There are essentially three different paths to making a full time income with music from licensing. These three different paths require a different mindset and different approach. One requires making a large volume of music that individually generates small revenue streams, that over time grow
substantially. The second path involves writing fewer songs that are carefully crafted for specific high-end licensing outlets, like ads and trailers. The third path is a combination of the two.
All three paths are legitimate, viable paths. All require hard work, dedication and perseverance in order to succeed, but they also require a different strategy and approach, depending on which you
choose.
The Three Paths…
High Volume – Low Per Placement Revenue
I’ve seen more and more writers take this approach recently, and although it’s not the approach I pursue exactly, this can potentially be a very effective way of generating revenue over time. Take production music for
example, many placements of this nature don’t pay much per placement, but if you have enough of them, over time you can build up very strong, consistent revenue streams. One of the artists I work with who does very well in this niche told me that he’s written over 1,000 cues this year alone, as well as working with other writers who are all doing the same, which he also gets a cut of.
I like this strategy because in many ways
it’s more attainable. It’s going for the low hanging fruit as opposed to only trying to secure the most lucrative and most competitive spots. When you’re only making 25 or 50 dollars a spot (on the low end for production music) it can feel a bit discouraging. But when you have over 1,000 tracks that are each generating anywhere from 25 dollars per track on the low end up to $1,000 or more on the high end, things start to get very
interesting.
High Per Placement Revenue – Low Volume
This approach is more or less the antithesis of the above approach. This strategy involves writing less music, but writing music that is completely on point and crafted to perfection for more high end spots like ads and trailers, as well as vocal music in tv and films in
general.
I spent time with a music supervisor recently who shared with me several re-worked cover songs his company had commissioned for several trailers he was working on. The amount of attention to detail both in the performance and arrangement/orchestration blew me away. This wasn’t something that was just thrown together. It was truly a work of art.
Trailer music has a certain sensibility that is unique and different to other niches within the licensing niche. Not all music works for trailers, but if you know and understand the medium you can make a lot of money, anywhere from 10k to 30k per trailer. [I’ve never done trailer music. It’s a completely different style of music from what I do well, but I have the utmost respect for composers who work in this
field.]
Advertising is another medium that pays extremely well. Ads also have a very unique sensibility and the music used in most ad campaigns is different, than say music used on a reality TV show or on the background of tv shows in general. Music used in ads tends to be very upbeat, positive and quirky and has a distinct "ad friendly" sound. Not all music works well for ads, but one major ad campaign could bring in
anywhere from 10k on the low end to as much as 100k or more on the high end. There is of course more competition for these types of spots and these tracks need to be produced and performed flawlessly.
Then there are of course the more prominent types of placements that occur in both tv and films in general. These spots can pay well, depending on a variety of factors including how much of
your track is used, how prominently it's used and so on. In my own case I've made anywhere from 500 to 3k for these types of placements and have helped secure spots for artists that have made as much as 7k for a prime time tv placement. It doesn't take nearly as many of these types of placement to add up to something substantial.
The Hybrid Approach – A Little Bit of
Both
This is more or less the approach that I’ve taken. I’ve written some vocal music, some production music, some ad music and so on. I haven’t really focused on any one approach over the other. Instead, over the years, I’ve simply focused on building up my catalog as diversely as possible, while emphasizing the styles and types of music I feel like I write best. More and more this is becoming my deliberate
and conscious approach to licensing my music. Although I’m consciously expanding into new areas based on my contacts and the opportunities that present themselves, I’m still very focused on the songs I write for “artistic” purposes. In other words, I still write a lot of music just because I feel like writing it.
I’ve made the analogy before, and I’ll make it again, music licensing is like a 401k plan for musicians.
If you write enough songs and placed them with enough libraries and in enough projects, you can build up a substantial revenue stream. I think the key is both volume and diversification and of course quality. As my friend and composer Eddie Grey says, don’t hold on to any one track too closely. Instead, focus on creating so many tracks that if one doesn’t perform or get placed, it’s not a big deal because you have ten more lined up that you know probably will.
Focus on creating a body of work that will generate revenue, instead of being overly attached to any one single track or composition.
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