So you want to make some money from that great music you’ve created but don’t know where to start? Start here! If your aspirations are to make it as a rock star, this article is not for you. If you have material that sounds like it would work as background music for moving pictures (like videos or TV) read on.

The first step is to make sure your material is as good as the competitions. Who is the competition? If you want to break into the film scoring biz, listen to soundtracks. If you want to be a TV composer, listen to commercials, especially car spots, news show themes and bumpers (they tend to be the most cutting edge) and anything else that sounds like what you want to do. Next, video tape the credits at the end of your targeted movie or TV show and write down the pertinent info such as the production company, music supervisor/director, line producer, recording studio where the show was posted, the audio engineers who worked on the show. Most of the contact info you need is right there staring at you. I’ll get to the “how to contact” part latter. Never bother the show’s producers or executive producers, they’re usually nice guys but to busy to field pitches from unknown lowlifes like you (just kidding) ((you need a good sense of humor to survive in the music biz so you can get past all the rejection)). Your best strategy is to get to the production grunts that do the actually work, especially the audio engineers who put the music to the pictures. To better understand why these guys are you best shot for breaking in you need to understand the sequence of how an established show is produced. It goes something like this:

1. Someone generates an idea for a show, the big boys get together and approve it and pass it along to someone to write the script. The script gets approved and they assign it to a segment producer/director who puts all the pieces together to make it happen 2. It happens, they shoot it, transfer the film to tape, log in the dozens of tapes they end up with, and book a postproduction facility (or in house) and start editing it together. At this point they’re starting to think about music and usually grab their favorite commercially produced cds to do initial cuts to. They finish the first ruff edits and run it by the big boys who beat them up with a long list of changes they would like to see. After the recuts and changes, they send it to the postproduction studio to add all the sounds, voice over (narration) and last, the score or background music. 3. This is where it starts getting good for the unknown composer. Since the initial music the producer/director used to edit is far too expensive to license, it generally is up to the post audio engineer to replace it with “sounds like” music. They start by listening to the mountain of library cds they have purchased/licensed to use and usually pull out the ones they’re most familiar with. Eventually they will have used and reused their favs over and over again and the big boys will get tired of hearing the same stuff over and over again. That’s where you come in. 4. If you did your homework, tracked down the studio and the name of the show’s audio engineer/s by reading the credits and calling each lead for phone numbers (it’s a lot easier to get numbers when you ask for someone by name), you’re ready to pitch. If you can’t track that info down, try calling the shows production company and ask for the music director/supervisor or line producer. They are usually looking for fresh music and will connect you with someone whose job it is to screen new music if the pitch sounds like it ’s coming from a pro. 5. Here is an example of what a pitch might sound like: “Hi, my name is (your name here) and I’m with (make up a pro sounding company name). I’m a big fan of your show (the show’s name), and noticed that the music sounds very similar to what I produce. Can I send you a demo cd? I know you’re busy and don’t have a lot of time to listen to everything you get, but if you could check out the first couple of tracks, you’ll hear the music is perfect for your show. (When the person at the other end starts talking, shut up and listen to what they say and don’t interrupt!). If they’re open to your submission, conclude the call with something like this, “ Where can I send it and whose attention should I address it to? Thank you for your time and keep up the good work.” 6. If you get lucky and they are willing to give you a listen, make sure you send your best and most appropriate tracks for their show. Don’t blow it by filling up the cd with stuff you think is cool but not on target. You will only get one shot. If you miss, cross that one off your list. If they like it, they will contact you so make sure your name and phone number is on everything. The bottom line is, they are looking for material that will support and reinforce the vibe and feel of the video. Sometimes all it takes is a low drone to add some tension, or maybe a big crescendo to punctuate and add impact. All they want is music that will work so they can move on to the next scene and finish the project and go home. If your tracks fit their needs, you’re in and they will want more.

If all that fails, there is always plan B. There is a company called TAXI (www.taxi.com). You may have seen their adds in the trade mags. What they do is hire a bunch of industry pros to screen submissions from members and forward the good stuff to producers who know they will only get material that is on target and not waste their time with substandard stuff. They will also send you a critique if you request one. The membership cost about $200 annually and $5 per submission. My experience with them has been very good. Out of 50 submissions I have had 42 forwards, which have resulted in 6 contacts that led to 5 real deals. They have also screened hundreds of submissions for a listing I ran looking for composers for my own publishing company. They only sent me the good stuff. So far I’ve gotten my money’s worth. I recommend this route if you’re sure your music is good and you have a lot of it and it’s ready for prime time. If not, save your money unless you would like/or need Taxi’s professional critiques. The company is legit (over 5000 members strong) but for it to help you, you have to deliver the goods.

Please note: This article only addresses a handful of ideas on how to get your music to the right ears. There are volumes of info available that go into far greater depth and detail. My intent is to get you thinking about how to turn your sonic creations into financial gain. Please forgive any grammatical errors. I don’t write articles for a living, I only write music. Good Luck Tony Hall