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Mathew Steele’s Top Ten Tips for Music Licensing

  1. Have an instrumental version of your songs available.
    When in the post process the audio editor has more to work with if there is an instrumental version of the song.  Sometimes having an instrumental under the dialog of a scene makes it easier to hear the dialog.  Giving the audio editor this option makes it easier for him/her.
  2. Get your songs professional mixed and mastered
    With budgets shrinking across most platforms where music is licensed more and more indie music is being used.  It’s important for the sonic quality to be close to what a major label’s record sounds like.  Many indie songs might fit great for a cue but if the quality of the song isn’t where it needs to be they will run with a song from someone else instead.  Have your song professional mixed and mastered might be the difference on landing a nice paying opening cue rather then it just being used as background music for just a few hundred dollars.
  3. Submit high-res (320kbps) mp3 files and have your 16-bit 44.1 .Wav/Aiff files ready. Also do not attach mp3’s in email but send a streaming links to your music. Private links through Disco, Soundcloud, Box, Dropbox as well as public links to Spotify are still acceptable.
  4. Have lyrics sheets available Submit them with your songs and include the lyrics in the metadata.
  5. Stay away from samples:  If your song contains a sample it has a slim chance of it being placed.
  6. Be sure to register as a writer and publisher with a PRO (ASCAP, BMI & SESAC) so you can collect the performance royalties if your song is placed.  It will take at least 6-months to a year for these to start rolling in.
  7. Metatag/ID3 tag your songswith genre, lyrics, BPM, emotion as well as writers/composers full names and PRO, publishing companies, contact info & album cover.  This is extremely important and when a music supervisor is digging through their catalog including your music it will be simply overlooked if it’s not tagged correctly. You can tag the music in iTunes. Just create a playlist add the songs you want to tag and right click the song and select “Song Info”
  8. Have a clean version for your song available If your music contains explicit material
  9. Have Cover Songs recorded professionally. This can be a great way to get a music supervisors attention. You want to make the song your own by changing the tempo and feel from the original. Upload the cover to youtube and tag it well so if a supervisor comes looking they will find it. Also don’t forget to but your contact info in the description.
  10. Do your research!  If you are submitting for a film, watch other films the music supervisor and director worked on.  Same thing goes for television shows, watch previous seasons or episodes. Tunefind.com can be a great way to find out quickly the kind of music used on projects.

Why You Should Hire A Music Licensing Company

To most people, the term “music licensing” is related to the world of famous musicians and musical artists under the control of huge corporations. But for someone who makes their own music outside of the mainstream, music licensing companies can often be the difference between making a name for yourself, or fading into obscurity. Thanks to the internet and social networking more and more artists are dedicating themselves to the craft with the hope of becoming famous, but they often find it is far more difficult than they thought. Obviously, an artist dedicates themselves to their craft, expending a great deal of time and effort, but in order to reap the benefits you need to be heard by a wider audience. This is where music licensing comes in.

With music licensing, you are able to have your musical product marketed to the world in the best light possible. You will have access to tools, people and markets that you would not have had otherwise. One of the most lucrative licensing you can acquire is anything related to various arms of the entertainment industry including radio, television, independent films, commercials, even video games. A music licensing company can help your music get into the right hands, and as a result more people will hear your work.

Getting your foot in the door on your own is virtually impossible. This is because there are so many thousands of artists trying to get attention at the same time, and this in turn increases competition. Luck will not get you to the top, it is those with the right people behind them. Music licensing protects your product, promotes your product, and the results will far exceed anything you could have done on your own.

Most reputable music licensees only make money when you do, therefore if a licensing company asks you for money up front this should set off a mental alarm. If the company likes your product they will promote it based upon your talent, and because they know that with the right backing you can make them – and yourself – money. Do not consider licensing as a form of “selling out”. You want people to hear your music, and you want to make money from it.

When searching for the right company, check their references, and ask for names of some of their other customers so that you can inquire about their experience. If the company is as they represent themselves to you, then you will have found a company that can protect your material, market you properly, and get you the notoriety you deserve.

The benefits of hiring a music licensing company are immense. If you are a struggling musical artist who desires a wider audience you need to take advantage of this opportunity right away. Your success may depend on it.

Independent Artists Submit your Music To High Quality Tracks To Music Supervisors

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