Licensing you music into films is a great extra money stream for you being an independent artist. But, just like any aspect of the music business, you have to feel the learning curve and networking process. My experience with film licensing, exactly like everything else, revolves around whom you understand.
Your first (or tenth) licensing deal probably won? t be the next Hollywood blockbuster, but that? s ok. There are a zillion independent films that need and want your music. No, you won? t be immediately rich and famous from having a song in an indie film, but you will probably receives a commission, and also you? ll get some good exposure. Remember, a good ling music career isn’t built using one big hit. It? s built on a number of small projects and successes building to bigger ones, and, of course, multiple streams of income.
Knowing that, independent films are a great place to begin. Where would you begin? Well, listing sites like Versus Media, Film Music Network, and Taxi certainly are a good starting point, however it? s hard to rely on a steady income from people you? ve never met. Also, something I? ve learned recently from a few music supervisors, is that followup in your package is not required, nor particularly appreciated. So that you really are depending on your package and your music being picked from the pile. However, the listing services will give you access to projects you might not have known about otherwise. They’ve been, therefore, a great investment.
A level better way to hook into independent films would be to venture out and meet film people. As musicians we have a tendency to get stuck in our own little world. Hanging out with musicians, planning to music workshops and events, etc. You must just take your product to the those who want it instead of waiting for them to come to you.
A great place to start is Indie Club. It is a worldwide organization of independent filmmakers, actors, crew, and everybody else. Find your local chapter through the IndieClub. com website. It? s liberated to join. Where I am, San francisco bay area, we’ve the united states? s largest chapter. Join their discussion list and introduce yourself as a music artist. Go to their meetings and get-togethers. When I visited my first Indie Club meeting, I was one of two artists in the room. The cries of? We need you!? are not just the voices within my head (now). That room full of independent filmmakers wanted good music that they could license but still stay inside their budget.
I scored my first licensing deal inside an hour. Two songs in the same film, one I? d already written, another to be written specifically for the movie. My tactic was simple. Inquire further about their latest project. They? ll be happy to inform you of it, I assure you. They? ll ask what you do. Inform them, but don? t exaggerate. I explained that i had not yet written for films, but just found see where I easily fit into. This kind of filmmaker then told me that he couldn? t locate a particular song with this one scene that he was focusing on. I told him I? d be pleased to custom write it for him. And there it was. I was being paid at the start to write a song. How much? I received $100 for the new song, $50 for the previously written and recorded one. Like I said, you won? t get rich away from these. But hey, $50 to let him use a song that i? d taken care of sometime ago is grants for single mothers if you ask me.
For the new song, the director arranged for recording time at the local recording arts school where his sound editor was studying. It was fortuitous, rather than necessarily normal. Almost every other project I must record myself. Because I kept the copyright for the song (which you should always attempt to do), I surely could release the new song on one of my future CDs, which put more money within my pocket. There? s that multiple streams of income again. And, as a topper, I surely could perform at the premier and sell more CDs there as well. I obtained all that only for showing up to meeting and conversing with people. I made a few other deals at that meeting too.
And so the moral of the story is to just go where filmmakers are and speak to them. Besides Indie Club, I? m sure there are other film clubs and organizations in your area. Locate them and make yourself a part of them. Get to know everybody else, and you have your tunes in the movies very quickly!
The next time: Ways to get your music in movies by getting in movies!