Music Licensing Tips – Balancing Art And Commerce

When you start pursuing music as a profession, sooner or later you are confronted with reconciling the need to maintain a sense of artistic integrity with the need to pay your bills and make money. This can be tricky, because on one hand I think most musicians are drawn to writing songs and playing music because of the sense of inspiration and purity that comes with writing music. There’s something very pure and genuine about tapping into that part of yourself where music comes from. It feels great and I think most people who write songs want to share that feeling with as many people as possible. I think it’s safe to say that this is a big part of what motivates us as musicians, regardless of what style of music we create or where we are in our careers.

But on the other hand, anyone who has been a part of the music business for more than like 60 seconds, knows that the music business is about much more than… well… music. For better or worse, everyone involved in the music business side of the music industry needs to make money in order to make the whole thing sustainable. This reality doesn’t really make me cynical anymore (it used to) because I understand it for what it is. When you book a show at a club, the club owner needs to make money to stay in business. No matter how great your band or act is, if no one shows up, it’s hard to stay in business. The same principle is true for every aspect of the music business. If you get signed to a record label, they need to make a profit from your music in order to pay their rent, staff, electricity and all the other expenses that go along with running a business.

The music licensing industry is certainly no exception to this rule. Your music needs to be “marketable” in order to be licensed. If you already write music that fits into that sometimes elusive category, great. But sometimes the rest of us have to be flexible and make short term compromises in order to achieve our long term goals. On my path I’ve made some compromises here and there with my music and my vision. I’ve written songs that sound like bands I didn’t really like that were used on TV shows (soap operas!) I didn’t really like. BUT… I don’t have an ounce of regret and I’m EXTREMELY grateful for the placements I’ve had – all of them! Why? Well besides the obvious fact that it’s helped me financially, I also think any endeavor in life is a process. By writing music for money and having my songs aired on TV shows, it’s both kept me connected to the music industry and has kept me connected to my love for songwriting. And believe it or not by exploring styles that I’m not normally drawn to, it’s also really improved my overall songwriting chops and has really helped me solidify and appreciate my own sound.

The other upside of succesfully licensing your music is that it creates a very positive feedback loop. It feels great to know that your music is appreciated and it inspires you to keep going! It sure has for me at least. I love writing music so much I would probably keep doing it whether I made any money from it or not, but when you start generating income from your music it really inspires you to keep going and keep honing your craft. It’s a great impetuous for moving forward and continually improving. And of course the more money you’re making from your music the more time you’ll have to write music and stay true to your overall vision!

So… there’s my two cents on this issue. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. I think it’s important that we as musicians and songwriters not lose sight of what really inspired us to write music in the first place. We also have to eat though:)

For more information on how to get your music in TV and Films be sure to check out my free newsletter by going to http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com

Music Licensing Tips – How To License More Songs And Make More Money

I recently made a new video all about how to make more money by licensing your music. It’s called “How To License More Of Your Songs And Make More Money”.

Check it out here:

Success In Music Licensing And Your Mindset

Today I want to address a topic that is a little more esoteric than the technical aspects of the music business that I often discuss, but nonetheless is just as important. The topic is how to cultivate the right mindset for acheiving success in the music industry.

I really think to be successful in the music industry you need to have both talent and very thick skin. You need to be extremely determined, ambitious and motivated. I know I’m not telling you something you don’t already know, but let’s think about what this really means. Let’s break it down, step by step.

The music industry is an industry a lot of people are drawn to because, let’s face it, writing and playing music is just freaking fun! And of course it also has a perception of being cool and if you’re a guy playing music can help you meet girls, and if you’re a girl I guess it can’t hurt with meeting guys. Music is awesome and if you have a knack for it why wouldn’t you want to share it with others.

Because of this coolness and fun factor a lot of people pursue music, both as a hobby and as a profession. This creates a lot of competition, on all levels. Everything from getting a good slot at a nightclub, or getting your song onto a TV show or Film, or landing a record deal, involve in one way or another, you competing with somebody else.

Now I don’t think competition in its modern day form is insidious or bad. For the most part, here in the western world, we are not beating each other with clubs to get what we want. Competition has a tendency to make us work harder, and if embraced in a healthy way can make us better musicians and better people. When we know something isn’t easy we tend to work harder for it and are forced to expand and grow.

