MEDIA MARKET: Production Music Libraries
Getting music
placed in Production Music Libraries allows songwriters and composers to have their songs and instrumental tracks marketed
and licensed with revenues being shared in various licensing agreements. Music
libraries network with a vast production industry of production companies in Film, TV, Video and Multimedia who license music
productions. They assemble and reproduce libraries of music collections on CD’s
and send them to their production company clientele. They represent and license
songs, various track re-mixes and underscores of songwriters and composers.
Producers and Music Supervisors of music library houses will often send out email and music alerts for specific music
tracks they need for their Studio, TV, Cable & Film clientele. Composing
underscores is an art to understanding how grooves and harmony evoke certain emotions and moods that can be enhanced with
dialogue, sound effects and compelling art from the director of photography.
There are 6 sources of income from Music Libraries:
1. .Synchronization Fee: a fee negotiated by the
music library in the contract agreement between the songwriter and the music library
2. .Master Use Fee: additional fee paid if the original
recording is used instead of a new recording version
3. Advances: some music companies can offer advances depending on how much they want your music
in their catalogue
4. .Performance Royalties: Songwriters receive performance royalties from airplay of the music
production
5. .In-house Composer: large music libraries will
hire staff in-house composers to create specific music in their expanding catalogues that have a market demand
6. .Work For Hire: music libraries will hire independent
composers to work in limited productions to fill in when staff composers are over worked or if there is specific demand for
a unique style their clients are looking for
