IFP » Music Supervision

Music Licensing Cliff Notes for Indie Filmmakers: Understanding the Basics

Dolly Turner — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:25:14 +0000

Here are cliff notes for music licensing that will help you secure the ideal music for your phenomenal film, plan in advance, manage your budget!

Why you should care: You’ve worked hard to create a great film! Music does make a difference; think of your favorite soundtrack (maybe The Godfather) and how it enhanced the film. As a creator, when your film is released you want to be paid fairly, so do music artists and composers so… approach artists and musicians from a place of respect and collaboration from one creator to another. If someone pirated your film or screened it without your knowledge, you’d want collect!

Budgeting for Music: Be sure to set aside a music budget that fits your tastes and wish list. The general guideline is 10% to 15% of the overall budget. If you don’t use it all, great, but at least you have wiggle room. Using a composer to score the entire the film including cues may provide the most favorable negotiated fees for music (especially if it’s work for hire). If you’d like to incorporate licensed music in addition to a score, look for cool unpublished and unreleased music rather than top 10 popular songs. Popular songs released from popular artists will blow the budget and it’s best not to even use it for temp music, especially if the lyrics add context for a scene.

Seek Out Professional Help: The process for clearing commercially released and unreleased music differs. Clearing music can be a complicated process even with this cheat sheet. LaRonda Sutton, Music Supervisor and Music Licensing Consultant shares, “The business of music licensing is an integral part of your film from pre to post”. Using a professional music supervisor or licensing consultant is advised for during all stages of your film including pre-production, completion, general and festival screenings, digital, home entertainment, and theatrical releases. Sutton further adds that, “this will save significant time, money and potential lawsuits. This is an area of expertise that can’t be overlooked or underestimated”.

Song Ownership: A song has many parts: Artist (s), Songwriter (s), Record Company, and Music Publisher (s). Each of these entities must provide approval to use a song. The best way to save time and money is to evaluate the songs popularity and owners in advance. The more artists and writers, the more time, money and approvals are needed. As an example, it will be more efficient to clear a song that an artist wrote and performed alone with no music samples. If the writer is signed to publisher X, and another writer is signed to publisher Y, you need approvals from Publisher X, Publisher Y, and the Record Company (who also secures the Artist approval). Conversely if you select a song that has 4 writers, performed by 1 artist, and they are all signed to different publishers you will need a total of 5 approvals (4 publishers and 1 record company). It’s even worse if a sample was used (requiring additional publisher and record label approval for the original song). And you have a major project if someone has passed away and you have to locate an administrator of an estate who represents the artists or their publishing. So keep it simple!

Affordable Quality Music sources: Performing rights societies ASCAP,
BMI, and SESAC Film & TV Divisions, along with Orchard Music, Pump Audio, Jingle Punks to name a few. The performing rights organizations provide great music by emerging artists who are really talented, and if the band is not signed to a major label, you can obtain the master license directly from the band. In addition, most major publishers (Universal, Sony ATV/EMI, Warner Chappell) offer film and television production music.

Clearances Needed: Record company (Master owner), Artist (must provide permission to use their song which is usually secured by the record label), Music Publisher (s), and Songwriter (s).

Synchronization (sync) License: Quotes for the sync license can be obtained from the music publisher and this information is available via the performing rights societies ASCAP, BMI, SESAC who provide songwriter and music publisher contact information.

Master License: The entity that owns the recording, typically the record company. The record company must also secure the artist approval for use of the song. If the artist is not signed to a label, the artist or production company is typically the master owner (contact info is available via the performing rights society).

Usage and Territory: Be sure to discuss the type, length and scope of usage with your Music Supervisor or Music consultant. Costs vary based on promotional vs. commercial use, placement (opening or closing credits, etc.) in the film, duration of the song, digital, home entertainment, theatrical, television and domestic vs. international.

Red Flags!: Using music from deceased artists could require estate approvals and some are easier to seek approvals from than others. You should factor this into the clearance wait period.

