Latest News & Articles
admin2020-01-16T15:26:04-08:00
The Cost of Going Performance-Free
Performance-free licensing threatens to dramatically reduce the value of music for the entire community.
admin2020-01-14T23:09:25-08:00
What Do Production Music Publishers Actually Do?
What do production music publishers actually do? Having great music is just the beginning. Here's what it now takes to be successful.
admin2020-01-23T12:43:24-08:00
PMA’s Update on Discovery Networks & Performance Rights
Some very good news. We have been informed today by Discovery Networks that in regard to performance rights, Discovery has decided that their US channels will remain operating as is under the traditional PRO performing rights model. The PMA would like to personally thank Shawn White and everyone at Discovery for this decision. We and greatly appreciate this and look forward as a community to working together with Discovery to provide their programming with the best quality music possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is library music?
- Also known as “production music”, is created mainly for video professionals for TV shows, movie trailers, advertising and more.
- It’s not written for specific visuals but instead written to (hopefully) inspiring album concepts and distributed around the world where it could be used in random ways.
- Dominated by major labels from, 1927-2000, thanks to cheaper recording gear and the explosion of video content production, library music now has more composers, publishers, high-quality music and end-users than ever.
- What are the benefits of the library life?
- Money-wise, after 6-8 years writing 50+ high-quality tracks per year for high-quality labels, it can earn you over $130,000 per year in royalty income that keeps going long after you stop writing. As a side-line, it can also be a great way to add a stable new income stream or a stepping-stone to becoming a full-time composer.
- There is also usually more musical freedom than writing film or TV scores for directors with vivid imaginations but terrible communication skills, and arguably more still than being in a band where managers, record labels, band members and fans will conspire to pollute your genius with baffling demands for hits.
- What are the challenges of working in production music?
- Downsides include the difficulty of finding work, choosing the right companies to write for, a requirement for a large amount of excellent music and an epic 3-year delay while you wait for your money, which can invite pessimism and doubt from yourself and others.
- This is why PMA exists. To serve as a resource and community to help you navigate this industry.
- How should I get started in production music? (get rich slow plan)
- Compile 10-12 excellent previous tracks or new submissions on a streaming service like SoundCloud
- Research great companies and send them links with well-written, personalized emails
- Write 50 tracks per year
- After 3 years watch the cash start to trickle in
PMA PREFIXES
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ALL PREFIX DATABASE - ALL KNOWN PREFIXES
This is a comprehensive listing of all known prefixes, PMA MEMBER OR NOT.
To add your company prefix or to report errors/updates email us – info@pmamusic.com
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