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Showing posts with label Music licensing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music licensing. Show all posts

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Tips On Getting Your Music Licensed From Music Supervisor & Songwriter Sarah Sharp


Sarah Sharp is a songwriter, music supervisor and the lead singer of the Jitterbug Vipers (@jitterbugvipers).
As an occasional music supervisor and a songwriter who has had a lot of song placements in film, TV & ad campaigns worldwide, I get many questions about music licensing. People tell me all the time that their music would be so perfect for film and TV and I always think, “That’s great. What are you doing about it?” Maybe you are surrounded by a team of people who will get that done for you. If so, GOOD FOR YOU!!! If not, there are ways to make your own way.
Over the last decade, I’ve licensed songs through personal relationships with music supervisors & directors, through song placement companies, through selling my songs but keeping the writer royalties with Universal Music Publishing through their FirstCom production music library & from the occasional placement of my own song in a project I music supervised (which is never a given).
My most recent success has been with my duo with Andrea Perry called Kaliyo (Kah-LEE-yo). We’ve had songs used in promos for Chanel, Dell, Macy’s, ABC TV’s "Revenge" and on TV shows not only in the US, but all over the world.
So here are some of my tips:
1. Go to film festivals. Make friends with filmmakers at every level of production & success.
I particularly get excited when I meet editors. Editors will often choose from their personal music library for temp music in their rough edits and often, everyone becomes accustomed to the temp music & it stays. Take a genuine interest in what people are trying to write or get made and help each other on the way up.
I have read my friends’ scripts and given feedback and made them mix tapes of indie artists years before the film finally gets made. The 1st film I music supervised was a Jason Lee, Crispin Glover film called “Drop Dead Sexy”. I probably earned $1/hr by the time it was all said and done for the time I put in, but one of my songs ended up in the film and I have made several thousand dollars in royalties from that one placement. BIG PICTURE.
2. Get a final mix of your entire album with no vocal.
There are a lot of places where the instrumental version of your song can be used. Also, it’s often helpful to be able to comp together both versions around the dialogue. This promo for ABC TV’s "Revenge" used our Kaliyo song "Deep Girl." It barely resembles the full song, but they made great use of it by weaving both the instrumental and vocal version in and around the voice over.
3. Don’t be a pain in the ass and get out of your own way.
Sometimes people get a little whiff of success and they get so caught up in the idea of what could be or worrying about not “getting screwed”, that they blow the whole thing. If someone wants to use your song and you have never placed anything before, just say “YES & THANK YOU.” Reply immediately. Be the easiest, most reliable person to work with on the planet. Have a lawyer read your contract and then just say yes. A really smart and as yet still accessible/affordable music lawyer is Amy Mitchell. Tell her I sent you.
4. If you have a great cover version of a really well-known song, try to get it to the publisher of that song.
Often their hands are tied because they own the song, but the record label owns the really famous master. Some publishers would love to know about a fantastic version of their song that they can actually clear.
5. Quality vs quantity. Less is more.
You are better off with a really well produced EP than a huge library of songs that don’t sound as good as what you are hearing on TV. Don’t send a music supervisor everything you have. They are already inundated. Get their attention with a handful of your BEST recordings and let them know there is more.
6. Fully tag your mp3s with as much metadata as possible.
Title, artist, description… especially important are the copyright info, lyrics and your contact info. I like to use Media Monkey. Then make your mp3s very easily downloadable. You can send the WAV or AIFF when they want to use a specific song.
7. Pay attention to the music palate of TV shows.
Your music is going to be a much better fit for some shows than others. If you have an opportunity to submit to a specific music supervisor, immerse yourself in their shows and choose your songs that would most fit the palate of their show(s).
Sarah Sharp is the lead singer of the Jitterbug Vipers (@jitterbugvipers) and is one half of the songwriting duo Kaliyo, who have had success with song placements in fashion and for film and TV, highlights have been promos for Chanel, Dell, and the shows Revenge, Switched At Birth, and The Lying Game.
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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Seeking Success for Your Songs in the World of Music Licensing


