Best Music Libraries for Composers (Non-exclusive)

Hello Composers, Mike here! :smiley:

What are the best music libraries for composers where you get your music licensed non-exclusively, and make money while you sleep? =)

Let’s discuss the non-exclusive libraries out there, and if you have any personal experience with them to share, please do!

The best non-exclusive music library I’ve found so far, at least if you only count the “stock music library” model is:

Pond 5

  • The main advantages are how much traffic they get, and how well known the brand is in the stock media world. They also attract lots of producers because it’s easy to buy many types of digital assets such as: footage, animations, pictures, and of course…music. You can also set your own prices, and they allow you to publish tracks that are registered with your PRO (Performance Rights Organization). Even though most uses will not be broadcasted.

Now share you favorite non-exclusive stock music libraries for composers, and share your experience with them. =)

Sincerely,
Mikael “Mike” Baggström
Founder of professionalcomposers.com

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At the moment I’m using Siix for trailer music. Very hard to get accepted but when you do you get instant syncs.

For tv I’m currently submitting to quite a few so watch this space!

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Nice Geoff, I’ve never heard of them so thank you.

I was mainly looking for non-exclusives options in this thread, and I would suppose all Trailer labels are pretty much on an exclusive basis?

A lot of them are but as I understand it Siix are very open to new people… they make up for it with their extremely high standards.

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Id like to get involved in the music library realm! I am totally not sure how to go about it though. As for Siix, did you just shoot them an email with music for consideration? If so… HOW THE HECK DO YOU START THAT CONVERSATION?! lol

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Also… when you register your work with your respective PRO (BMI for myself), do you register it as a “Classical” work? or “All Other Genres”?

Hey Gerald, so I just shot them a message saying “hey I’m a composer and I’ve had a go at some trailer music. Here’s a sample of my work, does it fit your brief? Thank you for your time and consideration.”

The reply was along the lines of hey, no it doesn’t but you have the structure and general components there, just not in the right order.

I then started to climb their ladder where they send feedback on all my amendments. Think I’ve gone through 7 tracks so far and they say I’m fairly close to getting a track on the library. It’s extremely hard and I’ve been at it for 7 months now but in the long run it’s totally worth it.

I’d say you really need to be dedicated to this genre if you really want to make it. also siix are very picky but because of that, if your picked then you usually get a placement… especially if they choose your track tho go first on the album. It’s also extremely good money if your track is picked. It’s a years wages. Or rather 2 years wages for some…

He big tip in starting this is to know that epic music on YouTube is nothing like real trailer music… it’s simply too melodic and not big enough. If your starting out then I’d suggest looking at the music for the aquaman trailer and study the structure and the types of sounds that are used. The main things to learn at first will be how to create hits, whooshes, white noise risers, uppers, downers , braams, alarm siren sounds and how to mix multiple string orchestras to sit well together along with a hige percussion section. It’s all about layering. Your also talking like 150+ stems for each project (I do voice a lot down into one or two stems to save cpu).

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So for me I’m with PRS. So I get a code and I give that code to the library I’m working with. Then all my royalties and money passes through PRS and that’s how it works for me :slight_smile:

WOW! Thank you for your super helpful response. I do agree that most of the “epic” stuff is far too melodic for trailer music. I’m going to give it a go! If i get rejected (which i definitely will) Ill keep trying.

Ive actually never heard of PRS. Definitely worth looking into. For some reason I was under the impression there were only like 3 PROs. ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.

That is amazing, I would say congratulations, but I will wait until you get in! :wink:

Btw, would it be possible for you to share one of your recent tracks that is “very close to getting accepted”? I am curious, and want to hear it. :slight_smile:

PS. When someone in the community asks to hear your track, it will always be accepted to post it. (otherwise music should be posted in the Post your Music here section).

Sincerely
Mike

Every country has their own PROs. I am on STIM in Sweden. =)

I believe PRS is in the UK.

Btw, I am very happy with STIM myself because they have great support, super easy digital platform etc.

No problem, if you ever want feedback on your pieces just hit me up on my “the media man” page on Facebook. I’d be happy to give you some extensive feedback to get you on the right track. It’s a very in depth genre so you’ll need a few people who can help you.

As for posting a track on here, I’ll post a bounce of a section of a track later. I posted on another thread about mixing issues I was having and the track in question had some low end issues. I’ll send the latest bounce having fixed some (not all of the issues).

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Hi!
I am new to this forum, but I am finding many interesting discussions and am looking forward to participate in the discussions as my experience grows. I have one question to you Mike, with STIM and production/library music. Do you always register them as .LIB when you are submitting to a library and/or publisher for possible placements?

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Honestly I haven’t, just ordinary registration with my PRO (Stim) for all tracks regardless of use. I am perhaps doing it wrong? I find it is not very clear so I sided with caution.

ok!
I will try to contact STIM and see if they can clarify, I also find the information kind of vague.
Thanks!

If you do, please check back here. As I understand I can change a track to LIB but not back. I should contact them as well, but been lazy about it lol.

You don’t register your own tracks when you write for a library publisher because a publisher registers your cues. For example I have BMI and I have a special number so when I compose a trailer cue for a publisher and if my track is approved I send the stems and my BMI special number to a publisher. Once publisher releases its album for the industry it registers my cue and stems using my number. So then I can see my cue and stems on my BMI account registered by a publisher.

Ah I guess that it true, unless it’s non-exclusive libraries, then you still have to register to your PRO yourself. And so far I only worked with non-exlclusives. Correct me if I’m wrong?

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I honestly don’t know how to register songs yourself on BMI cuz publishers do it for me, maybe you can register via Distrokid or something like that! But Distrokid has its own way of royalities you can split royalities between musicians, when you publish your song to all digital stores via distrokid. But I never even tried to register any of my music by myself using BMI, always rely and trust to publishers.

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