So, in addition to being a superbly failed indie musician, I’m also a tv editor during the daytime. And I have been looking into other ways that musicians can make money in the future, as music as a commodity is everywhere. I use stock music everyday when I cut pieces into tv shows, and I feel that it might be a good way to at least pick up some coins until the touring money comes in. Or the T-shirt business fashion money comes in. Either way, it’s an interesting thing to get involved in to compose for TV. Sometimes the pay is good, if you’re good and sought after, and sometimes the pay is exploitative because there are always people trying to get in the door. But this last job I did, the composer got paid like a flat fee to keep composing short tracks for the show and I think he got between $4000-7000. I don’t really know because I don’t do any of the budgets or anything close to them. But that’s a specific relationship with a production company and a musician.

Craig pointed me to this mashable review of a new Internet startup company that allows people to upload their own music for tv, video, etc and and sell them to people looking to buy stock music. Customers of Stock music buy for $1 for a minute or less, $2 for 2 or less, etc. And the composer gets approx half of the income, with Audio Micro getting the other half.

This seems to be kind of a healthy cut of the profit just for having a site up and using their bandwidth and storage..doesn’t it? Not sure how it all works out. But as an editor of tv, I do see that there could be a need for this in the future when the television and Internet converge and there will be a need for more video content.

However, stock music is not really what the indie artist actually wants. Stock music is supposed to be unobtrusive and easy for the ear to listen to while listening to something else, like an interview or a narrator speak. And it probably won’t do much to build a “Brand”. Unless your stock music is really unique sounding…

But money is money, and if this is of interest, here is the link to the mashable review of Audio Micro..

Mashable news of Audio Micro Internet Startup.

And here is the link to Audio Micro itself…

http://www.audiomicro.com/

On a side note, the things that I look for in tv music is good beat, cool quality sounding instruments (not a problem if they are synth, just not too “casio tone” like), and simple progression for an “A” section to a “B” section. Doesn’t change parts too many times. Just my two cents as a failed musician and equally crappy editor.