Unless you have a hefty, I mean hefty music budget, do not use music from major recording artists or popular artists signed to major publishers. These fees can begin at $5,000 (older song from B list artists) and go upwards of $50,000 (Beyonce, Pink, Cold Play, Kanye West) and that’s just publishing (and maybe for 1 writer not all 4). Remember you have to pay the label and artists, and the publisher! It doesn’t matter that they are your friend – the label and publisher want to collect as much as possible. One way to reduce the fees associated with a popular song is to find the same song recorded by a less popular recording artists, or having the song re-recorded by a band but you must factor in the recording and musician fees. You will still have to pay a sync fee to the music publisher but not clear the master.

References: Music Money and Success by Brabec and Brabec, music supervisor, music consultant, music clearance company, and your attorney.

Final advice: Have fun with it! I’ve seen the good, the bad and the down right ugly and launched Hitco Music Publishing’s (owned by music industry icon and X Factor’s LA Reid) Film & TV Division, and marketed film soundtracks. This is a cheat sheet to provide you with a layman’s overview so you understand the basics. It is important to review with your producer, attorney, music supervisor or music clearance company. Music clearances impact your ability to license and sell your film.

Finding the Right Composer for Your Project: Easy as 1, 2, 3.

Jordan Passman — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:51:18 +0000

1. Hire a professional, and choose carefully! If you have the budget, call a top agency and hire John Williams…I mean, he really is the best! He did the theme for Star Wars! Unfortunately, for 99.9% of filmmakers today, (and those who aren’t Steven Spielberg) this is not a feasible option. The first instinct and most commonly used method of finding a composer is by asking your immediate group of musician friends. So many musicians are willing to try scoring your film for cheap, so this may be seem enticing…

My advice: Don’t do it! You want to hire a professional composer, not just any musician and be especially careful with a friend—if it doesn’t work out, you could damage your friendship. If you don’t know already, composing for film is a true art. It helps you tell your film’s story. It enhances emotions you are bringing to life. When integrated correctly, this music will compliment your film so much, that you won’t be able to imagine watching it without it! The right composer will likely be your friend by the end of collaborating together, but it’s probably best that he/she is your composer first, and friend second.

Now if you don’t have enough money to call one of the top agencies, (they likely won’t take your call unless you’re offering over 60K, and that would be for one of their “small”, up-and-comers), then there are still great options to find professionals out there. I’ve noticed so many filmmakers scrounging Craigslist for a composer, and that seems like a big waste of time. One risk-free option is try my service. I created scoreAscore as a platform to connect you with pro composers. Post your project and say what it’s about. State the price you have budgeted for a composer, and a description of what you want musically (and even post a video of your film for composers to score) and the pool of pros will submit original scores for your consideration. There’s nothing to lose, as each composer is carefully selected.

If this doesn’t appeal to you, find other composer agents, like myself. I am happy to discuss what you’re trying to achieve with your film’s music, and what kind of composer would best compliment your creative goals. If this doesn’t appeal to you, every composer has a website. Check them out, they put a lot of time into making them pretty, though it takes a lot of your time to find and review them! And lastly, check Craigslist

2. Plan it out: find your composer early! If a composer is attached in beginning stages, he/she can gain a greater sense of your vision as a filmmaker from the very start of the project. By sharing this perspective from the get-go, he/she will feel as an integral member of the project, a great sense of how to compliment and share your creative vision.

For example, a composer I represent, Joachim Horsley was attached to a film in its early script stages. He noted a scene where a man sat in a church, praying while listening to an inspiring children’s choir. Joachim wrote the music for a live children’s choir to perform for this scene, before they even started shooting. Having Joachim on board before the shoot spared this filmmaker one more headache during production

3. Set aside a budget, and don’t touch it! If you want your score to be amazing, make your composer feel amazing. Even though you don’t pay for music till the end of your production, (and you always feel like you’ve already spent it all, and you’re way over budget), it is very important to make your composer feel valued. Not only will you get an incredible project, but it makes working together that much better! Of course there will be times that you have absolutely no budget for anything or anyone (everybody on the film is doing it for backend points and you’ve been surviving on Cup O Ramen for 4 months), and in those cases, be sure to treat your composer like you do your editor, producers, etc. Your composer will just want to feel valued, and not taken advantage of! On that note, think about the tremendous amount of time and energy it takes a composer to score a film. Writing, Orchestrating, Arranging, Recording, Editing, Producing, Mixing, Mastering, etc. A composer I represent, Jacob Yoffee, says that it takes him at least 300 hours of hard work to complete a film!

