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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Thom Yorke Does Like SoundHalo, But iOS Version Lags – Here’s Why


July 29, 2013 at 12:02 pmby Eliot Van Buskirk
Thom Yorke Does Like SoundHalo, But iOS Version Lags – Here’s Why
Any artist can decide whether or not to include their music in the big big music subscription services, just like any app developer can decide whether to sell their app for iOS devices. Thom Yorke is the latest artist to make waves in the former area, pulling his new band Atoms for Peace from Spotify, Rdio, and Rhapsody, because he says subscriptions don’t pay out enough to artists (all-access technology will ultimately benefit culture, but that’s a different story).
One app Thom Yorke does like, SoundHalo, sells live music shows online, so you can watch them in close-to-real time (i.e. during the actual show) or after they take place. If you buy a show, you can stream it online or sync it to any device, including loading it into iTunes. This costs $1.50 per song or $15 for the whole band’s set, in the case of Atoms for Peace, although prices vary.
(You also get a free 30-second preview of each song, might be enough to make a decision whether to see a band “in person or not.)
Not only is Atoms for Peace the second band (after Alt-J) to sell a show through the service, but Thom Yorke, Nigel Godrich, Flea, and the rest of the group even played the app’s official, out-of-beta launch party, of sorts, which you can now watch online or in the SoundHalo Android or mobile web app.
Yes, you can can install SoundHalo on your Android, but there’s no iOS version. The company says it is working on that, but as of today, if you’re on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you’ll need to use your device’s web browser to watch stuff on SoundHalo.com, instead of using a native app.
The reason for this, dollars to donuts, is that SoundHalo doesn’t want to give 30 percent of its revenue from iOS users to Apple.
The reason for this, dollars to donuts, is that SoundHalo doesn’t want to give 30 percent of its revenue from iOS users to Apple. We say this in part because we’ve thought about what happens when people sell content through iOS apps before, and in part because when SoundHalo does manage to release its iOS app, you won’t be able to buy shows within the app.
Instead, iOS people will have to buy the shows in a web browser before watching them in the iOS app, while their friends with Androids can buy the show right there in the app and watch it.This is a matter of not just convenience, but speed (after all, in some cases, fans might be frantically trying to get into the show before they miss another song).
“We are currently developing an iOS ‘Player’ which we intend to launch on the App Store in the near future,” says the company. “This will let users download their purchased offline content direct to their iOS device for offline playback.”
The workaround will enable SoundHalo to sell shows without giving 30 percent of the revenue to Apple as part of the in-app purchase program.
It’s also a bit of a pain.
We’re not sure what SoundHalo’s revenue split is with artists, although we have asked about that and hope to have an update soon. Whatever it is, neither side would likely countenance a 30-percent or even 60-percent (if only one party covers Apple’s piece of the action) pay cut — especially considering that SoundHalo has to produce the videos, develop apps, pay for bandwidth, and so on.
Today, SoundHalo is new, and consists of little more than the belief of Thom Yorke and friends, and one other band, in a company that says it can make online music pay. I thought that would start happening five years ago, and I was wrong, for the most part. Why? In part, this is because it’s expensive and hard to scale; everyone involved in the band has to agree to sell a show online (these permissions involve just about every copyright a song can have).
The intersection of two unstoppable trends, online distribution and live music, would seem to hold a lot of promise, but it has yet to take off. If more music fans are going to buy shows to watch on their devices, which would make live online music online the artist-friendly panacea that Thom Yorke wants it to be — then they’re going to run up against Apple’s 30-percent policy, too.
Could the web really be a better platform for selling live online music than iOS? So far, it’s looking that way.
SoundHalo is reportedly courting Metallica, Linkin Park, the Black Keys, Green Day, and other artists, as well as Verizon, Samsung, Google, Skype, and advertising firms.

