Post #319874 by tikiyaki on Thu, Jul 19, 2007 10:37 AM

On 2007-07-19 09:36, Tiki Bill wrote:
BTW Tikiyaki, are you registered with any music org. like ASCAP or BMI? I'm with ASCAP, and I make my living on licensing music to TV and film stuff. I NEVER sell the ownership of my music, just the broadcast and sync. rights to use a song in a production. The show producer pays a license fee, then when the show airs,(broadcast, cable, or Internet) if the station sells "on air" ad space, the station has to pay ASCAP (then ASCAP pays you) a fee for every play on that station. The show producer is also responsible for submitting cue sheets to the station, and then the station to ASCAP, listing what songs were used, how they were used (opening theme, background, etc.), and how long they were used. You get enough music in TV shows and commercials that play allot, and it can really add up. And as much as I hate to see infomercials on TV, I LOVE it when they use tunes from my on-line music library. I'm not ashamed to say that most of the music you hear in the background of spots with Billy Mays selling Oxi Clean, is from my generic "cheeze music" library. Sometimes, those spots running enough can pay my bills for a month. It's not always the most fun music to write, but it beats flippin' burgers.
if you have any questions, you can e mail me directly at
[email protected]

Keep it up,

Tiki Bill.

Me and you are in the same business Bill....

http://www.cuefactory.com

I make my living from TV placements, commercials (wish I could get MORE of those), films (wish I had more of those too)....Mostly I've been earning from TV placements...Anything you see on Network TV that plays rock and pop music probably has had one of my tracks in it. MTV and Cable shows...I do tracks for music libraries...whatever. I've come to know the BMI payment dates,as they've been what's p[aying my rent.

Of course, you always have to find new avenues of revenue...being self employed also means that I have to do other stuff to keep things floating, so I do mastering, mixes, graphic artwork, like CD covers, etc....whatever keeps the lights on, puts food on the table, and keeps my Hawaii trips funded :)

The best thing about music placement is, you make the track once, and it earns money over and over....making it "passive income"....income you earn without physically doing any work....similar toi income property, stocks etc....Only you can't LOSE any money, like the stock market....only gain, IF it gets used.

The key, I've found, is to have as much stuff out there as possible working for you...it's a numbers game...As the networks and ad agencies get more frugal with the budgets, the more stuff you need out there. It ain't making me rich, but it's paying the bills...of course, you always hope for that big Car or cereal ad that pays the BIG paycheck, but the more you have out there, the better.

Anyway, so, you and me are in the same business, as I said. The Tikiyaki Orchestra is obviously a passion project, but, rest assured, I will use all those tracks for placements for anyone who is willing to pay for them...and in the case of TIKI TV, or the DVD of TIKI....contribution is ok too, cos, they're projects that involve TIKI, which is OK cos I like the cause.

http://www.tikiyakiorchestra.com
http://www.tikiyaki.wordpress.com
http://www.cuefactory.com

[ Edited by: tikiyaki 2007-07-19 10:42 ]