Music Makes the Movie (2010)

Dan Schoenbrun — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:43:11 +0000

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Learn the ins and outs of finding the right sound for the right money. Musicians, composers, publishers, and music supervisors share their strategies on how to achieve a winning mix on an indie budget.

Moderator:
Doreen Ringer Ross, BMI

Panelists:
Jeff Danna, Composer
Randall Poster, Music Supervisor
Ry Russo Young, Director of YOU WON’T MISS ME

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Randall Poster on Music Financing

Dan Schoenbrun — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:40:04 +0000

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Music Supervisor Randall Poster discusses the financial realities of putting together a film’s soundtrack.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Randall Poster on Composer/Director Dynamics

Dan Schoenbrun — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:36:09 +0000

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Music Supervisor Randall Poster discusses the ways in which directors and music supervisors communicate with one another.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Randall Poster on Networking

Dan Schoenbrun — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:33:39 +0000

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Randall Poster on how he has been able to build a career as a music supervisor.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Randall Poster on the Role of a Music Supervisor

Dan Schoenbrun — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:31:15 +0000

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Music Supervisor Randall Poster on difficulties in fostering communication between directors and composers.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Jeff Danna on Score vs. Source Music

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:22:36 +0000

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Composer Jeff Danna on the blurred line between score and source music.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Jeff Danna on Film Composing

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:18:45 +0000

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Composer Jeff Danna on the difficulty of composing a score for a film that is already at picture-lock.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Jeff Danna on Working with Directors

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 18:16:10 +0000

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Jeff Danna, film composer, fields a question about communication between directors and composers.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Ed Rosano on Festival Music Lincenses

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:23:37 +0000

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Ed Rosano on the pros and cons of attaining a festival music license.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Ed Rosano on Music Publishing Rights

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:08:29 +0000

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Ed Rosano discusses music licensing pricing tiers.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Ed Rosano on Music Publishing Licenses

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:04:35 +0000

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Ed Rosano gives an overview of the music licenses that independent filmmakers need in order to play festivals.

From the 2010 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Music Makes the Movie

Dan Schoenbrun — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:20:19 +0000

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Filmmaker Conference 2008 – Music Makes the Movie

Learn the ins and outs of finding the right sound for the right money. Musicians, composers, publishers and music supervisors share their strategies on how to achieve a winning mix on an indie budget.

Moderator: Doreen Ringer Ross, Vice President of Film & TV Relations, BMI
Panelists: Barry Cole, Music Supervisor, Notorious; Lyle Hysen, Music Supervisor, Choke; Nathan Larson, Composer, Choke; Craig Zobel, Director, Great World of Sound

Music Makes the Movie with Moby, Tracy McKnight, Tom DiCillo, Anton Sanko, and Doreen Ringer-Ross

Dan Schoenbrun — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:52:15 +0000

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Best selling recording artist Moby, music supervisor Tracy McKnight, director Tom Dicillo, composer Anton Sanko, and BMI Vice President Doreen Ringer-Ross discuss how to achieve the best possible soundtrack on an independent film budget.

From the 2007 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

David Shire on Advice to Young Composers

Dan Schoenbrun — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 15:23:17 +0000

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Brooke Primont on Music Publishing

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:50:07 +0000

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Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:47:17 +0000

Moby on Temp Scores

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:14:28 +0000

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Musician Moby gives advice on the kinds of songs that filmmakers should and shouldn’t put into their temp scores.

From the 2008 Independent Filmmaker Conference.

Moby on Licensing Music

Dan Schoenbrun — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 18:13:06 +0000

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Moby offers an example of why contacting musicians directly can prove more successful than trying to license their music through record labels.

From the 2008 Independent Filmmaker Conference.