It’s when the inevitable rejections and setbacks we face get the best of us that the competitive nature of the music industry turns into an ugly and insidious thing. But if we cultivate the right mindset we can take these events in stride and move forward un-phased.

How??
A couple of years ago I ended what was nearly a six year relationship with my girlfriend at the time. After about six months or so of being single and not dating very much at all I asked a girl out who was drop dead gorgeous and to my surprise she said yes. We went out and I was a complete nervous wreck. I placed so much pressure on myself and on her to make this night a success that I came across as stilted and weird and I never heard from her again.

I was disappointed the next few days but I immediately realized what had happened. I then decided to cast a much wider net, so to speak. I started meeting girls online, in clubs, on the street, in trains. When I really opened my eyes there were opportunities to meet girls literally everywhere. Over the next few months I started actively dating many different women and what happened was really amazing. I was meeting so many different women that I stopped looking at each date and interaction as such a big deal. This allowed me to be myself and just meet women being very present and in the moment. I’ve now been happily involved with one woman for close to a year now.

Why am I telling you this story? I think this same sort of strategy can be applied to anything and works particularly well when applied to your music career. When you’re pursuing one or two opportunities it’s easy to get discouraged when they don’t work out. But if you’re pursuing many different opportunities, not only are you exponentially increasing your odds that one of them will come through for you, but you will relax when you realize that there are many different ways to achieve success with your music. If you don’t get your music on one show, pursue another. If you don’t get booked into club x, pursue club z. This is the mindset you need. Don’t worry about any one particular goal, pursue them all with equal fervor and enthusiasm and success will become a matter of when and not if.

For more information on how to get your music in TV and Films, visit my website http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com for a free newsletter and ebook about the music licensing business.

Why Are You A Musician?

If you’ve been in the music business half as long as I have then you probably have a little bit of cynicism in you.  It’s hard not to be cynical when pursuing a career in the music business. Unless you`re really lucky or you happen to know just the right people then chances are you’re going to have to pay some serious dues if you want to make it very far.  If you’re reading this then chances are you’re probably still paying your dues.  As AC/DC have put it, “it’s a long way to to the top if you want to rock and roll”.

Sometimes it can be really frustrating working so hard for something, wanting it so badly, waiting patiently for things to progress and not getting to where you want to go as fast as you want to get there.  It has been very frustrating for me at times.  I sometimes wondered why I even chose the path of being a musician in the first place.  As much as I am very proud about the things I’ve been able to accomplish I have had moments of frustration where I feel like I am banging my head against a wall.  It doesn’t feel good to bang your head against a wall!  It hurts:)

But then I stop and consider my alternatives.  I could go and get a ¨real job¨, not that there is really much security in that path these days!  Or I could try and manufacture passion for something else that is more secure.  Have you ever tried to manufacture passion?  That doesn’t really work either! Or I can pick myself up, dust myself off and continue living a life of integrity.  Which to me simply means being true to myself and my vision, the best I know how.  That’s hard sometimes, but it would be much harder for me to live somebody else’s life.  I’ve tried that at times and it feels…. well… fake.

 

What about you?  Why do you pursue a career in music?  Have your goals changed over time?  Do you get frustrated sometimes?  I’d love to hear from you.  Your thoughts, frustrations, successes, hopes, etc…  I want to get a better idea of the challenges and frustrations you face so I can do a better job at addressing your needs.  Part of my path has been the creation of this newsletter, my website and related products and services.  The goal with all of this to inspire and educate you to move forward to greater and greater success in your music career. 

 

And speaking of feedback, how am I doing?  Do I do a good job at balancing valuable information with selling my products? I obviously have to sell my products to make money to keep this whole thing going, but am I too salesy?  Not salesy enough?? I’d love your feedback on that too!  How can I do a better job at what I’m doing?

 

Music Licensing Master Class Sold Out!
Thanks to everyone who signed up for my Music Licensing Master Class over the weekend.  This is the third time I’ve offered this type of extensive training and in depth coaching about the music licensing business and every single one of these classes has sold out!

 

I received a lot of inquiries as to whether or not coaching packages can be purchased by themselves, without The A To Z Of Music Licensing, and the answer is yes.  To purchase one on one coaching via phone and/or email visit my coaching page: http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/coachingservices

 

 

For a complete list of my products and services visit my product page at: http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/productpage

 

Until Next Time… Happy Songwriting
Aaron Davison