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Creativity in Constraint: Exploiting the Boundaries


If one were to Google “This Is Your Brain On…”(fill in the blank), they would find everything from drugs, to football, to Jane Austen. This Is Your Brain On Music spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list. Empathetic humans have a basic need and survival tendency to understand ourselves, and our behavior. Music has proven to be somewhat of an outlier and unifier simply due to the capability for a universal method of notation and expression. The expansion and sharing of music leaps from country to country, from people group to the academy and back again like wildfire. In culture, it is often a greatest common factor.
On July 11, 2013, Stanford University’s Center for the Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences held its second annual Behavioral Science Summit. The daylong, invite-only event examines the state of behavioral science and its role in technology, the arts, business, and society as seen through the lens of creativity and innovation. Over the duration of the summit, fifteen noted speakers gave presentations on the arts, technology, neuroscience, culture, product design and workplace productivity.
Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman (Thinking Fast and Slow) delivered the opening keynote. The recurring theme of the summit proved to be collaboration, integration and originality. Kahneman explains that in order to develop new methodologies and vocabularies to bring to their home institutions and fields, innovators across a wide variety of professions have begun coming together to exchange ideas, and open up a dialogue.
Following the keynote, Daniel Levitin (This Is Your Brain On Music) took the stage. His talk, entitled “Creativity in music: Constraints and innovation” was of particular interest to the creativity gurus in attendance. He began with a simple definition of creativity. “Works of art that we judge to be the most creative involve the artists working under constraints to produce something novel, or something that pushes the edges of these assumed constraints.” Levitin brings up an interesting point: Some of the most creative music has come to exist not in result of revolution, but by way of evolution. It’s not really true invention, but a wide blending of previous work. Levitin reminds us that Mozart didn’t invent the symphony or the sonata-what Mozart is recognized for is his ability to work within the tight constraints provided, and yet still be able to come up with such ground-breaking musical statements.
To illustrate his point, Levitin gave a series of examples in order to showcase his theory regarding evolution v. revolution.
“Rocket 88” – Jackie Brenston, 1951
“Sweet Little 16” – Chuck Berry, 1957
“Surfin’ U.S.A.” – The Beach Boys 1963
“Back In The U.S.S.R.” – The Beatles, 1968
When listening and comparing these examples, even the untrained ear is hard pressed not to note the similarities from beginning to end. The journey of these songs is very clearly not revolution, but evolution. By taking similar (or in Brian Wilson’s case, nearly identical) chord structures and progressions, the songwriter is able to reinvent a past work with a fresh perspective. The Beatles are notorious for this, having released countless records that may be unashamedly traced back to artists such as Buddy Holly, Elvis and The Beach Boys. Levitin elaborates, “New concepts are anchored in terms of old concepts. That’s why we so appreciate music that’s built on something that came before.” He went on to explain that links between pieces associated with preexisting others tends to be stronger than novel and isolated links in memory. By acknowledging and exercising limitations in the formative process, the creator is able to push limits in a more precise scope, often resulting in unique creative inspiration via unambiguous problem solving.
Regarding individuality in musicianship and songwriting, Levitin calls attention to the large role boundaries play in identity. “An individual musician’s style to the extent that you recognize Ella Fitzgerald or Paul McCartney or Arthur Rubinstein because of their own limitations. If every musician were flawless, they’d have less personality. Musicians sound the way they do because they can’t do everything they want to be able to do, and they do it in this flawed, human way. Many of the musicians we find most compelling - Springsteen, Neil Young, Bob Dylan - the really emotive singers - were responding to vast constraints to their technical ability, and you hear them fighting against it.”
How does one then use constraint to stimulate creativity? The Behavioral Science Summit aims to unite and diversify varies field strategies and project tactics. The question we need to be asking is this: How can creative persons benefit from adhering to traditional business models such as the process of phasing out, minimizing scope creep and avoiding uncontrollable expansion? William James states it well: “Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task (letter to Carl Stumpf, 1886). Without an ultimate goal, creativity left unchecked may spin out of control, only to end in the failure to produce a tangible work. Music is not idiosyncratic in terms of how creativity is addressed or assessed – this subtle concept is utilized over many different arenas. Every song in the Western world comes from a chromatic scale of but twelve notes. Every mixed and melted color comes from red, blue and yellow; every sonnet from a mere fourteen lines.
In a recent post in Forbes magazine, entitled “Creativity: How Constraints Drive Genius” David Sturt (VP, O.C. Tanner ) calls attention to a study undertaken on 1.7 million people with award-winning work. Based on O.C. Tanner’s findings, it seems that “people who create new value on the job are often inspired by their constraints” (Sturt, 2013). When Frank Gehry set out to design the Guggenheim in Bilbao or the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, he reported limitations and constraints as the most inspirational tools in his work. When an artist, project manager or designer sits down to create a work, they must begin by asking, “What problem am I trying to solve?” In doing this we are able to better perceive that true freedom can only be exerted within limits. Not unlike the music theory student setting out to compose within a tight set of guidelines, one must first learn and observe specific statutes. Once understood, we may begin looking beyond the rules, embracing the “benefit of limitations and necessity of structure to the creative process” (Gutierrez, 2013).
In conclusion, we are left then with the following: Regarding individuals with IQs categorized as genius or savant, we must ask ourselves if some of the most celebrated inventions in technology, medicine and the arts would exist with a ceiling. Can constraint be a catalyst, or is it necessary to defy the norm in order to achieve true greatness? Imitation versus innovation, evolution or revolution, restriction and an endless realm of possibilities remain to ponder. Looking back to the creativity of Beethoven versus Mozart, Picasso versus Monet, and Baryshnikov versus Fosse, these hypotheses are no longer so transparent. Is constraint essential for effective creative production, or have our greatest visions come from pushing the limits?
(Photo Credit: Matt Beardsley)
Diana Hereld (@christypaffgen) is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter, music educator and music psychology/neuroscience researcher. She blogs at As The Spirit Wanes The Form Appears.
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Musicians: How Will You Create An Epic Bundle?


