How To Get Music Placements

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Concluding weekend at the ASCAP Music Expo at the Loews Hollywood Hotel I attended the Music Supervisor panel containing v music supervisors who actively place music in flick and television.

Over the course of my career, I've had near xxx Tv set placements (20 in the concluding year from my new record). I've gotten songs placed on loftier contour shows that are known for their music, like One Tree Hill and shows you lot've never heard of, where music is very much "background," similar Friendzone. And everything in betwixt.

And I've likewise been 1 calendar week abroad from having a song on Then You Recall You Can Trip the light fantastic. Contracts were signed. The only trouble was, the contestant who was going to dance to my song got bumped. Balls.

There is no ane manner to get music placed on Goggle box (or in picture show). In addition to how I've gone most it, I've spoken with many of my musician friends who make livings on vocal placements about this.

Music Supervisor

According to the Guild of Music Supervisors, the definition/role of a music supervisor is defined as:

"A qualified professional person who oversees all music related aspects of film, television, advertising, video games and any other existing or emerging visual media platforms as required."

Music supervisors are the bodily people who take the cues from the producers and director when the "picture is locked" and underscore the picture with songs. The composer underscores the picture with original, scored compositions written specifically for that scene.

Sometimes (almost of the time) music supervisors apply the instrumental version and most of the time it'due south just a small snippet of the song (however, now I have to brag a bit, One Tree Hill used all iii:43 of my vocal – words and music. But that's very rare).

On the ASCAP panel sabbatum Rebecca Rienks, who currently places music for E! (you lot know those promo montage spots that always seem to have Ryan Seacrest looking… Seacresty); Holly Hung, who primarily places music in moving picture trailers; Jeff Grayness simply finished a feature film; Lindsay Wolfington (who placed me in One Tree Hill), by and large works on TV shows; and the moderator, Jason Kramer, is a music supervisor at Elias Arts, a music production company that specializes in original music composition and sound pattern for Boob tube, films and commercials. Kramer is also a host on Los Angeles' KCRW.

They rapped for only over an hour about what types of music they look for, day to day challenges (mainly dealing with producers who say stuff like "can y'all make this more purple?") and showed united states some of the spots they've placed music in.

"As long as it fits and tonally hits everything that it needs to hit, it doesn't matter if it's an indie band, somebody non signed, somebody only dropped, if it works information technology works." – Holly Hung, Music Supervisor

Hung told a story about working on a trailer for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. She said they had a Coldplay song as temp music and she spent iii weeks looking for a replacement for it. She scoured iTunes and institute a band who had just gotten dropped by their label and the singer was currently working at Starbucks. She used the vocal and the band got $80,000 for the placement.

Getting Music To The Music Supervisors

Every bit yous can imagine, music supervisors get inundated with emails from people wanting their music placed. Be it musicians, licensing companies, publishing companies, managers or just fans of the supe (that's brusk for music supervisor – and yes they have fans), supes can become overwhelmed and are very picky nearly HOW they volition take submissions.

DO NOT Adhere MP3s

At that place's no correct way to go music placed, but at that place are a few incorrect means. All supes on the console said exercise non attach mp3s to an email. It clutters upward their inbox and volition go directly to the trash (and your email will probably get blocked).

How To Go Your Email Opened

Hung said to put who y'all sound like in the subject line. Like "Sounds like Coldplay." Go on the body short and to the bespeak and merely ship the songs that brand sense for the project that supe is working on. So, Do YOUR RESEARCH. Practice not transport your tear-jerker ballad to Rienks who needs upbeat, fun, heady music for her E! spots.

How To Get Your Song Listened To

In the email, include links to where the song can exist apace listened to (without having to be downloaded) where there is As well an selection to download information technology if they want to use information technology. As well, directly below the song, include a link to the instrumental.

Wolfington mentioned that she loves Box.com. Box.com (unlike Dropbox) will open a window with a player and it has a download link in the upper right manus corner. Very user-friendly.

Exercise not include links to ALL of your music. Send the best 1-3 songs that will piece of work for that supe'southward electric current project.

If the supe wants more than of your music, she'll ask.

In the email, it may help to list a couple distinctive adjectives below each song or key lyrics. Similar:

"Cold Water"

epic, explosion at cease

key lyrics: "I will find the artist within me"

encoded 320kbps mp3: link to box.com

instrumental wav: link to box.com

**Update 6-three-15: And yep, always upload 320 kbps mp3s WITH metadata info. In the comments section of the song in "info" in iTunes, type in "Contact: Name, email, phone number, I ain 200% of main and publishing." If yous own 200%. If there is a dissimilar publisher or master holder (characterization) put their contact info as well. You may desire to put this info in the anthology name equally well. Near supes will download the songs and dump them into their iTunes. When they're looking for music they will need to contact you right away. Don't brand them chase down your contact info. Put it right in that location in the file name!

