Hi to all musicians,
Could anybody help? I'm trying to find out what a music production company, music house, or music library actually is? Are they all the same thing?
I'm researching hard but can't seem to find the answer. Is it basically a company that composes music for TV & Film projects?
Do they specifically only compose their own music in-house for projects their commisioned for? or do they also use other artists pre-recorded work for their projects???
Cheers
Mm.
Music production companies can fall into several categories. I think the type you're referring to is "stock" houses that license out tracks for advertisements, promos, trailers, etc. Examples of companies like this would be Brand X, Audiomachine, Two Steps from Hell, or Immediate Music.
There are also just generic music library houses. Usually you buy collections in bulk, and they're royalty free. These are common in radio and TV production.
To answer your second question...usually a composer is hired to write music for a TV/film project by the company financing and producing the film. They're normally paid half upfront, and half upon delivery. When the TV/film goes out for promotion (trailers, promos, etc), music is usually licensed separately from a "music house" (as listed above). It's rare for an advertisement for a movie to use music actually composed by the same composer who scored the film itself.
Ironically, it's NOT uncommon to hear music from OTHER movies used to promote NEW movies. I don't know how many times I've heard Charlie Clouser tracks recycled from the Saw series for trailers. Ditto for Mansell in some of the Lord of the Rings trailers (some cues were recycled from Requiem for a Dream if I recall correctly).
In a TV/film project, if you want to use an existing song...such as for a montage common in prime-time TV dramas...that's another process entirely. That usually falls to the Music Editor. He or she will make the arrangements and secure the contracts to license it for that episode. That normally involves tracking down who owns the material (almost always the label) and setting up a "synch" license. (Separate arrangements have to be worked out for DVD releases, etc.)
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