Musicians: How Will You Create An Epic Bundle?
While music and merch bundles often sell well for musicians, game developers have been much more innovative with their approach to bundling games. For example, at least a few experiments have occurred in which a target amount was set that, once reached, would make the games open source or even place them in the public domain. Given the broad range of examples now available, it's worth asking yourself what would make your bundle of goods an epic release?
In the last few years, Topspin has taken the lead in facilitating music and merch bundle sales and they've long maintained that such options greatly increase revenue per sale. In the purely digital realm, BitTorrent Bundles have shown the marketing potential of free releases of music and music-related content.
Of course, bundles of music in the form of multiple physical albums for cheap from Columbia House back in the day or contemporary experiments such as Soundsupply's digital album bundles are a recurring theme of the industry.
Game Industry Leads the Way in Bundling Experimentation
But despite all this music bundling activity, game developers and associates have explored even more innovative territory. Recently the Future of Music Coalition's blog considered lessons learned from video game bundles and such initiatives as the Humble Music Bundle.
The post focuses on some of the tactics designed to increase sales of bundled goods including support for charities. It's definitely worth a look if you're into the psychology of bundling however lately I've been more interested in a related approach in which games are made open source or content is released into the public domain when a certain level of sales/donations is reached.
Likely the most outstanding example of bundles of games being made open source is that of the first Humble Indie Bundle which was offered as a pay what you want bundle with benefits to go to developers, charities or a combination as determined by the person donating.
Introduced as a form of stretch goal, when the Humble Indie Bundle hit $700,000 in donations they decided to make the games open source if they reached a million. And so they did.
Bringing Lessons from the Game Industry to Music
A more recent example is the Open Call for the Open Bundle which takes things a step further by placing game-related art and music in the public domain if a specific goal is reached. The project is still emerging and it would be nice if the people behind it were more transparent about their identity but, for our purposes, the point is that this is an excellent idea for musicians and indie labels to explore.
As an incentive to purchase, not all possible customers will be moved by the opportunity to give money towards putting music in the public domain. But in some music scenes in which music is regularly given away free or made available for remixes such an opportunity is a strong fit for the perspectives and approaches of both creators and fans.
Beyond that specific tactic, the larger idea of going beyond what you or your band can bundle as an individual act to creating bundles from multiple acts and even multiple labels is a powerful concept.
While no approach is a sure thing, especially given that it can be hard to even give music away for free, we now have an array of tactics for creating and offering bundles of music, merch and/or related content. With that in mind, the key question may well be:
How will you make your bundle epic?
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Mediate


