<![CDATA[Making Money With Your Music: Learn how you license your music for TV and films - Home]]>Wed, 05 Apr 2023 19:25:49 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[10 Things You Need To Know About Placing Music On TV And Films]]>Fri, 25 Apr 2014 20:54:07 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-placing-music-on-tv-and-filmsGreat new article you may like:

10 Things You Need To Know About Placing Music On TV And Films]]><![CDATA[How To Set Up And Host A Website For $1.25 Per Month]]>Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:01:05 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/how-to-set-up-and-host-a-website-for-125per-monthIt’s very important that one has their own web presence when it comes to having an online presence.  Facebook pages are nice, but it may not be  around forever.  Look at Friendster and MySpace as examples of once popular web spaces that have been toppled by newer players.  It is also much more professional to have your own website, and with your own “dot com” domain  name.

But how do you go about doing this without spending a lot?  The nice thing about Facebook is that it’s FREE, right?  

Here’s how I have my own website presence for less than $15 per year.  There are lots of people out there that will host your website, but it can cost quite a bit.  One example is Hostbaby.com - which charges $20 per month, which ends up costing you $240 a year.   I have nothing against them, I’ve used cdbaby.com for years for my band, and I’m sure they are a high-quality company and provide great service.  All I’m saying is that  it’ll cost you $240 for the year, not to mention domain name renewals, which are around $15 per year now.  

Here it is at it’s simplest; buy a domain name and have it point to a freely hosted website.  Two steps (sort of - I broke it into four steps below).

Step 1: Buy a domain name

If you already own a domain name,  then you can skip this step.  I have used 1and1.com, but there are a
million places to buy domain names.  Sometimes there’s a signup special (buy a .com domain for only $0.99 for the first year!).  The regular price currently seems to be $14.99/year, which could potentially be the only thing you pay to keep your website up.

Step 2: Build a Website

Sounds like a daunting step, but it’s not too bad.  I use Weebly.com and they have a super easy to use system to build quality
looking websites.  So just go there, sign up for a free account and start building away.  You can just use a yourbandname.weebly.com domain to start with and change it later (we’ll get to that in Step 4).  You can create your
homepage, drag and drop pictures and texts, create a blog, whatever.  It’s all there.

Step 3: Point your domain to Weebly

Follow the directions at this link: http://kb.weebly.com/domain-registrar.html to do this step.

Step 4: Update your Weebly Domain Setting

Select the Settings tab in weebly for your site.  Click on the “Change Site Address” link and then select “use a domain you already own” and type in your domain.name.   Publish the website and voila, you are done. 

You can always pay more and get more features using Weebly.com and I do that for some other websites, but it’s still less than $6 per  month and you can have up to ten websites for that - crazy!   

So that’s how I use those sites for a low cost website hosting solution.  Figured out a cheaper way to do it?  Share it in the 
comments below:
]]><![CDATA[How To ID Tag Your Music Files]]>Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:03:47 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/how-to-id-tag-your-music-filesHere's a great article on how to ID Tag your music files so all sorts of information appears when someone else (i.e., a music supervisor) opens up your music file.

http://www.sonicscoop.com/2013/02/21/sound-information-metadata-for-your-music/
]]><![CDATA[Finding Music Placements On Your Own]]>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:19:01 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/finding-music-placements-on-your-ownSo you don't want to rely on music publishers or other song pitchers in the industry and you're ready to dive right in and be a mover and a shaker in and of your own right?  No problem, get ready for some serious work. 

The idea then is to find out about films and TV shows that are currently in production and who is responsible for the music for these projects.  Here are some great places to start: 

Variety Magazine: From their website, www.variety.com: “Recognized and respected throughout the world of show business, Variety is the premier source of entertainment news.”  Variety’s website has lists of production companies and the projects they currently have in production.  They sometimes offer a free trial for a time, which should give you a fairly extensive list to start with.  The subscription fee is around $300/year for the online version.

