advice! exclusive buyout

[Natanel Arnson]

Hey guys. recently i was asked about how much i would sell a track of mine for exclusively, meaning that i no longer will be able to sell or license it to anyone else. This is really the only site i know where i could get answers as i know next to nothing about what to charge.

i know this is a music dissection forum, so I'm posting a link to the track he's interested in. You can use whatever impressions you have of the track to calculate your answer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ilusNwHDy4&list=UUTjqLs0volYdgFU183JRBnA

My thoughts on this are that i feel like this track has decent potential, hopefully in the trailer music licensing world that I'm getting into. I mean it's not perfect, but i feel like sometime down the road it might get used. And even one license can mean anywhere between $1,000-$10,000 or more.....

However, it's obviously not guaranteed to be licensed, which is why I'm open to a buyout which would help me buy some sorely needed gear and samples :)

Thanks for your help

[Natanel Arnson]

Thanks for the detailed advice. Yes, friends have said a similar thing, that since at the moment i am still unknown, i should maybe sell for less than i want. The exclusive thing is kindof hard to swallow, cause you always tend to think that this or that may happen and it has potential. But if i can get a decent amount for it, it will really help me on my journey towards bigger things. I could really use samples in specific areas, and a new computer would literally save me about %35 wasted time per track just uploading samples and closing them. Thanks for the response.

Bob Porter said:

Nice track.

Breaking into commercial music is tough. While I have no idea what you should charge, there are some things to think about. To the best of my knowledge, most places will want to buy your music outright. It is cheaper in the long run. Naturally, you as the composer think your music is worth a lot more than they do. I would think that you would want to get involved with someplace that will want you to write for them on a regular basis. That might mean selling for less than you might want to at first.

Try your hand at writing for a specific project rather than a general idea. That might mean shooting some of your own video, editing it, and writing a track for it. That gives your music meaning and direction. We all want to write that epic track that makes us big bucks. It is possible to write powerful music to well shot nature panoramas.

Just a thought. 

[Natanel Arnson]

Regarding visuals, whatever. I'm fine with it, and haven't heard anyone complain. 

As for music quality, you are partially right. This track is actually quite old, and thank God I've learned much with each progressing track, and the newer ones really are better, and hopefully will continue to do so.. I hear respect your opinion, 
but my personal one differs. When i hear professional music of the big composers, and especially music used in trailer, I feel like that quality is something i can attain. And it kindof peeks through on certain tracks at one point or another, a bright light that surprises even myself. And i've gotten positive feedback from friends and industry people alike. Ofcourse hustle and contacts is king. 

This is only the first year and a half of my composing journey. Who knows. I believe, and so I will try my best, continue to learn and improve. Thanks for the feedback!
Raymond Kemp said:

First up.........you should not use licensed visuals with your music. It is NOT professional.
Secondly.........although not bad, your generic music is not up to the standard necessary to hang a career on.
I know this is just one persons opinion but believe me when I tell you I've heard lots producing better and they are struggling to get or keep a foothold in the shrinking industry. Do I have an answer to the road ahead for music? No, not when recorded, only when performed.