The artist Frederick Franck explains: "We need a way to detach ourselves from an environment constantly bombarding us with noise…We need to establish an environment for recovering our unspoiled creative core."
Most of my mediation takes place with reading a book, or e-book, daydreaming, but mostly from sleeping my favorite of them all. With meditation a lot can be accomplished in my opinion. You can look at the events that happened in your day and calm yourself down if your upset, or even look forward to things that are going to be exciting in your life. Even plan out your game plans for your week, day, or even a trip. But overall meditation is a great tool to use.
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Look for competition


Find someone who is trying to do the same thing you are. How are they going about it and what could you try differently? If this were a contest what would you do to win starting now?
Well in my personal task, of being a good Dj. I had made a contest with my cousin who doesn't know it. But it is all in fun for me nothing personal to either one of us. But I like to see what he is doing to be good in his advancements of being a good rapper in the indie hip hop scene in the DC/MD/VA areas, and he is doing quite well at it. What he does is he likes to perform. Where for me since I just moved to PA. I now have another state to market to, even though I am not really setting my goals in certain in states but all over the united states. I'm more into the marketing over the internet, with my blogs, music licensing, and Twitter, and Facebook. I've been ok for myself with spending little, or not much money at all. But I know that I'm good at what I'm doing as well, I do have potential in what I'm doing as well. So overall I just want to see between me, and my cousin how good can we become.
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What Can A Musician Learn From Chipotle?


What Can A Musician Learn From Chipotle?
Chipotle may seem like a bit of a stretch as a source of music industry knowledge but Joy Ike, a musician and creator of the excellent Grassrootsy music marketing blog, makes the connections in "4 Things Every Artist Can Learn from Chipotle." Ike combined her own love of Chipotle with insights from the founder to get down to some basics for musicians as well as entrepreneurs.
Joy Ike used a feature on Chipotle founder Steve Ellis to inspire her post "4 Things Every Artist Can Learn from Chipotle":
1. "Hard Work Always Pays Off"
Apparently founder Steve Ellis had to work a lot harder than he expected to make Chipotle a success but it paid off in the end.
While hard work may not inevitably lead to the success Ellis experienced, it's an obvious prerequisite for having a shot at stardom or even simply making a living as a musician.
2. "Your Game Will Change Over Time"
Ellis started out with a single taqueria and began to build a chain. He later partnered with McDonald's to grow rapidly but eventually had to part ways to follow his own values.
Some artists leave major labels with a brand that allows them to keep building in their own way. Others stay indie but connect with major label distribution. The right deal is only right in the context of your own development.
3. "Good is not Great"
Ellis separated from McDonald's in part because he didn't want to rely on adequate workers. He wanted everyone to outperform.
This perspective should guide any musician from choosing who to play with to building one's team. Sometimes you have to make do but always go for the best.
4. "Integrity Matters"
Ellis chose his values over those of McDonald's and gave up some cash in the process. But he found a way to grow Chipotle on his own terms and he's doing just fine without McDonald's.
Though you may not associate the word "integrity" with the word "business," you don't have to give up your values to be a success in the music industry. You might not be able to make a major label happy but that might not be a bad thing when all is said and done.
Sound pretty basic? You don't have to be a big Chipotle fan like Joy Ike to recognize that, despite the complexity of the music industry, some things remain simple.
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Backtrack


