I've recently started looking on line for companies that will 'catalog' and 'List' music for potential usage on TV, Film, Advertising etc, etc. There's seems to be a few online companies that offer this service but has anyone here used them - are they legit?

Any insight or experiences of these would be great!


Thanks


Michael

They're probably all 'legit', the question is whether or not they're actually going to get your music placed.
There are the companies that go after license fees like Audiosocket, and Pump Audio (although the new 65/35 split is pretty lame, and they take a long time to approve your music).
You might be fortunate to get 2-3 licenses a year with a company like this, amounts vary from $500 - $3000.

Then there are 'royalty-free' websites that cater to small time video producers, licensing for very low prices ($1 - $50 a track). You can make some decent residual income if you have a catalog of tracks to give them, because there is often a high volume of sales. Some examples are partnersinrhyme.com and audiosparx.com

Major music libraries will usually buy you out, meaning they pay you a nice upfront fee ($800-$1000) but keep any future license fees (you still get any writers royalties of course).

Small time libraries, which arfe often owned by a composer who has accumulated a large amount of music over years of writing, are another great way to get your stuff on TV. They may not pay anything upfront, but might be more likely to get air time / royalties.


Key things to watch for:

Avoid giving away / selling your music exclusively, unless it's a favor for someone that may prove to be a good investment in an ongoing working relationship (or the fee is good and you need the money!)
I'd go a step further, and suggest that you always try to keep your deals non-exclusive, that way you can give the same tracks to other companies.

Wait to go to any music library type company until you have amassed a considerable number of tracks, at least 25. That way you're not wasting your time or theirs. It's a numbers game as much as it is about the quality of your tracks.

Make sure you have well mixed and library / catalog friendly tracks. By 'catalog friendly' I mean that the tracks are at least a minute long, have a no lyrics mix, and stick to one genre/mood.

Great,

Many thanks for your help - so I gather that it's a case of stockpiling a good amount of my own trax then registering with a 'library company' on a nonexclusive basis?

Have you ever heard of taxi.com or songcatalog.com?

Thanks Again,

Michael

Taxi.com is one of the most well known companies, they basically charge you a considerable fee to send out 'tip sheets', which are lists of what kind of music the producers are looking for. I've never used them but from what I've seen from discussion boards, most people feel ripped off because they didn't have any luck with Taxi.
The other company seems a little sketchy... their website is very meagre and there's no info on them.