Hollywood Reporter is Variety’s main competitor.  Its website is www.hollywoodreporter.com and it has print and online versions.  Check the website for subscription fees.  They are typically a little less expensive than Variety.

Internet Movie Dababase – www.imdb.com.  Signing up for IMDbPro gives you access to lists of movies and TV shows in pre-production, filming, post-production, etc.  The fee is less than Variety or Hollywood Reporter and it is monthly, which makes it easy to try out for awhile.

Some other places to look:
Film Music JobWire – www.filmmusic.net.  Great source for all things film music.  Job listings, etc.
Hear it – Clear it Music Supervision - http://www.hearitclearit.com/: browse music needs and sign up for email list.
Goodnight Kiss Music Publishing: http://www.goodnightkiss.com/howto.html

Performance Rights Organizations:

BMI – www.bmi.com
ASCAP – www.ascap.com
SESAC – www.sesac.com

Each PRO has a department dedicated to helping get their artists music into film and TV.  You may want to investigate those areas and ask for their assistance.

“Who Else Wants An In-Depth, Comprehensive, Fast-Track Education In Music Licensing? ... Learn The Nuts And Bolts, From A - Z, Of The Music Licensing Business...Learn How To Get Your Songs In TV And Films And Start Generating Income From Your Music...”

If You're Ready To Start Making Money By Licensing Your Music And Get Your Music Heard By Millions Of People, click to the right.

"How An Out Of Work Musician Managed To Rebuild A Thriving Music Career Using Nothing But The Internet To Generate Thousands Of Dollars In Revenue each Year!"

Learn How To Create Your Own Success In The Music Business. Anyone Can Do It. You Just need To Know How...

]]><![CDATA[All About Publishers]]>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:43:32 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/all-about-publishersWhen first starting out, there are a few ways to go about finding opportunities for licensing your music.  If you have the time, you can do all the legwork yourself by hunting down places that need music, find out who the music supervisors are, get their contact information somehow, build a relationship with them and see if your music might be a fit. 

Or you can submit your music to publishers who will try to license your music for you.  A publisher has lots of contacts and therefore should be able to place your music easier.  It’s what they do.  Once you have some credits under your belt, you’ll have more credibility as an independent artist and music supervisors will give you more attention than someone who has never had their music used for anything whatsoever. 

If you do it yourself, however, you can end up making twice as much money because you don’t have to split the royalties with a publisher.  It also takes a lot of time and effort and it may take a while to see some success.  So let’s take a look at music publishers.
Music Publishers

Submitting to a music publisher is a good way to get music placed into films and on TV and saves you a lot of legwork.  Music publishers are companies who primarily represent songwriters to try to find uses for their songs in various ways.  They work directly with music supervisors and production companies, so they have the inside scoop on a lot of projects.  Search the web for music publishers that specialize in your style of music.  If you’re a hip hop artist, don’t submit to a publisher that specializes in pop/rock or country.  My band for example is more of a roots rock, rockabilly, country punk hybrid.  So it may be difficult to find a publisher that matches exactly.  Therefore, I’d look for publishers that deal in music for Alternative Rock, Rock, Roots Rock, etc. to see what I could find. 

If you can spend the money, one of the fastest and easiest methods of finding publishers and their contact information is to purchase an industry directory such as the Film & Television Music Guide by Ritch Esra and Stephen Trumbull, which runs about a hundred bucks, but can definitely be worth the time it will save you.  A cheaper, but maybe less thorough alternative, is Songwriter’s Market, which has a section for music publishers and you can find it at your local bookstore or library.

If a publisher decides to license your song(s), they will sign you to a deal, which gives them ownership of the copyright.  If they place your music in a film or on tv, they will get 50% of the royalties.  This is how they make their money.  Not a bad deal if they can place your music someplace that you can’t (50% of something is better than 100% of nothing).  If you can contact music supervisors directly, ask them which publishers they like working with or work with the most.  This may provide you with a lead on a publishing company you know has success placing lots of songs.

