Is your music ready to be placed?  A lot of people email me asking whether or not I think their music has what it takes to get placed in TV and Films.  Although it's true that the production doesn't need to be "album quality", it does need to meet certain standards in terms of both production and songwriting. 

 

If you're not sure whether or not your music is up to par in terms of production and writing, a great exercise is to simply listen to other artists that are getting used in TV and Films and then, as objectively as possible, compare your music to see where it stands both in terms of production and writing.  If you have a hard time being objective about your own music, maybe get some friends to assist you.  

 

A great way to find out what music is being licensed is to check out music publishers and music libaries' websites.   Often times you can find samples of music that they are successfully licensing on their sites.  This is the best way I know of to really get a good sense of the quality of music that is being licensed.  It's actually better than just listening to music aired on television because you're able to really clearly hear the songs that are being used in their entirety.  

 

A lot of people make the mistake of assuming that they're not making progress in the music business because of a lack of connections, and sometimes that may be true. Connections are very important. But be honest with yourself about your music and whether or not it's where it needs to be.  It's hard to cultivate connections in the business if your music isn't ready to be licensed.

 

All the information and knowledge in the world about the music licensing business won't do you any good if your music isn't where it needs to be.  Focus on writing great music first and foremost, and then take steps to get your music licensed.  Great music will find a home!