Sound libraries: an affordable way to fill you music and sound effects needs

Post,  June, 2002  by Edmond M. Rosenthal

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The fast-food approach to music and sound effects requirements increasingly is taking hold as producers' budgets rule out custom sound. Many are finding that it's not that much of a sacrifice when they acquire their sounds on a needledrop, blanket licensing or, in particular, buyout basis. "Library music is generally one-third or one-fourth the cost of custom music," estimates Randy Wachtler, president of 615 Music Library (www.615musiclibrary.com) in Nashville "It's even less if you're dealing with just one cut of music. It can be as little as $200, compared with about $10,000, for a national commercial." Onesign of the current trend is that 615's library business is up about 30 percent over a year ago, while its custom music business has been flat.

Many users of library music consider buyout the least expensive way to go. Involved in sound design, digital recording and sound and music editing, Badabing Badaboom Productions (www.badabingboom.com) in Burbank, CA, has found that buyout libraries fulfill a need. President Michael Geisler says this is the case when programs don't have the budgets to allow even licensing.

"Buyout is much simpler to deal with," he adds," but you can't always get everything you need from a buyout library. There is less of a selection because they don't seem to grow as fast as needle-drop collections."

Wachtler's operation offers blanket licensing on a year-to-year besis, as well as needle-drop. He holds,"Buyout, or royalty-free, is a misnomer. Ninety percent of those who say they are in this category maintain their copyrights and register their titles with ASCAP,BMI and SEASAC. In some cases, the user must have allicense from one of these organizations." He sees no need to move into the buyout realm, stating that acharges for licensed and royalty-free music are nearly the same.

The buyout trend has not affected Omni-music (www.omnimusic.com) in Port Washington, NY, according to president Doug Wood Most of those taking buyout want a fixed rate that they can budget for," he contends, "They can achieve the same thing with us by taking an unlimited blanket license."

Involved only in buyout, Point One Sound, Toronto (www.pointonesound.com) will continue in that direction as it expands its 5.1 sound effects library. Partner Gary Vaughan asserts, "Buyout is the best way because there isn't as much paperwork involved."

Michael Nurko, president of TRF Production Music Libraries (www.trfmusic.com) in Chestnut Ridge, NY is staying with needle-drop and annual blanket licensing. He points out that more TV programs are using production music in place of original music. He reports, "Many started to use it when money was tight and stayed with it afterward. They find they're getting the same quality, but it's just not exclusive." As for buyout. he says, "Our composers would never sell us their music on that basis."

He notes that licensing to TV programs is not at the level it reached a year ago, but is starting to edge back While the market in TV and radio commercials is down, he says, there is considerable new volume with Web sites, cable networks, local cable and interactive training programs.

In the past year. TRF has been introducing a new library, called Kool Kat It focuses heavily on techno, dance, hip-hop and other contemporary styles, but also includes the likes of ragtime and country, In this library, the company recently finished recording its fourth set of 10 CDs.

Nurko feels competitive edge is in having 12 libraries, while most competitors have only one or two. It takes into consideration that most clients use only about 10 percent of a given library So, what most clients do is license a given number of discs across all of TRF's libraries. Often, he says, the cost is less than licensing a single library.

INTERNET SEARCHES

One trend that was surfacing at the NAB exhibition was the increased use of the Internet for auditioning and beyond. Launched there was Librarytracks.com, of which 615 Music Library is one of the five co-owners. The others are Megatrax, Manhattan Production Music, Omnimusic and VideoHelper. The combined site offers about 700 CDs that can be searched, streamed, auditioned and digitally downloaded, LA's Fresh Ground Software designed, built and maintains the site.

Wachtler points out that the five libraries complement one another, each having its own niche. For 615, the niche is real instruments. "We continue to use acoustic live instruments as much as possible," he reports.

Wood of Omnimusic expected to to see greater use of the Internet by clients last year but had to change plans and go back to CDs. He notes that this was a time in which corporate America was putting projects on hold. Having detected a recent pickup in interest, the company is finally offering music for downloading at its new site, www.omnibluedot.com. It clients, mostly in audio post, can search the site for music and share it with their own clients in audition form. After approval, it can be downloaded into their desktop systems and moved, for exampIe, to a digital audio workstation.