Publishers will typically sign you to an exclusive deal.  This means that if they give you a publishing deal on a song, you cannot have any other publishing deals with any other publishing companies for that song.  This publisher will get their share of the royalties for any placement of this song.  Many publishers will try to have the deal for perpetuity (forever), which may not be a bad idea when you’re first starting out.   Once you have a few songs placed you might be pickier and only sign publishing deals that are limited to a year or two.  Publishers are becoming more open to contracts that are not for perpetuity.  So it doesn’t hurt to try and arrange for a deal that gives them 1 to 2 years and is non-exclusive.  That way, if they don’t place your song in that period, you can shop it around again.

When contacting a music publisher that deals in your genre of music, the easiest and best thing to say when calling them up is, “Hello, what is the best way to submit music to your company?”  Be simple and get right to the point.  Once you submit music, you can follow up later.

One drawback to a publisher is that they may have so many artists and songs they represent that you get lost in the shuffle.  It’s always a good idea to follow up with them every 6 – 8 weeks and see if they have anything for you.  Stay in front of them (without being pesky) and you greatly increase your chances of them thinking of you when opportunities come along.

So now it’s time to start your search.  Go find some publishers, contact them and start submitting your music.  Best of luck.

“Who Else Wants An In-Depth, Comprehensive, Fast-Track Education In Music Licensing? ... Learn The Nuts And Bolts, From A - Z, Of The Music Licensing Business...Learn How To Get Your Songs In TV And Films And Start Generating Income From Your Music...”

If You're Ready To Start Making Money By Licensing Your Music And Get Your Music Heard By Millions Of People, click to the right.

"How An Out Of Work Musician Managed To Rebuild A Thriving Music Career Using Nothing But The Internet To Generate Thousands Of Dollars In Revenue each Year!"

Learn How To Create Your Own Success In The Music Business. Anyone Can Do It. You Just need To Know How...

]]><![CDATA[4 Ways To License Your Music Locally]]>Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:55:56 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/4-ways-to-license-your-music-locallyWhile it’s nice to get on national TV or in a major film, there may be other places to place your music that are much closer to home (if you don’t live in Los Angeles that is, which most of us don’t).  It may be easier to get your music used in something local because you can meet people face to face locally and there is less competition.  Local sources are a good place to start making money and getting credits under your belt.


1. Search the internet for local movie studios.  Find out what projects they are working on, who is in charge of the music and see if you can meet them.  Face to face meetings are best and will give you the best chance of having them use your music.  Do internet searches using your city’s name and keywords such as “film production”, “indie moves”, “production companies”, “music wanted”, etc.  You’ll be surprised at how many film associations are close by, both in your nearest major city and also within your state.

2. Find out what film festivals are playing in your area.  Go to them and introduce yourself to the filmmakers.  Find out if they have any projects they are working on currently that they need music for.  If not, get their contact information and call them up in a few months to see if anything has developed.

3. Call up your local ad agencies and see if they need any music for local commercials.  TV and radio stations also might be a good source as they often make their own commercials.  Who knows, you may even be asked to write a jingle for a local business for a few hundred bucks.  I met a guy who did this who told me he got $700 for writing a jingle for a local auto shop.  Not bad! 

4. Listen to locally produced commercials.  If they use similar music to yours contact the company, ask them who produces their commercials, then contact whoever produces their commercials and ask to be kept in mind in the future.  Tell them that you heard their commercial for X and noticed the background music was similar to yours and you thought it might be a good fit for future commercials.  Then see if they’d be willing to take a listen.


“Who Else Wants An In-Depth, Comprehensive, Fast-Track Education In Music Licensing? ... Learn The Nuts And Bolts, From A - Z, Of The Music Licensing Business...Learn How To Get Your Songs In TV And Films And Start Generating Income From Your Music...”

If You're Ready To Start Making Money By Licensing Your Music And Get Your Music Heard By Millions Of People, click to the right.


"How An Out Of Work Musician Managed To Rebuild A Thriving Music Career Using Nothing But The Internet To Generate Thousands Of Dollars In Revenue each Year!"

