The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music: How to Get Your Music into Film, TV, Advertising, Digital Media & Beyond

The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music: How to Get Your Music into Film, TV, Advertising, Digital Media & Beyond

The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music: How to Get Your Music into Film, TV, Advertising, Digital Media & Beyond

The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music: How to Get Your Music into Film, TV, Advertising, Digital Media & Beyond

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Overview

Plug your music career into the lucrative new income streams of the digital marketplace
 
Record deals are so twentieth century. Today, music licensing is the fastest route to widespread exposure and a steady income. Creators of films, television shows, commercials, video games, ringtones, podcasts and other digital-age media hunger for music perfectly suited to their projects—providing endless, lucrative opportunities for savvy musicians. Whether you’re an unknown composer, an up-and-coming songwriter, an independent-label performer, or a big label star, there’s a place for you in this fast-growing field—as long as you learn to master the game.  
 
How does music licensing work? Where are the most abundant and rewarding opportunities? Find the answers in this authoritative, up-to-the-moment overview of one of the most effective ways to market your talent. It’s all here:
 
  • The key players in the music licensing business and the best ways to make contacts and bring your music to their attention
  • Types of licensing agreements and how to understand them
  • An inside look at the licensing selection process and how to get a jump on music requests
  • Negotiating payment and protecting your music in the open marketplace, including international venues
  • Getting music licensed for television shows, films, commercials, digital media, and less obvious markets like colleges and universities, theater companies, corporate training videos, and restaurants
  • Firsthand advice from top music executives, marketers, music supervisors, lawyers, talent managers, and filmmakers

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780823014873
Publisher: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date: 02/16/2010
Pages: 304
Sales rank: 673,415
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Darren Wilsey is an award-winning composer, songwriter, music producer, and author of The Musician's Guide to Licensing Music: How to Get Your Music into Film, TV, Advertising, Digital Media & Beyond. Wilsey has written, produced, and mixed music for an illustrious list of independent films and network television, including Ghost Whisperer, Sex & the City, and Queer as Folk. Wilsey studied at the Juilliard School of Music, where he majored in classical guitar. He received an MFA in music composition and technology from the University of California, Irvine. He lives in Orange County, CA, with his wife and their two sons.

Daylle Deanna Schwartz was a music industry consultant, self-empowerment counselor, and successful author of many books including I Don’t Need a Record Deal and The Real Deal: How to Get Signed to a Record Label. She appeared on more than 300 television and radio shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show and Howard Stern, and was quoted in many publications, such as the New York Times and Billboard. Schwartz died in 2014.

Table of Contents

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 The Business of Music Licensing 1

What Is Music Licensing? 1

Benefits of Getting Music Licensed 3

Licensing Songs versus Composing Scores 4

Soundtrack Albums 8

Music Libraries and Production Music 9

Demand for Independent Music 10

Chapter 2 Music Licensing Players 13

Music Supervisors 13

Music Editors 17

Music Production Houses 17

Getting Representation versus Self-Representation 18

Music Publishers 22

Lawyers 28

One-Stop Licensing Services 30

Chapter 3 Music Licensing Agreements 33

Master License 35

Synchronization License 37

Master License versus Synch License 38

Broad Rights/All-In Licensing Agreements 42

Soundtrack Album License 43

Festival Use License 46

Licensing Rights in Disguise 47

Request Letters 47

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) 50

Chapter 4 Licensing-Related Agreements and Terms 54

Nonexclusive Song Marketing Agreements 55

Nonexclusive Copublishing Agreements 58

Exclusive Music Publishing Agreements 61

Blanket Licenses 66

Options Clauses 66

Chapter 5 Protecting Your Music 68

Band Agreements 68

The Protection of Copyright 71

Copyright Infringement 73

Unauthorized Use 74

Sampled Content 75

Work for Hire 77

Employee or Collaborator? 79

Common Contractual Terms and Provisions 80

Chapter 6 Show Me the Money! 88

Valuing Your Talent and Skills 88

Cash Advances from Publishers 90

Mechanical Licenses and Royalties 91

Front-End Fees 92

Back-End Royalties 93

Step-Up Agreements 96

Chapter 7 What Music Works Best for Licensing? 98

Understanding the Emotion of Music 98

Getting Acquainted with Musical Content 100

Where Different Genres Fit 101

Music Clearance and Racing Clocks 103

Music Requests 105

Cover Songs 108

Cleared Music 110

Chapter 8 Making a Game Plan 113

Mental Preparation 113

How Songs Get Chosen 115

Honing Your Sales Pitch 118

Budgets 120

Is Free Worth the Price? 120

Preparation Exercises 124

Chapter 9 Cultivating Contacts and Relationships 126

Starting Out 126

Initiating Relationships 128

Chance Encounters 130

Creating a Network 131

Following Up 133

Being Someone They Want to Work With 133

Resources 136

Events and Support 140

Chapter 10 Presentation Tools 142

Packaging Your Music Effectively 142

Presentation Styles 145

Submitting Music 146

Following Up 149

Marketing Songs Online 151

Chapter 11 Getting Music Licensed in Television Shows 155

The Licensing Trend 156

Multiple Revenue Streams 158

Deadlines and Clearance Requirements 159

Getting in the Door 160

Theme Songs 161

Agents and Composing for TV 163

Music Uses 164

Chapter 12 Getting Music Licensed in Films 169

The Lure of the Big Screen 170

Music Uses in Film 172

Understanding Filmmaking 173

Indie Film Advantage 175

Musicians' Union 178

Breaking In 180

Chapter 13 Getting Music Licensed in Advertising 183

Benefits of Licensing Music for Advertising 183

Forming a Network 184

Radio Commercials 186

Television Commercials 188

Income Stream from Commercials 190

Breaking into Commercials 192

Interpreting Music Requests 192

Lines of Command 194

Chapter 14 Getting Music Licensed in Brand Entertainment and Sponsorship 198

Traditional Sponsorship versus Brand Entertainment 199

Qualifies That Attract Product Sponsorship 202

Going for Sponsorship Deals 204

Sponsorship Backlash 206

Being Proactive 208

Additional Licensing Options 212

Chapter 15 Getting Music Licensed in Digital Media 213

The Digital World 214

Digital Licensing Basics 215

Games, Loops, Ringtones, Internet Radio, and Podcasts 217

Peer to Peer Music Networks 227

Buying and Selling Songs Online 230

Key Points to Remember 232

Chapter 16 Getting Music Licensed in Less Obvious Markets 233

The World Outside of TV, Film, and the Internet 233

Getting to the Right Person 235

Licensing Music in Colleges and Universities 237

Licensing Music for Live Performances 238

Licensing Music for Corporate Training Videos 241

Licensing Music for Music Compilations 243

Licensing Music for Restaurants 245

Licensing Music for Massage Therapy Centers 246

Licensing Music for Resorts and Hotels 246

Licensing Music for Educational Purposes 247

Licensing Music for DJ Remixes 248

Licensing an Idea 249

Capitalizing on the Unexplored 250

Chapter 17 Making Money Internationally 252

Foreign Royalties 252

International Performing Rights Organization Affiliates 253

How Royalties Get Collected 255

International Royalties for Performing Artists 259

Tapping into Foreign Licensing Opportunities 260

MIDEM and Popkomm 262

Chapter 18 Frequently Asked Questions 265

Chapter 19 Advice from the Pros 272

Acknowledgments 279

Index 283

About the Authors 290

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