MOTUnation.com

Hi, guys.

It's odd for me to ask for this, but I have a client who needs music but has no money for original music, and he insists he wants stock music.

He wants to make a ONE PAYMENT only, so he doesn't need to deal with royalties, etc. (MLC, if you are reading this, I can already picture you rolling your eyes, just like I did when he told me about it )

The Project:
They will shoot 140 8-minute segments within the next month. Each of these 140 segments need to be accompanied by music (any style, according to the video).
None of them will be aired or broadcasted. They will be showing them at sitting areas, family rooms and waiting areas of one of Mexico's governments health institutions, which are many different hospitals all around the country. They will be mostly for educational purposes (nutrition, AIDS, Diabetes, etc.).

Could you guys recommend a good service where I could purchase the music as needed? They key here as that any royalties must be included in the price, so it's a one-payment only.

Obviously, when I send my quote, I will include the costs of original music (by me), in case he changes his mind, but I doubt it.

Thanks!

You know me well! We are in the business of creating music, not referring people to others who low ball composers out of business. He is essentially asking you to be his gopher (or you're offering?) so he doesn't have to pay you anything. And it's very nice of you to inquire for him/her, but riddle me this: If you were shooting a music video to promote yourself and asked this person to help find you a "video service" that would charge a flat rate for all your production needs because you can't (or won't) pay him, do you think he would do it? Guess again...

If a producer wants to use "stock" music, that's their problem, and it's entirely their problem. You don't go to a doctor and ask him to help you find a cheap nurse practitioner. You don't go to a plumber or an electrician and ask him to help you find a handyman who will undercut his fee, and you don't go to a composer and say "you're too expensive - I want cheap music, please help me find some."

Forum decorum prvents me from voicing my true, deepest, most heartfelt emotions in regard to this guys inquiry, but I've said it before and I'll say it again, FM: I've heard your music, and you are worth whatever you ask and I don't think you should make time to help people undercut you. I would simply tell this guy what the preacher in Blazing Saddles tells the new sheriff...

"son, you're on your own."

Band in a Box came to mind.

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:You know me well! We are in the business of creating music, not referring people to others who low ball composers out of business. He is essentially asking you to be his gopher (or you're offering?) so he doesn't have to pay you anything. And it's very nice of you to inquire for him/her, but riddle me this: If you were shooting a music video to promote yourself and asked this person to help find you a "video service" that would charge a flat rate for all your production needs because you can't (or won't) pay him, do you think he would do it? Guess again...

If a producer wants to use "stock" music, that's their problem, and it's entirely their problem. You don't go to a doctor and ask him to help you find a cheap nurse practitioner. You don't go to a plumber or an electrician and ask him to help you find a handyman who will undercut his fee, and you don't go to a composer and say "you're too expensive - I want cheap music, please help me find some."

Forum decorum prvents me from voicing my true, deepest, most heartfelt emotions in regard to this guys inquiry, but I've said it before and I'll say it again, FM: I've heard your music, and you are worth whatever you ask and I don't think you should make time to help people undercut you. I would simply tell this guy what the preacher in Blazing Saddles tells the new sheriff...

"son, you're on your own."

I wasn’t going to say it, but I totally agree!!!
You could add, you don;t go to a great woman and ask her where to find an escort...lol

You could add that, but I wouldn't.

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:You could add that, but I wouldn't.

Hmm, how about........ “You don’t go up to a Jeweler and ask him where to find a good cubic zirconium store”..... instead?

I don't know - I've helped folks who gave me good gigs when they had a project that in no way would have a budget that I could make work. (Plus, which composer in their right mind would want to write 140 8 minute scores for something like *this* anyway...?) Don't think there's a circumstance, past or present, where a project like this would ever have enough budget to pay for original music of any type - at least not a reasonable fee.

And I like to be the guy in any producer's mind who solves music problems. Just like I refer friends when I can't do the gig myself, I would absolutely help someone I have a good relationship with to find a good library - that just means I continue to be that particular producer's first-call guy in all things music... And just like Fernando, I'd always include a quote for (and some arguments in favor of) original score - even if and when I know I would go for stock music myself were I the producer.



Unfortunately I can't help you with any recommendations, Fernando (like you I don't know folks who sell library music because I never need it...), but a few google searches should do the trick?

