General Music Chat

I come from a perspective that insists all music should be art, and therefore should be advanced and promoted as art. Unfortunately, my view is painfully outdated.

I agree PD... and that's a personal view.

To me this is just pointing out how some artists today make $$ by creating art or maybe some contrived formula sounds. It's not all bad. The Walking Dead had some great music of unknown artists on every episode. That was the number 1 rated show on cable and TV this past season. Millions of viewers heard those bands. Nothing I heard sounded contrived.
Nothing I've heard from you sounds contrived but that doesn't mean your songs couldn't be used on a soundtrack for a TV show or a movie.

I have only written one song , tha was deliberately set out for a commercial musical theme (To a game called Bio Shock-earlier version)

It was titled "Stealing from Eve". I laid down a scratch track of it. I have it buried somewhere. Some young kids heard it and they loved the song...(it was /is such a dead-nuts depiction of the game-theme.) I never submitted it, though. (Due to lack of protective clout)
The way I'm seeing things work, is that they (certain Studios) take a great song idea, borrow from its theme (write their own song with it; just enough to avoid the copyright issues) and then use it instead of the artist's original submission. Its a god awful practice and nobody does anything about that. This raises some food for thought...

To pull off such a practice like that, one would need to have a solid set of very talented session musicians. Well, They don't get paid to be 'original'. Instead, they get paid to adapt. (Big difference).

If you ever receive a solicitation where they ask you to send your songs, consider how easy you make their job's. Consider the revenue 'THEY" will earn from those easy jobs. And of course. You'll never hear back from them.
This is preciesly why I will never respond to online or other advertised forms of song submission deals.

The only correct way to do this,is when you are approached by a real exec, who 'offers you a set price to drum up a set number of songs...Typically , you are given an advance toward that. Even then, you still have to be careful, because many contracts stipulate conditions on expenses...Fo rexample: If yo have to fly to London to Abby Road studios. That flight is on you... If your manager shows up behind you...His Flight is on you...etc etc.

Bottom line... avoid solicitors...You will LOSE in the long run

Kramer - thanks for the info, but I'm too old to be pursuing anything like that, like I said before, great for youngsters tp go after that dream that way. I was looking at more ways to get music somewhere where one of these places woudl hear it and say "hey, that would be a good song to play as background music in ...."

I can't write anything good to a chosen requirement unless its something I feel for already, I need to be inspired first.

Kramer - thanks for the info, but I'm too old to be pursuing anything like that, like I said before, great for youngsters tp go after that dream that way. I was looking at more ways to get music somewhere where one of these places woudl hear it and say "hey, that would be a good song to play as background music in ...."

I can't write anything good to a chosen requirement unless its something I feel for already, I need to be inspired first.

Actually that is exactly what CMMC is- I admit MMC is more for the rock and pop star wanna-be's, but CMMC is more of the indie artist and tv/film venue. It's nothing to do with age or anything, it's to do with the art and craft of music.. Lots of publishers and stuff..

Not that any of that can't be done online.. I admit, if your music is good enough and you position yourself well with the publishers and libraries, you will of course see results. No less work, or at least time and effort put into the online biz as the physical biz. Good luck

Kramer - thanks for the info, but I'm too old to be pursuing anything like that, like I said before, great for youngsters tp go after that dream that way. I was looking at more ways to get music somewhere where one of these places woudl hear it and say "hey, that would be a good song to play as background music in ...."

I can't write anything good to a chosen requirement unless its something I feel for already, I need to be inspired first.

There are a few good ones that pitch for free and only take your money if when your song is placed in a broadcast production. Legitamate outfits are more likely concerned with the quality of what you produce.

In this case you split the publishing share 50/50 with them, you get 100% writers share. http://www.musicsupervisor.com/got-music/ that's a good deal! They make no money off of you, unless they place your music.


There are lots of scammy sites offering to pitch your music for a fee ... Sonicbids and similar schemes, would ask you for $5 or $10 to submit one tune for consideration in one production! Since you might have to be pitched to hundreds of possibilities before your music is placed, they will make money off of you whether or not they ever place your music in a production. I have also seen self described big time producers claiming a huge network of deep industry connections, advertising on craigslist , who offer to pitch your music for a fee that even a lawyer would envy!

The way I'm seeing things work, is that they (certain Studios) take a great song idea, borrow from its theme (write their own song with it; just enough to avoid the copyright issues) and then use it instead of the artist's original submission. Its a god awful practice and nobody does anything about that. This raises some food for thought...

To pull off such a practice like that, one would need to have a solid set of very talented session musicians. Well, They don't get paid to be 'original'. Instead, they get paid to adapt. (Big difference).

Yeah... that does seem to happen, but more often I hear the original artists on TV and commercials.

Just recently a band on Reverbnation had a tune selected for a PGA spot and now another company has picked the song up for a commercial spot.
So it may be a tough road to figure out with the typical pitfalls but not impossible.