Apple Logic Pro /LogicExpress Discussion

I have a question and i welcome any and all feedback from group members.

i'm lucky(?) enough to have a client who wants an unspecificied number of music tracks for 
their ongoing DVD projects. I'm not charging a whole lot for these tracks because they 
wouldn't be able to pay what it would cost to own the copyright. so i'm licensing the music to 
them and retaining the rights. 

The procedure is typical. i create a demo, email them an mp3 and they approve or 
disapprove. 

Problem is lately, they've been turning down about 1/3 or more of the demos. i'm creating. 
so if takes me a day  to turn out a good demo, and they reject it, i make no money that day. 
it's now at a point where i can't afford to continue like this. 

just wondering if there's  standard procedure or protocol for this type of work situation. this 
is my first time out like this and i personally do not know any pros to put this question to, am 
kind of working in isolation here unfortunately, although i'm trying to change that. 

thanks in advance. maybe a discussion like this could help others too ; - )

Tom

I think you need to have them pay a base fee for developing the ideas and 
demos, and then another fee if they accept the piece. In theory, they could have 
you creating dozens of pieces and reject them all. By now, they should have 
enough confidence in your ability to pay for your time. And especially since 
they are paying under market for a one-time use. You may or may not ever license 
those pieces for any other project, so you may be losing out even when they 
buy. Have you tried taxi.com to sell your pieces by the way?



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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Some of your question I cannot address.  But I do have some experience working with a 
client and not wanting to waste a day or half day to be rejected.  

What I do is a spend an hour or even half hour cranking out a down & dirty demo and send 
it to him with all kinds of explaination.  Then try to get a response to "am I in the ballpark 
with this one?" before I hunker down and spend significant time programming/recording.

I am getting paid a flat fee per song, so it behooves me to make sure I don't end up 
making minimum wage (or less) per hour.

Let us know how this plays out.

pete_buchwald@...


--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "tomdcarden" <tomdcarden@...> wrote:
>
> I have a question and i welcome any and all feedback from group members.
> 
> i'm lucky(?) enough to have a client who wants an unspecificied number of music tracks 
for 
> their ongoing DVD projects. I'm not charging a whole lot for these tracks because they 
> wouldn't be able to pay what it would cost to own the copyright. so i'm licensing the 
music to 
> them and retaining the rights. 
> 
> The procedure is typical. i create a demo, email them an mp3 and they approve or 
> disapprove. 
> 
> Problem is lately, they've been turning down about 1/3 or more of the demos. i'm 
creating. 
> so if takes me a day  to turn out a good demo, and they reject it, i make no money that 
day. 
> it's now at a point where i can't afford to continue like this. 
> 
> just wondering if there's  standard procedure or protocol for this type of work situation. 
this 
> is my first time out like this and i personally do not know any pros to put this question 
to, am 

> kind of working in isolation here unfortunately, although i'm trying to change that. 
> 
> thanks in advance. maybe a discussion like this could help others too ; - )
> 
> Tom
>

I'd be curious if ANYBODY in our group has tried Taxi.  Would like a REAL LIFE review, not 
just the ones in the magazines.

Pete


--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, GAmoore@... wrote:

>
> I think you need to have them pay a base fee for developing the ideas and 
> demos, and then another fee if they accept the piece. In theory, they could have 
> you creating dozens of pieces and reject them all. By now, they should have 
> enough confidence in your ability to pay for your time. And especially since 
> they are paying under market for a one-time use. You may or may not ever license 
> those pieces for any other project, so you may be losing out even when they 
> buy. Have you tried taxi.com to sell your pieces by the way?
> 
> 
> 
> **************************************
>  AOL now offers free email to everyone.  Find out more about 
> what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Thanks for the responses guys. it's helpful.

Yeah, i'd like to hear about Taxi too. Greg, have you used them at all?







--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "pete_buchwald" <pete_buchwald@...> wrote:
>
> Some of your question I cannot address.  But I do have some experience working with a 
> client and not wanting to waste a day or half day to be rejected.  
> 
> What I do is a spend an hour or even half hour cranking out a down & dirty demo and 
send 
> it to him with all kinds of explaination.  Then try to get a response to "am I in the 
ballpark 
> with this one?" before I hunker down and spend significant time programming/
recording.
> 
> I am getting paid a flat fee per song, so it behooves me to make sure I don't end up 
> making minimum wage (or less) per hour.
> 
> Let us know how this plays out.
> 
> pete_buchwald@...
> 
> 
> --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "tomdcarden" <tomdcarden@> wrote:
> >
> > I have a question and i welcome any and all feedback from group members.
> > 
> > i'm lucky(?) enough to have a client who wants an unspecificied number of music 
tracks 
> for 
> > their ongoing DVD projects. I'm not charging a whole lot for these tracks because they 
> > wouldn't be able to pay what it would cost to own the copyright. so i'm licensing the 
> music to 
> > them and retaining the rights. 
> > 
> > The procedure is typical. i create a demo, email them an mp3 and they approve or 
> > disapprove. 
> > 
> > Problem is lately, they've been turning down about 1/3 or more of the demos. i'm 
> creating. 
> > so if takes me a day  to turn out a good demo, and they reject it, i make no money 
that 
> day. 
> > it's now at a point where i can't afford to continue like this. 
> > 
> > just wondering if there's  standard procedure or protocol for this type of work 
situation. 
> this 
> > is my first time out like this and i personally do not know any pros to put this 
question 

> to, am 
> > kind of working in isolation here unfortunately, although i'm trying to change that. 
> > 
> > thanks in advance. maybe a discussion like this could help others too ; - )
> > 
> > Tom
> >
>

Hi, I have been a Taxi member for three years now. I have had 21  
songs forwarded to listings I submitted, and 51 songs returned. I  
have not had any deals - yet - from the forwards but sometimes those  
things can take months. I have attended one of the Taxi Rallys in LA  
and it was a very educational and inspiring event. I would love to go  
again I am very pleased with the service and helpful critiques that  
Taxi provides. The Taxi dudes always remind you that it just their  
opinion (although an educated one) The Taxi folks suggest Taxi as  
just one of the parts of your business plan to get yoour music to  
people who are looking for specific material. I live in central  
Indiana so it would be much more costly for me to connect with music  
biz people all over the globe in other ways. Taxi offers a free email  
subscription to the music listings they put out twice a month. I  
would suggest getting the free list and then see if there are  
listings that "Truly Fit" what you create. If you see lots of  
listings in your Genre that "fit" - then what a great way to get  
music to Music Execs that are looking for what you have!

BTW - if you do subscribe, mention me as a referral to the Taxi dudes.

Peace,

Frank Jones
synthkbd@...
www.frankjonez.com




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I'm not a Taxi member, but have  been subscribing to their mailing
list for a while, and it's worth reading, as they talk alot about
opportunities and basic music business concepts, what works and what
not.

One of the big deals  they try to state is that film/TV based
commission work, getting included into various libraries with *lots
and lots of entries*, is a steady income. I agree, but it means most
likely to just focus on this every day, and produce somewhat neutral
music that fits into such libraries. It's true that MTV and similar TV
shows that need tons of music rather purchases big bulks of non-radio
play music rather than hits that are today expensive to license.

So yes, I believe in their idea, but I'm not myself so keen to commit
to produce somewhat sterialized musc myself, at least just now. --Kent