Learn How To Create Your Own Success In The Music Business. Anyone Can Do It. You Just need To Know How...

]]><![CDATA[How Music Is Used In TV Shows & Movies]]>Sat, 07 Apr 2012 02:00:24 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/how-music-is-used-in-tv-shows-moviesIn television, music can be used as a theme song, the underscore, a song written for a specific scene, a pre-existing song, production company logo, promotional music, or as a commercial jingle. 

In film, music can be used in three basic ways: 1. the underscore, 2. the song written for the film and 3. the pre-existing song.  This website focuses mainly on how to get the music you already have recorded into film and TV, or the “pre-existing” song.  The pre-existing song can be used multiple ways in films:


1. Background music with vocals: A song played in the background, as support for a scene.  Vocals are included.

2. Background music without vocals: A song played in the background, as support for a scene.  This is an instrumental.

3. Visual vocals: One of the characters is singing the song on screen.

4. Visual instrumental:  An orchestra or band is playing a song on screen.

5. Opening or closing theme: A song used during the opening or closing credits of the film.

Each of these types of music uses generates different fees and royalty payments.    For example, background music with vocals pays five times as much in royalties than background music without vocals! 

Find out what the scene is. Is it important thematically for the movie?  Oftentimes, the music supervisor will explain the scene and how it will be used.  Sometimes they will send you a few pages of the actual script where they want your music used.
“Who Else Wants An In-Depth, Comprehensive, Fast-Track Education In Music Licensing? ... Learn The Nuts And Bolts, From A - Z, Of The Music Licensing Business...Learn How To Get Your Songs In TV And Films And Start Generating Income From Your Music...”

If You're Ready To Start Making Money By Licensing Your Music And Get Your Music Heard By Millions Of People, click to the right.

"How An Out Of Work Musician Managed To Rebuild A Thriving Music Career Using Nothing But The Internet To Generate Thousands Of Dollars In Revenue each Year!"

Learn How To Create Your Own Success In The Music Business. Anyone Can Do It. You Just need To Know How...

]]><![CDATA[How Much Money Can Be Made Licensing Music?]]>Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:59:18 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/how-much-money-can-be-made-licensing-musicA lot of talk goes around about the importance of music licensing as a revenue stream for your music career and also as a means of increased exposure.  And you hear people talk about either the mountain of money that can be made and you also hear people talk about how the money isn’t really that great.  So what is the truth, especially for the independent artist?

The truth is that it depends. 

Okay, we won’t stop there as it’s a cop out.  But it does depend on a few things, like how the music is used, what it is used for, how long it is used for and what “rights” the production company is willing to pay for.

So first off, permission to use music is needed from the music publisher and copyright owner.  And a “right” just means what media they have the right to play your music on.  For the small, independent artist with little clout, this will probably be “all media excluding theatrical.”  As it suggests, this includes the right to play the music on everything and anything a television show could be broadcast over.  Typically the fees are larger than those paid for “all television and home video” described below.

So now the big answer for the independent, non-stature artist: fees are typically from $350 to a little over $1,000 for television.  For films, the fee could be a couple thousand dollars.  That’s the sync and master use fee.  Performance royalties are another subject.

But now for a little fun, let’s see what the big dogs make.  Here are some other negotiable rights and their associated fees:

 - Free television: the major networks, independent local stations and syndication.  For a well known song, typical synchronization fees are $1,750 to $3,500 for five to six years.  Life of copyright license fees for use in hit series could be from $6,000 to $12,000 depending on the music budget, how important the song is for the scene, how long it’s used for and how many times it’s used.
 
 - Pay or subscription television: channels like HBO, Showtime, and the Disney Channel.  Typical fees would be from $2,500 to $3,500 for well-known songs for five years to six years. 

 - Basic cable television: all the other non-pay channels offered as part of cable television.  Typical fees are similar to free television.

 - All television media: includes all of the above.  Fees can range from $7,500 to $12,000 because it is so all-encompassing.  Usually done for successful television series.

