked my first "Forward" yet but I'm excited about the prospect!

I would like to ask your thoughts on "Exclusive" Music Library Deals...

From the listing descriptions of these type of opportunities, it sounds like a "deal" would effectively be "locking" a composition away in a library with no guarantees it will ever be used .. and with no financial incentive for the exclusivity. Is this correct? Some of these listings make no mention of $ and others specify tiny amounts like $200 for "buy outs" (I think that was the term used).

I'm struggling to think why anyone would want to go for such a deal. Am I missing something!?

Thanks,

Glenn

I've often wondered the same thing.

Hi, Glenn. Welcome to the Forums.

Some Exclusive Music Libraries will pay an up-front fee to sign the piece to their catalog. Others may not.

Generally Exclusive Libraries are considered to be nailing down "better" placements. However, placements from Non-Exclusive Music Libraries can also generate nice royalties.

Yes, signing an Exclusive agreement for a piece of music will lock it into an agreement (usually in perpetuity.... i.e. forever). Sometimes there may be a reversion clause... but it will probably be rare for an Exclusive signing.

The big boys prefer to sign their music Exclusive or even treat their non-exclusive signings as exclusive. And these are the composers who are successful. If you want to be successful, do what the successful people do.

Regards
Russell Landwehr

in addition to the excellent info Russell just wrote, you might find this enlightening in general on library deals:

http://www.taxi.com/transmitter/1504/kn ... lingo.html

HTH.

Cheers,

Andy

I never had any joy trying to get companies to actually honor reversion clauses - one company disappeared off the face of the earth for ten years on a two year deal until the MPA tracked them down for me, helped me word a document to formally insist on getting the songs back - They STILL wanted 3 more months according to "the contract terms" - after ten years!? The contract had been professionally checked before signing, but I still ran into trouble because no-one is psychic, can see a company aren;t gonna honor the words, or may twist the meaning.

Missed two great chances on those songs only months after signing them all to one company as they wouldn;t split a deal with other publishers - Pity. 100% of nothing, etc.

Other companies ignored polite requests then eventually sold to bigger companies so now I have NO idea who controls some of my songs! Not me.

I sound like a moaning, whinging so and so but I'm not as bothered as I sound - it's just the principle that bothers me and sharing your concern if I ever get another offer - looking unlikely TBH!

Anyone got a crystal ball for sale? A WORKING one, I mean? I'll can pay up to a tenner.

Steve