This article was written by Mark Guglielmo, a successful musician who found great success in licensing opportunities for his music.  Now as CEO of Manifest Media, he’s helping other musicians to do the same.

“Like millions before me, I dreamt of making music for a living.  I formed a band, moved to Los Angeles, built a following, got a record deal, and released half a dozen independent and major label albums.  Still, after 15 years in the game, I had no real capital to show for it.  Instead, I waited tables and substituted in schools to pay the bills, which often left me too exhausted or depressed to make music much less establish a solid financial base.  I knew there was a better way.

Yes, it’s pure magic to hole up in the studio and give birth to your creative vision.  And yet, more and more, artists are being asked to step out of their comfort zone and build better business acumen.  True, success in music is subjective.  We’d all love to bring in more money from our craft: But how?  With the record business in turmoil, rampant file sharing, and the reality of an American recession, recording artists, composers, producers, performers, and songwriters are being forced to look elsewhere to earn a steady paycheck from their music.

That’s when I happened across a subtle but life-changing opportunity: a single posting on a website that read “music supervisor interested in licensing your music for TV show”.  Realizing I had nothing to lose, I responded and mailed off a CD.  Three weeks later, I got a call from MTV. When I received my first royalty check, I jumped for joy and realized that this was a service I could provide to other musicians similarly struggling.  Four years and a few thousand placements later, I’m finally reaping the rewards for all my hard work.  Only now, I’m not working hard at all.  And I’m not alone.

More than ever, indie bands are finding new ways to market their music.  CD sales, downloads, live shows, and merchandising are still mainstays of an artist’s financial portfolio.  But they’re being joined by a growing number of attractive alternatives.  Consider for a second the immense amount of time, energy, and money it costs to produce a professional sounding album.  If you’ve done it before, you know.  Did you make back your investment?  Did you earn a profit?  Not many do.

This is where music licensing comes in as a viable and dependable means to financial independence for musicians.  In fact, licensing now makes up a growing percentage of many indie musicians’ income.  Placing one song in a feature film, ad, video game, or television show can net you anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, sometimes substantially more, in upfront licensing fees.  And when you factor in public performance royalties, that figure can increase dramatically.

For example, a 30 second snippet of your song in one episode of ‘Pimp My Ride’ (MTV) can air 40-50 times here in the US, much of it in prime time, which generates substantial royalties, all of which are paid directly to you by your Performance Rights Organization.  That same episode with your song, when syndicated overseas, can continue earning for you years after its initial airing.  Though sleepless nights on tour in a stinky van may be romantic, it’s a lot easier and much more lucrative to send out a few packages to the right people.  And licensing requires very little investment once you’ve recorded your music professionally.

Until recently, most lucrative placements went to major label artists backed by powerful management teams and publishing companies.  Today, the playing field has leveled considerably thanks in part to innovative new music libraries, affordable pro recording technology, and the erosion of the major label stranglehold on the industry.

Premium licensing opportunities, once mysterious and elusive, are now open to every band with a good song captured in a quality recording.  Companies like mine (www.manifestmedia.net) act as a bridge between indie musicians and multi-media conglomerates like Viacom, parent company of MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Spike, and Nickelodeon, which are constantly looking for fresh new music to score their television and film projects.

And with more TV channels and video games than ever before, networks and production companies, that now produce thousands of shows a year, have a significantly greater need for music.  More shows means more ads, which also means a greater demand for music.

The time has come for enterprising independent music creators to enjoy a greater slice of the $1.5 billion in royalties collected annually by ASCAP and BMI.  You could diversify your marketing approach and generate significant new revenue streams, career opportunities, and exposure in this ever-changing landscape we call the music business.  All it takes is an open mind, a discerning eye, and some good songs.”

Ready to get your music out there? Check out the licensing opportunities currently open on Sonicbids.

A few of Manifest Media’s clients and credits:

Leave a Reply