 - All television and home video: all of the above plus home video.  Fees can range from $10,500 to over $20,000.  This is typically done for a successful series that will probably be released on DVD.  

 - Educational and Public Broadcasting Television (PBS).  These fees are set at lower rates because these networks are listener-supported and non-commercial. 

What this means is that separate fees can be charged for each of those uses.  A production company will usually want to negotiate as many rights as possible (all media excluding theatrical) for the least amount of money.  The licensor will want them to pay for each right separately and get as much money as possible.  For the small, independent artist, you don’t have much negotiating power to do this unless your sound is very unique and they really want you.  In most cases, they’ll just deal with someone that’s easier to work with if you prove difficult. 

A production company quite often will get quotes on each of these rights as separate “options.” 

So there you have it, a quick rundown of some typical payments for music licensing.  From the unknown, independent artist to the established artists with well-known songs.  And then there’s always a band like Led Zeppelin, who can get a few hundred thousand dollars for the use of one of their songs in a commercial.  If that days comes for you…go ahead and let your high-paid lawyers negotiate that baby.

“Who Else Wants An In-Depth, Comprehensive, Fast-Track Education In Music Licensing? ... Learn The Nuts And Bolts, From A - Z, Of The Music Licensing Business...Learn How To Get Your Songs In TV And Films And Start Generating Income From Your Music...”

If You're Ready To Start Making Money By Licensing Your Music And Get Your Music Heard By Millions Of People, click to the right.

"How An Out Of Work Musician Managed To Rebuild A Thriving Music Career Using Nothing But The Internet To Generate Thousands Of Dollars In Revenue each Year!"

Learn How To Create Your Own Success In The Music Business. Anyone Can Do It. You Just need To Know How...

]]><![CDATA[How You Get Paid In Music Licensing]]>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 15:18:44 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/how-you-get-paid-in-music-licensingYou get paid three ways when your music is licensed for use: The synchronization license fee, the master use license fee and through royalties of public performances.  If you own the copyright and master recording, the sync and master licenses can be, and usually are, combined into one license.  This is where you have an advantage as an independent artist.  Music supervisors like dealing with this type of arrangement because it makes things easier and faster.  However, let’s go through an explanation of each type separately so you understand the difference.


Synchronization License Fee
The synchronization fee is what the production company pays to have the right to use the “composition.”  This is not the specific recording of the song, but the song itself.  Permission needs to be granted from the songwriter and music publisher.  Most likely if you are an independent artist, you are both. 

Master Use License Fee
The master use fee is what the production company pays for the right to use the “master recording.” The master recording is your recording of the song, whether it is on CD, audio tape, DAT or an mp3 file.  If you have a cover song, it is your unique recording or version of the song.  (If that’s the case, the film maker will still need to get the synchronization right from the publisher of the song).  Always make sure you have complete ownership of the master recording.  If you have a publishing deal or have other business deals with a record label, manager, recording studio, or have co-written the song, there’s a good chance you don’t have complete control over your recordings.  A music supervisor has to figure out who owns the master and deal with that person or party only. 

Like I said earlier, if you wrote the song and own the recording, many times the master and sync fees are combined into one fee.  Again, you have an advantage in this as an independent, because it makes things easier and faster for the Music Supervisor. 

Synchronization fees are typically low for television, even for hit songs, because there is so much money to be made on the “back-end” in royalties.  A lot of TV shows are even starting to not pay anything for this.  The master fees can be quite high if a song is owned by a record label. The reason is that the owner of the master recording does not receive any royalties or back-end payments (only the publisher and copyright owners receive royalties).  Therefore, the master fee is the only payment a record label will get.  Also, master and synchronization fees are usually much higher for feature films because films don’t generate any royalties when played in the United States. 

Royalties
The real money is made on the “back-end”.  This is the Public Performance royalty.  Royalties are awesome.  You can end up getting royalty checks for years depending on the situation.  This is why it is so important to be registered with a performance rights organization such as BMI, ASCAP or SESAC.  It is also why it is so important to make sure the information is filled out correctly on the music cue sheets (explained later in this chapter) that the production companies fill out. 

