The Importance of Music Licensing
If you are a composer, and have written many original songs, getting into music licensing is a very important objective. Additionally, it will aid in receiving substantial profit. For example, if a feature film, advertisement or TV show likes a song, they will request a music license for the composition.
With the downturn of the economy within the music industry today, there has been a dramatic increase in the popularity of music licensing in the entertainment world. It can be heard in radio, television and many other venues. Many organizations are in search of new talents around the world and it has become paramount to become educated and involved in music licensing as well as getting adequate representation.
Many talented individuals are deprived in pursuing their musical career due to lack of knowledge and exposure to licensing. In fact, in many cases the only thing that one can do as talented composer is to pursue music licensing, but how can this be achieved?
One way is by joining a performing rights organization or a PRO. Every country has its own society of composers and these organizations play a great part in the proper way to license music. In the United States the three primary companies are ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Be sure to contact one of these organizations and become a member. They are extremely knowledgeable about music and all the technicalities that come along with music licensing and will be an invaluable source to your career.
The PRO’s in the United States collect over a billion dollars every year for songwriters and publishers who refer to this income as performance royalties. The caveat is that if your music has not been registered through the proper channels and does not have the appropriate music license you will never see this income.
Another thing that you can do is to find a publishing company. A publisher represents your songs in the business of music. Tasks such as music licensing, negotiating licensing, collecting royalties and making sure that you get paid at the proper amount at the proper time are all part of the publishing process and what a publisher does. It is very astonishing at the amount of composers that are oblivious to the most important aspect of the music business and daily lose out on substantial earnings generated through licensing. A well-connected publishing will allow you to flourish as a composer and allow your compositions to earn you credits, money and the recognition that you deserve.