Look at each step that got you to where you are now. If you backtrack one step at a time, where will you end up?
Look at all your current steps to see where and what you had achieved so far. And then backtrack to see if what you had done was a right decision or not. And maybe be able to correct some of the mistakes that you have made as well.
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US Gov’t Says Music Depreciates 3X Faster Than Movies


US Gov't Says Music Depreciates 3X Faster Than Movies
By Jay Frank (@Repojay), Owner and CEO of DigSin.
How fast does music depreciate? Try three times as fast as movies. This isn’t quantified by me just making a random statement. This is actually what the US government is saying.
Now, before we get to the “huff-and-puff” part that the internet likes to flame over, let’s talk about the positive. Starting on July 31st, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis will be restating and recalculating how they come up with the US gross domestic product (GDP). For the first time, they will actually take into account artistic creation (defined mostly as movies, TV, books & music) as part of the economic engine of the United States. They are estimating that it all adds up to about 0.5% of the US GDP, which is $70 Billion dollars. For the government to recognize creatives in this fashion is a huge deal, and will probably result in benefits that we don’t even realize yet.
But what really caught my eye in the deck from the May briefing and the Businessweek article is the annual depreciation value. What the Bureau found is that music depreciates the fastest at an annual rate of 26.7% while movies depreciate the slowest at an annual rate of 9.3%. This figure is derived from factoring in the different depreciation values across the spectrum of content. As described in a footnote about TV:
“Long-lived television programs include situation comedies and drama programs. Other types of television programs, including news programs, sporting events, game shows, soap operas, and reality programming, have much shorter service lives and will not be capitalized.”
In music terms, the Mumford And Sons record might depreciate in value very slowly, but the new Paris Hilton record might depreciate very quickly. But even if the government doesn’t have it exactly right, I tend to believe they have enough information to be fairly close. Perhaps the reality is that some complaints about low digital royalties has more to do with people losing interest in many older titles faster than they ever have before.
Bob Lefsetz is likely correct that the lack of quality across music is also causing great deterioration in music’s value. With so much music being released, it’s more likely that more music will be forgotten in a year’s time. Can you name more than 5 songs released in July 2012? (Not you, Sean Ross). Even if you could, there were an estimated 10,000 releases that month. If 50 of them held value, that would still leave 9,950 that don’t. The high volume of releases coupled with the lack of perceived quality can clearly be a major contributor to music being more disposable than ever before.
You can’t blame it on royalty rates either. Because if anything, the royalty rates for services like Pandora go up every year (albeit slightly). I’ve seen first hand at my own company that the more we market a great record, the more that record’s value INCREASES with each year. Make better music, market it longer than a week, and show your audience you care. Maybe…just maybe…we can retain the value of more music for longer. And now, if we do that, we’re officially helping our GDP grow.
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Get some sun


Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine tested the affects of sunlight with a select group and found that sunlight not only increased mood in the participants, but also improved their cognitive thinking ability.
Well there is proof in this blog, that sunlight does wonders to people and how they think and be creative. And bring some life to your day, and your creative thinking. In fact why don't you, if you can do your project, or work outside for a change. Unless your project is outside, but anyway have fun in the sun. Also be careful of getting too much sun, and getting sunburn. So protect yourself in the sun and be creative and have fun.
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DJ Shapes Sound with Fingers, Leap Motion