Seeking Success for Your Songs in the World of Music Licensing
BY: DAVID DUSTY
Mallory Zumbach, the Creative Director at Round Hill Music, shares her knowledge and insight about the music publishing industry by breaking down a recipe for success in the world of music for those Music Think Tank musicians looking to make it in the world of music licensing.
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Most young bands these days understand the importance of synchronization licensing—a really great use of your song in an ad, TV show, movie, video game, or trailer can help launch your band to the next level. However, many of those same songwriters and artists don’t really know how to get their music licensed. As the Creative Director at Round Hill Music publishing, it’s my job to help land the songs we publish in advertisements and other media. Here’s what I’ve learned so far in my career that might be of help to you.
Watch and Listen, Listen and Watch
When I was in high school, I had a really great band director, Mr. G., who was constantly imploring us to listen to all sorts of different music. His point was that you can’t become a great musician from practice alone—you have to immerse yourself in music and learn from your contemporaries and predecessors. I really believe that the same thing applies for succeeding in the synch world. When you’re watching TV, don’t just regard the music as wallpaper—pay attention to what’s getting used in the shows you’re watching and the ads playing throughout them. Try to observe the trends in song uses, and then go back to your own catalogue and pinpoint which of your own songs might fit into those trends. It’s such a turnoff to music supervisors when you send them stuff that doesn’t fit the mood of their show or sounds too dated for their commercial campaign. If you have more awareness of what’s currently working for people, that will help you have the kind of targeted approach that they appreciate. It can also help give you ideas for things to incorporate into new songs when you sit down to write and record.
Get Happy
In the ad world in particular, there is a constant need for music with positive lyrics. At the end of the day, agencies are trying to help their clients sell their products, and a depressing or angry song, no matter how great, isn’t typically going to help them accomplish that goal. I don’t think there will ever be a time when agency music producers will stop requesting songs with lyrics about positive, universal themes like togetherness, feeling carefree, things changing for the better, etc. Nothing is more of a bummer for me than having a writer I work with send me a song that is musically uplifting (yay!) with negative lyrics (boo!). Which is not to say that you should only write cheery tunes—no one can be happy all of the time, and there are still synch needs for sad/mad songs in other areas like film, TV, and video games. It’s just that having one or two big, anthemic songs with positive lyrics will give you something to work with across all synch mediums. Our band American Authors has a fantastic song, “Best Day of My Life”, that’s getting all sorts of synchs, from ads to film trailers to TV shows, because it’s a feel good song with feel good lyrics that’s also really genuine.
Expand Your Options
There are so many ways to help increase the likelihood of having synch success beyond just getting your current songs pitched to music supervisors. The absolute easiest step to take is making sure that you always have an instrumental version for each of your songs. Instrumentals get requested a lot because lyrics can compete too much with important dialogue or voice over in a commercial or TV/film scene. Additionally, if you have an anthemic-sounding song with problematic lyrics (as referenced above), you can at least hope to get some traction with the instrumental version of it. Beyond having instrumentals to work with, think about doing covers of older songs that can put those songs in a new light. We recently had one of our indie bands, Sleepy Kitty, create new covers of two of our classic songs (“I Wanna Be Your Man”, originally by the Beatles, and the Ann Peebles classic “I Can’t Stand the Rain”). They took the songs to a completely different place from the original versions, which opens up the possibility of licensing those songs for us, and boosts the chances of the band getting some notoriety out there for their particular recordings. If you’re really up for a challenge (and have easy access to a studio), make yourself available to write songs “to spec”—in other words, be willing to write something new specifically for a synch use. Being a bit more creative about ways to expand your reach can lead to additional synchronization opportunities.
Don’t Go It Alone
I think one of the biggest challenges that anyone trying to get their music licensed today faces is that the competition is extremely stiff. If you try to pitch your songs on your own, you’ve got an uphill battle ahead of you. This is where working with a publisher, label, or synch placement company can really make a difference. Our synch team is able to get more of our Round Hill writers’ and artists’ music in front of music supervisors because we have strong relationships with them, established over years of working in this part of the industry. That’s why we get sent song searches in the first place—because they trust us to send them the right songs for each project. A good publisher (or label or placement company) can be the difference between your music being heard by the right people or not. If you’re just blindly emailing MP3s out to supervisors, chances are they’re not going to listen to them. They have to listen to so much music every single day that songs don’t stand out unless someone they trust is championing them. It’s also really important to have a good advocate on your side when it comes time to negotiate the actual license. It’s as much my job to help make sure our writers get paid fairly for synch uses as it is to land the uses in the first place. A lot of young or inexperienced artists going it on their own don’t know what a fair license fee is, let alone how to ask for on. Letting songs go for virtually nothing can set a poor precedent for the value of their music that can come back to bite them later. Having an intermediary like a publisher there to negotiate helps prevent that from happening. My colleagues and I have both the trust of the music supervisors we work with and the knowhow to look out for our writers/artists, and that leads to far better chance for synch-related success.
About Round Hill Music:
Headquartered in New York with offices in Los Angeles and Nashville, Round Hill Music, LP, is a full service music publisher and creative rights management company. The firm seeks to acquire and manage a diversified portfolio of iconic music copyrights, and to provide a high level of service to its songwriters. Round Hill Music brings together a seasoned team of music publishing and investment professionals and owns or administers music recorded and performed by the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bruno Mars, Cee Lo Green, Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Bon Jovi, Steve Perry, Louis Armstrong, Tina Turner, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Def Leppard, Carrie Underwood, Backstreet Boys, Aerosmith, Buckcherry, Mötley Crüe, Daughtry, Gavin Rossdale, Micharl Bolton, Percy Sledge and Katy Perry among many other artists. Songs in the company’s catalogs include, “All of Me”, “Living in America”, “Bye, Bye, Bye” “Waking Up in Vegas”, “How Do You Stop”, “She Loves You”, “I Saw Her Standing There”, “I’m Alive”, “Inside Your Heaven”, “If It Does Not Snow on Christmas”, “Oh Sherrie”, “Jaded”, “When a Man Loves a Woman”, “In The Meantime”, “Forget You”, “Undo It”, “Just The Way You Are”, “Club Can’t Handle Me”, “Billionaire”, “One Day” and “Marry You.”
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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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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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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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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