Kubi wrote:(Plus, which composer in their right mind would want to write 140 8 minute scores for something like *this* anyway...?)

True enough. I know a guy who is a corporate video producer. Sometimes he gets real lowball clients that want royalty-free stock music. He pretty much warns them (I've been there and seen it) that it's mostly awful and they won't like it. But some of the subject matter is just so drab and awful that nobody would notice anyway.

Kubi wrote: Unfortunately I can't help you with any recommendations, Fernando (like you I don't know folks who sell library music because I never need it...), but a few google searches should do the trick?

See what I'm sayin? Exactly! Why would a composer know where to find stock music? And I've helped out more than one friend with music as a favor. Last year I scored an entire magic show as a volunteer, but the guy also once sent me a check for $500 unsolicited for a gig I had done several years earlier. He did the production again with my music and sent me money. I had a dancer friend do the same thing once many years ago as well.

But asking a composer to find you a stock music library is a bit much, IMO. Yes, it can be a two way street, but do watch for opposing traffic.

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:You know me well! We are in the business of creating music, not referring people to others who low ball composers out of business. He is essentially asking you to be his gopher (or you're offering?) so he doesn't have to pay you anything. And it's very nice of you to inquire for him/her, but riddle me this: If you were shooting a music video to promote yourself and asked this person to help find you a "video service" that would charge a flat rate for all your production needs because you can't (or won't) pay him, do you think he would do it? Guess again...

I hear you, Mike.
That's exactly how I feel regarding these issues.

Originally, they just wanted me to do the sound design for this gig.

I sent them my quote for original music already, but I must also send them one just to comply with their wishes. Of course, it would carry a markup cost for bothering about finding out the cost, and at least I´d also charge them for "musicalizing" (setting their segments with this stock music). It would be like if they told me> Hey, I have this music. Put it against the video, mix it and do the sound design.
So in this case I would be more like a sound designer and not a musician.

If they go for the original music (which I seriously doubt they will), then that would be even better.

I must add that this kind of gig is quite common here in Mexicalpan...

Kubi wrote:I don't know - I've helped folks who gave me good gigs when they had a project that in no way would have a budget that I could make work. (Plus, which composer in their right mind would want to write 140 8 minute scores for something like *this* anyway...?) Don't think there's a circumstance, past or present, where a project like this would ever have enough budget to pay for original music of any type - at least not a reasonable fee.

And I like to be the guy in any producer's mind who solves music problems. Just like I refer friends when I can't do the gig myself, I would absolutely help someone I have a good relationship with to find a good library - that just means I continue to be that particular producer's first-call guy in all things music... And just like Fernando, I'd always include a quote for (and some arguments in favor of) original score - even if and when I know I would go for stock music myself were I the producer.



Unfortunately I can't help you with any recommendations, Fernando (like you I don't know folks who sell library music because I never need it...), but a few google searches should do the trick?

You just NAILED all the issues I'm facing, Kubi. Are you sure you're not Mexican?
Also, this client likes solutions to his problems. And he has given me much better gigs in the past and he will certainly give me more in the future, especially if he is happy with my "service", whether is music, sound design or... stock music

I already found a few websites that offer this service. This is the best I've found so far, and their prices seem very reasonable for this kind of gig:
http://www.premiumbeat.com/

bayswater wrote:Band in a Box came to mind.

I swear I thought about it too!

Actually, I bought that thing like 10 years ago. I don't know why. I don't even know how good or bad it is! I must have the Band-in-a-Box box somewhere in some closet.

The Music Bakery, by Jack Waldenmaier is one such needledrop place that has achieved a fairly high esteem. Jack was a friend of mine when he was starting off with it. He built it into a fairly resourceful archive of royalty-free works, and his customers include a lot of the Fortune 500s.

That said, I'm not a fan of the concept, and I haven't seen Jack since he hit it big. I provide the name simply because someone asked.

Shoosh

Might I suggest to him Garageband and letting his his kid "drag and drop" till the time clock says 8:00:20 ( 20 secs for the fade) and then stop..

MIDI Life Crisis wrote:Yes, it can be a two way street, but do watch for opposing traffic.

My vote for quote of the year!