July 24, 2013 at 1:49 pm by Eliot Van Buskirk
DJ Shapes Sound with Fingers, Leap Motion
Leap Motion released an $80 motion sensor on Monday, which works with Mac and Windows. On launch day, Leap’s Airspace app store had 14 music apps for doing silly things like punching notes as they fly out of a song, or more serious things like playing the piano, harp, or drums in thin air.
We predict that developers will find other musical uses for Leap that the average music fan can appreciate; the possibilities for navigating music libraries in three dimensions seems particularly attractive (maybe it’ll even let those of us who remember use our special two-fingered vinyl-flipping technique, honed through years of digging through crates).
Someone has already figured out how to make Leap control Spotify, and we expect further apps to follow — especially if Leap Motion makes it into laptops, as some expect it to. It sure would be easier to swipe a hand in the air to skip a song than to remember which window it’s playing in.
However, the first popular uses for Leap are likely to be for making music, not navigating or playing it, because the gearheads are going to snap this thing up before music fans do. We just heard about an as-yet-unnamed app and VST plugin, from Aaron Leese of Stagecraft Software, still in prototype form, which lets Leap Motion owners reach out and touch sound. Sort of.
This technology promises to let DJs, producers, hobbyists, and fans-of-interesting-things sculpt and shape EQ patterns, delay filters, and other elements, by moving their hands in the air and the song. It also lets you see what you’re doing to the sound, creating the illusion that you’re actually touching music:
The astute reader might protest: haven’t DJ rigs, Grooveboxes, and other music-making gizmos been able to sense hand motions for, like, ever?
Yes. The difference is that Leap Motion detects a lot more than just the distance of your hand from a specific point on a device.
Leese explains,
First of all, very few, if any, of the existing mid-air style controllers have more than one dimension (most are a single infrared detector that gives one variable, distance, as a MIDI signal). While that is pretty cool, it’s not the same level of control. Also, the ones I have seen are mostly used to control one single, simple variable effect. Pretty cool, but it would be better to be able to use it like a theremin (control an instrument, that is).
Eventually, I plan to make a simple plugin that lets you map the three dimensions to any of the parameters on any plugin (instrument or effect). I also plan to bundle a number of my own effects this way, of course.
Another product in the works is a basic Theremin, but with a synth with a number of voices. Planning on calling that one the “There-e-thing”, since you can make it sound like a trumpet, or piano, or helicopter, or whatever.
I do plan on integrating this feature it into my other products also.
We’re looking forward to checking this out — and to what else Leap Motion and its inevitable competitors will bring to digital music.
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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Online Music Licensing Resources


