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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
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ALL PREFIX DATABASE - ALL KNOWN PREFIXES
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