Licensing Companies

If you lot don't have a publishing company, there are companies out there who solely pitch music to music supervisors. Unlike publishing companies, they practice not own any part of your vocal. Similarly, though, they will not get hunt down your mechanical royalties effectually the world for you (similar publishing companies will).

+What Are Mechanical Royalties?

Some will take a dorsum-finish percent of your operation royalties (like from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN), and others won't. Some volition piece of work with you non-exclusively and others (the more established ones) volition require you to work exclusively with them.

Typically licensing companies volition take about 30-50% of the full sync fee and some (but non all) may want 30-50% of the back-end performance royalties.

Getting Paid

All network TV shows take a budget for music. Most higher profile cable TV shows accept a budget for music. Most reality shows take a very tiny budget for music and volition non pay you for the placement unless they have to.

Network Tv shows will typically pay $three,000+ (depending on the spot and your level of clout). Cable Tv set shows will typically pay $750+ and reality shows on cablevision mostly pay indie artists nothing. Movies, trailers and commercials typically pay the nearly: $20,000+.

But these are very loose numbers. I've heard of major label artists getting $30,000 for a cablevision show and indie bands making $80,000 for a trailer.

Before yous breakout the pitchforks for the reality TV show producers, you won't NOT get paid Always for these spots, you simply won't get paid up forepart. Meaning, many of these shows volition ask yous for the rights to place your music for free, knowing that you'll make back-end songwriter/publisher functioning royalties from your PRO (Performing Rights Arrangement – ASCAP, BMI, etc). If you go a bunch of these kinds of placements, they can really add up. It only takes about 9-18 months to meet that check, though. These shows as well (to compensate for their lack of payment) practice a decent job of maximizing the band's exposure. Virtually shows have an entire music section on their websites that listing all music from each episode with links to iTunes and Spotify and to the bands' websites. The Real Globe also puts the name of the vocal and the artist on the screen while the song is playing.

So, it'south non completely complimentary. It tin can be pretty decent exposure.

And hey, if you don't desire to let them apply your vocal for costless, there is no one forcing you to.

Also worth noting, yous don't make any performance royalties when the movies are shown in theaters. There'due south no legitimate reason why. Information technology's i of those messed upwardly parts of the music business.

Pay To Submit Companies

There are companies similar MusicXray.com, Sonicbids.com and Taxi.com who charge you to submit to music supervisors (oh you also have pay to get a member) for consideration. Taxi.com openly admits that only 6% of their artists go some kind of bargain (who knows how many paid submissions they already submitted). But i of the music supervisors on the console (I'll withhold who) when asked about these companies, said, "it'south bad business."

I've never actually heard of anyone getting a placement through these services. If you have Please post it in the comments.

You lot have to come across it from the supe'due south perspective. They desire music from people they trust, like licensing companies, publishing companies and musicians who they take a relationship with. Non some service that pushes out music where the only barrier for entry is a fee.

How To Go In The Door

Now that yous know HOW to submit, how do you know WHO to submit to? Well, uncomplicated, do your research. The first handful of placements I got were from watching Goggle box shows, noting the kind of music they used, looking at who the music supervisor was (they're always listed in the ending credits – or on IMDB), Googling a flake to find their email, and cold emailing. Actually, I tweeted Lindsay Wolfington my vocal for One Tree Hill.

They're all more often than not on Twitter besides.

+Rockstars Are People Besides (Vocal Placements)

Above all Practice Non SPAM them. This is a quick fashion to go blacklisted and blocked. Exist polite and respectful. Make certain your emails are short and to the point.

If you don't go a response don't call up they're not interested. Wolfington mentioned that she puts all of these emails in a folder and when she's looking for music, she sifts through the binder. So make sure your links don't expire.

If you desire to discover a licensing company, there are a ton out at that place. Google effectually for a bit. Ask your friends who have gotten placements who they utilize. Check the credits of films to see who the song is "Courtesy of" – if it'due south not a label, it's about likely the licensing or publishing visitor.

I become asked all the time who are some proficient licensing companies out in that location, and the fact is, I don't know all of them. I don't know near of them. I've worked with a handful of them and have a few now who pitch me (non-exclusively), only it'south pointless for me to share this data because then the few licensing companies I know would get flooded past your emails. Exercise your research and find the company that'due south the all-time fit for you.

Getting songs placed on TV shows and in movies is a highly sought subsequently office of the music industry. Some musicians make their entire income off of information technology. Many companies practice exclusively this. Like any avenue in the music industry, if you desire to practise well, you lot must put in the time necessary to principal information technology. You can't blast out 50 emails to 50 music supervisors and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Information technology takes years of edifice upward relationships, networking and trial and mistake. And once more, DO NOT send out music that is non right for the prove (or underdeveloped). That gives a bad name to all cocky-pitching artists. Every time a supe gets an email from an artist with shitty music or music that is completely different from what she places, she is less likely to open another email in the future. Don't injure your fellow independent musicians. Be respectful and be professional.