Online Music Licensing Resources

Note: While there are many different ways that music can be licensed, this article will focus on getting your music licensed for TV, film, advertising, commercials, websites, radio, etc., via online resources.
What Is Music Licensing?
Music licensing is the licensed use of copyrighted music. It also ensures that the creators of musical works get paid for their work. In layman’s terms it can be viewed as leasing your property out to someone for a fee, based on how and where they intend to use it, and for how long.
What’s cool is you’re not selling your music, so you still own the copyright to your songs and recordings. Furthermore, many music licensing deals are non-exclusive, meaning you can license the same song to as many people or companies that are willing to pay for its use!
Music Licensing Terms
The following words and phrases often turn up when discussing music licensing:
assignment
A full ownership transfer of a copyright interest, in whole or in part, from one person or entity to another. A copyright assignment MUST be in writing.
broadcast
The replaying of pre-recorded works to multiple listeners through various media or in a ‘semi-live’ setting such as a bar or bookstore, and including radio, TV, webcasting, podcasting, etc.
copyright
With regard to musical works, the exclusive right to make and publish copies of the work, to make other versions of the work, to make recordings of the work, and to perform the work in public. license The right, granted by the copyright holder, for a given person or entity to broadcast, recreate, perform, or listen to a recorded copy of a copyrighted work.
licensee
The person or entity to whom the work is licensed.
licensor
The owner of the licensed work.
master use license
Gives you permission to use an existing recording such as an accompaniment track in an audio or video project. You must obtain a license for each track in the project from the owner of the recording.
master use rights
Required for previously recorded material that you do not own or control. They can only be obtained from the owner of the master recording, usually a record company. It is recommended that you obtain the master use license from the owner prior to requesting a mechanical license.
mechanical license
Grants the rights to reproduce and distribute copyrighted musical compositions (songs), including uses on phonorecords (i.e., CDs, records, tapes, and certain digital configurations).
performance
The live performance of a musical piece, regardless of whether it’s performed by the original artist or in the manner it is best known.
performing rights organization
Large companies, the best-known of whom are ASCAP, BMI, and to a lesser extent SESAC (there are others as well) whose fundamental job it is to keep track of every single performance or broadcast of all works protected under copyright.
public domain
The legal status of a work
  1. for which copyright protection was never available;
  2. for which copyright protection was never properly secured; or
  3. for which copyright protection, though may have existed, has expired or otherwise has been lost. No permission or license is required to use a work that is in the public domain.
pre-cleared music
Music that has been pre-negotiated for price, distribution and legal use, generally through licensing for film, video, television (commercials and programs), Internet, events, video games and multimedia productions.
publisher
For the purposes of copyright, a publisher is the owner of the copyrighted work.
synchronization licensing
The licensing of musical works to be performed as a soundtrack, bumper, leadin, or background to a motion picture.
work made for hire (work for hire)
According to copyright law in most countries, if a work is “made for hire,” the employer, not the employee, is considered the legal author.
Online Music Licensing Resources
I’ve thrown together a list of various music licensing websites. Each company may differ in the way they license music, as well as how they charge for their services. Do your research and choose the one that’s tight for you.
Claims to insert hundreds of songs into films, documentaries, television/cable programs, extreme sports videos, exercise videos, etc.
A global music licensing company working for adverts, films and games.
A bridge that links independent artists and musicians to those in the industry who want their songs. Humtoo Connects music makers with projects that need music.
A complete music licensing e-commerce solution which makes it easy for you to license your music from your own website and keep 100% of the sales revenues.
License pre-cleared Indie music for film, television, documentaries, advertising, websites, video games, corporate videos, and commercials.
A simple and fun approach to music licensing. Instead of browsing through libraries for hours, have musicians make music based on your description.
A full-service Music Licensing company that connects quality artists from around the world with leading brands, networks, advertising agencies, film production houses and gaming companies.
Music Licensing Store (Rumblefish)
Provides music licensing services to social media and technology companies, movie and TV production studios, advertisers, video game makers and iconic brands worldwide.
Researches and licenses music for content producers.
Artists can license their music into productions without giving up any ownership, while TV and advertising producers can discover new music ready for use.
Claims to operate the world’s largest online music research and licensing marketplace.
Music rights management.
Helps independent artists, songwriters, and composers get record, publishing, and film/TV deals.
Additional Resources
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Help someone


Find a problem or project that somebody else is working on and help them with it. When it's not your problem you're focusing on, you're more likely to explore creative ideas.
This piece of advice can be used on anything, and just about everything that you're doing in life. It could be done while your at work helping out a  co-worker, your family, kids, wife, girlfriend whoever. Or even doing charity work of some kind. And it's not just for getting your creative thoughts flowing, but also helping someone in the process. And also someone can also return the favor to you as well. So give it a try, and see how far given a helping hand can be.
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The Top 5 Biggest Mistakes To Make When Clearing Music For Licensing


