What is it about?
For those who isn't familiar with the term, I will try to explain with a simple example:
I wrote a piece of piano music titled 'singing trees', I put them on my site and you happen to like this song. Then you think: "Hmm.. this might be suitable for my current game!"
Then you contact me, we chat a little bit, then you pay a small amount of fee to use the song 'singing trees' on your game 'Tree Panic'. Pretty simple, no?
Are you sure it's that simple?
Well, there are lots of variations and depths of music licensing contracts details, including exclusivity, validity time, numbers of projects you want to use them on, and how big your project is; commercially speaking, but we don't have to go through all that every time. For the best of both parties, it's good practice to keep the deal as simple as possible, without sacrificing the important valued details of course.
So, how much is this small fee you mentioned above?
Assuming it is a
non exclusive and a
one project license,
5 Euro/song. I honestly think it's a really good price, considering the value of my musical composition/quality. But then again, how much value is created when you add my music to your project, is highly dependent on you. For example, licensing a song which have a high compatibility with your project will mostly make bigger impact/impression than licensing a random/lower compatible song.
Aren't you selling yourself too short here?
Maybe, but I have some reasonable logic behind this decision.
- I'm not worldwide known and famous like Masashi Hamauzu, at least not yet.
- If I set higher price, I may still get deals, but is it worth the tradeoff?
- Every piece I compose is unique and original, wouldn't it be a huge waste to keep them dusty on my garage?
- No matter how good my songs and my skills are as a composer, what good does it do if I'm the only one enjoying them?
- As a musician, I will feel great joy and pleasure when people listen to, enjoy, or somehow benefit from my music in one way or another.
I don't really know/understand music or I don't have time to listen through your whole playlist just to find the 'right' songs, can you help?
Well, sure. You can probably show me your project website/screenshot/demo, then I will recommend you the 'right' songs. I think it will be quite fast and easy, since I know/remember my songs really well, unless something bad happened to me and screwing my musical memory/assessment skills lol.
So, where are the links to these licensable musics?
I know that I should make a shopping basket/song preview model of webpage for this kind of thing, but it's not easy. While we are working on it, we can do this manually by email. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Action/Battle http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3591031
Dungeon/Stage http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3591033
Town/City http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3592450
Misc http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3592453
They are downloadable for free, mp3 file. What are the licenses?
They are free for personal and listening purpose only. To use them in your projects, you have to
contact me first. Here's a list of what you can and cannot do with these free downloads:
You can:
- Listen to them
- Share them with anyone
You cannot:
- Edit, mix, alter them
- Resell them
- Repost them as your own work
- Use them in your projects, commercial or not
I like your musical style, but I can't find anything usable on your whole playlist.
If that is the case, then maybe it's time you ask me for a
custom composition, in which I personally write the song to be used specifically in your project. It's highly beneficial and can bring tremendous value to your project. But it takes time, sometime a lot of it, and good amount of focus, and dedication to do this type of work, so it costs more, hehe.
Ending.
That's it for now, I hope now the term 'music licensing' no longer confuse you,
or put a frown on your face ^ ^
See you later on my next post, and thank you.
~
clea leshlick
