Well known Library taking part of writers share...

[JohnnyP]

Would this in many cases translate to half the income for the artist?

yeah basically they are saying -
we'll take 100% of the publishing share
AND
we'll take 50% of the writing share
leaving the artist with only a 25% share in the track
and that's before any cowriting splits

You got it right Jay.
Something I’m not “comfortable” with.
It’s those few libraries that think this gives them a pitching advantage.
A short cut that short circuits the long term business model of a lot of writers/composers

[DesireInspires]

Should you sign with a music library who takes 50% of the writer’s share? It depends.....

Let me put it this way.. I'd rather drown in the gutter while rats eat me half alive, than sign away my writers share.

Not me.

You can't eat percentages, but you CAN eat with money earned by royalties, even if they are smaller percentages.

[Kolstad]

Should you sign with a music library who takes 50% of the writer’s share? It depends.....

Let me put it this way.. I'd rather drown in the gutter while rats eat me half alive, than sign away my writers share.

Mic drop.....

[cosmicdolphin]

Let me put it this way.. I'd rather drown in the gutter while rats eat me half alive, than sign away my writers share.

I'll put you down as a maybe

[JohnnyP]

Let me put it this way.. I'd rather drown in the gutter while rats eat me half alive, than sign away my writers share.

I'll put you down as a maybe

Ha!

[Casey H]

Should you sign with a music library who takes 50% of the writer’s share? It depends.....

Yes, it depends on whether you are willing to screw your fellow composers out of their future livings (and yourself in the process) in order to make a few pennies in the short term.

NEVER sign such a deal. I rarely answer in such absolutes but here I will.

Casey

[SubRivers]

Should you sign with a music library who takes 50% of the writer’s share? It depends.....

Yes, it depends on whether you are willing to screw your fellow composers out of their future livings (and yourself in the process) in order to make a few pennies in the short term.

NEVER sign such a deal. I rarely answer in such absolutes but here I will.

Casey

DI is correct if you are lucky enough to get offered a deal that is lucrative @ 25% - it does depend.


My default position is to reject this kind of deal but I can't discount situations I have not encountered.

99.9% of situations - it is as you say - don't sign .

[DesireInspires]

Yes, it depends on whether you are willing to screw your fellow composers out of their future livings (and yourself in the process) in order to make a few pennies in the short term.

NEVER sign such a deal. I rarely answer in such absolutes but here I will.

Casey

I wouldn’t go to those extremes.

If there are guaranteed placements on the right shows, the royalties will add up. Many people who work as staff writers for music publishers end up writing songs and giving a good portion of the writers share away. It’s a common practice.

[Casey H]

Yes, it depends on whether you are willing to screw your fellow composers out of their future livings (and yourself in the process) in order to make a few pennies in the short term.

NEVER sign such a deal. I rarely answer in such absolutes but here I will.

Casey

I wouldn’t go to those extremes.

If there are guaranteed placements on the right shows, the royalties will add up. Many people who work as staff writers for music publishers end up writing songs and giving a good portion of the writers share away. It’s a common practice.

(1) There never are "guaranteed placements". If you know a library I can sign with that guarantees placements, please let me know as I'd love to work with them.

(2) Staff writing for hit songs is a whole different animal than production music for Film/TV. Staff writers DO generally get their full writers share based on whatever percentage of the writing they did. Sole writer: 100%, 2 way co-write 50%, etc. They give away the PUBLISHER'S share to the company just as we do with libraries. And they get advances against future royalties. There is a world of difference between someone getting a co-write who actually contributed to the writing (even if minimal) than just out of financial need/greed. The only reason this library wants writers share is because the TV Production companies got greedy and demanded 1/2 the publishers share which they should never be entitled to. Sadly, that cat's out of the bag and may be hard to reel back in. It IS NOT *common practice* in the music library world to give away writer's share. However, if writers have the attitude you are expressing and start signing these deals, it *will* be more the norm and we all will be screwed. It might happen anyway as there is always someone hungry enough to sign a bad deal.

(3) Yes, I would go to those extremes (unless I was shown some INCREDIBLY compelling reason to sign which I doubt).

[DesireInspires]

Sorry Charlie. The game has changed.

Adapt accordingly.....