The Top 5 Biggest Mistakes To Make When Clearing Music For Licensing

Top 5 Biggest Mistakes When Clearing Music For Licensing
The Top 5 Biggest Mistakes To Make When Clearing Music For Licensing
By: Chris Rucks | Music Dealers
There are various aspects to music licensing that can get pretty complex, pretty quickly. Among these is music clearance, essentially the process of locating the owners of a song and obtaining permission from them to license their music in your project. It’s wise to approach the clearance of a song with some important ideas in mind. So, we’ve compiled a list of a few of the most common pitfalls to avoid when clearing music for licensing.
#5 - Assuming you can’t be successful if you can’t license that particular song
Is there a better selection? Do you have to use the song your boss suggested because her 14 year old daughter thinks it’s “omg, like, so good.” You’re about to do a lot of work (and probably spend a good chunk of change if it’s Top 40 radio) for a song that may not be the best selection.
What’s the motivation for using the song? Does it fit perfectly with the project like peanut butter and jelly? Is your song selection formulaic? Is there a better selection? A cheaper selection? A selection that will resonate with your intended audience to a greater degree? Omg, like, maybe!
#4 - Not giving yourself enough time
It’s wise to give yourself ample time for both the necessary research and the time that goes into contacting copyright holders.
It’s Monday and your boss is struck by a “eureka” moment. He comes barreling down the hallway into your office. He enthusiastically insists upon licensing an incredibly popular song by:
• a band with seven writers and seven publishers
• a band that has since fallen out and hates each other’s guts
• a band that hates the record label and compromising on the fee for both sides will be a nightmare
• a band with two writers in dire financial straits, drooling at the possibility of milking you for every red cent you’ve got
When you’re informed that you’ll need that by Friday, the hairs on the back of your neck will stand up straight as you contort your face into a counterfeit smile. Gather your things, head to the elevator, proceed to the bar downstairs, order whiskey and coke, two cubes. You got a lot of voicemails to leave and you’re about to have some fun. Make sure you’re giving yourself ample time when clearing a license. Some situations will be infinitely more simple than others, for example, a label who also owns the master and the publishing and is ready to license their artists with no problems. However, more complex situations, like the example above, require much more work.
The depth of your relationships with rights holders plays a crucial factor in the process. It’s easy to call a large publisher you’ve already dealt with and close a deal a little more quickly, as opposed to just beginning the relationship and having to get up to speed.
#3 - Leaving out a rights holder
“Oh you only need to get in contact with the majority of the publishing/writers of the song. Don’t worry, we’ve got most of them.” [Insert wrong answer buzzer sound] Wrong.
God only knows how many lawsuits have developed from this tiny misconception. My friend, you will need to get in touch with, and obtain permission from, each and every member who has ownership in that composition.
That goes for the big name writers and publishers, as well as the manager’s grandson who’s inherited two percent of the song. If you forget the grandson, guess what? Potential lawsuit city.
#2 - Not having realistic expectations
“Well I only have 5k, but I want this Beatles song in perpetuity for broadcast ads.” Wrong. If you want a popular/well-known song, you’re going to pay for it, there’s no way around it.
Set your limits, know what your budget is, and manage your expectations. This is someone’s work of art, and if it’s well-known, the copyright is a valuable entity. Be aware and be warned.
You wouldn’t go try and buy a house in a nice neighborhood for $1000, the real estate agent would laugh you out of the building. Same thing goes for a song clearance.
#1 - Getting insufficient rights
There’s nothing worse than doing all of the clearance work, getting your $300 an hour lawyer to draft/review licensing agreements, forking over your budget, syncing then releasing that project, only to be flattened by a thick wall of regret (another wall of financial repercussions lands on top of the first wall) because you’ve acquired the wrong rights.
Let’s say that you’re a filmmaker only securing the rights for the use of the song in the US while completely ignoring a clearance worldwide. You may not have a ton of cash at the time, your concern is getting the cheapest price you can, or you may not be aware at all. A year later, you want to release globally. You discover what your contract says and head back to the publisher to expand your music rights worldwide, and they want to hang you upside down and shake the money from your pockets.
It’s good to understand what the ramifications of obtaining certain rights are and, in this scenario, what potential options you have to get the rights that you need. (Maybe you ask the publisher of the song if a step-deal would be an option—you can get the rights you need by appealing to that individual’s hope of earning future cash. At the end of the day, these guys are in it to make money. And there are ways to finesse the situation so you can get the rights you need and avoid costly and/or prohibitive circumstances in the future.)
We’ve seen countless examples of studios and companies unknowingly restricting their music use only to pay dearly in the long run. Make sure you know what you need, cover your back for usage that you can’t anticipate in the future, and manage short term goals/budget with long term licensing expectations.
All in all, if you’ve got the basics down, you’re in a much better position to clear the music you need. But it’s the details and time investment that trips up quite a few professionals interested in music clearance. So, watch out for those nitty gritty details. It’s deep within the shadows of the details that lawsuits like to hide and wait, then spring out when you least suspect. You don’t want anything springing out of a contract, regardless of what line of business you’re in.
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