Royalties are paid for public performances of your music.  This includes when it is aired over television or in foreign movie theaters.  You do not get royalties for your music that is played in a film in movie theaters in the good old US of A.  Why not?  Because of a court ruling in 1948 when the movie studios also owned most or all of the movie theaters.  However, if that film is played internationally, performance royalties are generated (the performance rights organizations in each country collect the royalties and transfer them directly to BMI or ASCAP in the United States and it eventually gets to you).  If the film is eventually broadcast on television, then performance royalties will be generated there also.  A movie can end up being broadcast for years on cable, local television stations and websites, which means royalty checks for years to come. 
Another way royalties can be generated in the use of films is if the song is included on the soundtrack album (if one is released).  If you can, always try to negotiate the use of your song on the sound track album if one will be released and have it put into the contract.  If that soundtrack also includes songs from mega-super rock stars, you’ll be in royalty heaven.  The exposure alone could be phenomenal.
“Who Else Wants An In-Depth, Comprehensive, Fast-Track Education In Music Licensing? ... Learn The Nuts And Bolts, From A - Z, Of The Music Licensing Business...Learn How To Get Your Songs In TV And Films And Start Generating Income From Your Music...”

If You're Ready To Start Making Money By Licensing Your Music And Get Your Music Heard By Millions Of People, click to the right.

"How An Out Of Work Musician Managed To Rebuild A Thriving Music Career Using Nothing But The Internet To Generate Thousands Of Dollars In Revenue each Year!"

Learn How To Create Your Own Success In The Music Business. Anyone Can Do It. You Just need To Know How...

]]><![CDATA[The Two Key Advantages Of Being An Independent Artist In Music Licensing]]>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:57:51 GMThttp://www.makingmoneywithyourmusic.com/home/the-two-key-advantages-of-being-an-independent-artist-in-music-licensingIn the world of music licensing, a lot of music supervisors are looking for the “up and coming” artists or the next big thing.  And in many cases music supervisors are like the new A&R people traditionally at record labels.  They can discover and make a relatively unknown artist famous overnight by using their song at the end of a popular TV show.  There is also a huge market for using super popular songs in TV shows and movies because the audience is instantly familiar with those songs and they lend authenticity to a scene.  But what about those of us who don’t have a buzz around our music or aren’t the next big thing coming out of SXSW?  Well, there are some distinct advantages to being a smaller, independent musician in the world of music licensing.


First, you are cheap.  A music supervisor will be able to use your song for a fraction of the cost of securing the rights to a well known hit song by a famous artist.  Quite often, television music budgets are limited and the final decision to use a song will come down to budgetary considerations rather than creative. 

Second, you are fast.  Most television producers don’t have the resources to find out who owns the rights to the myriad compositions they want to license for their shows, so they quite often use outside music clearinghouses or have internal music clearinghouse staffs whose job it is to “clear” the music and negotiate the licenses and terms.  This can be time consuming and expensive.  With you it is one stop shopping.  That’s why it is important to be able to respond quickly to questions, agree to a deal, get the paperwork signed and have instant access to your songs on your website.  That is also why it is so important to have good working relationships with the people you contact.     
“Who Else Wants An In-Depth, Comprehensive, Fast-Track Education In Music Licensing? ... Learn The Nuts And Bolts, From A - Z, Of The Music Licensing Business...Learn How To Get Your Songs In TV And Films And Start Generating Income From Your Music...”

If You're Ready To Start Making Money By Licensing Your Music And Get Your Music Heard By Millions Of People, click to the right.

"How An Out Of Work Musician Managed To Rebuild A Thriving Music Career Using Nothing But The Internet To Generate Thousands Of Dollars In Revenue each Year!"

Learn How To Create Your Own Success In The Music Business. Anyone Can Do It. You Just need To Know How...

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