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Licensing you music into films is a great extra income stream for you as an independent artist. But, as with any other aspect of the music business, you have to go through the learning curve and networking process. My experience with film licensing, just like everything else, revolves around whom you know.

Your first (or tenth) licensing deal probably won’t be the next Hollywood blockbuster, but that’s ok. There are a zillion independent films that need and want your music. No, you won’t be immediately rich and famous from having a song in an indie film, but you will probably get paid, and you’ll get some good exposure. Remember, a good ling music career is not built on one big hit. It’s built on a series of small projects and successes building to bigger ones, and, of course, multiple streams of income.

With that in mind, independent films are a great place to start. So where do you begin? Well, listing sites like Versus Media, Film Music Network, and Taxi are a good place to start, but it’s hard to rely on a steady income from people you’ve never met. Also, something I’ve learned recently from a couple of music supervisors, is that follow up on your package is not required, nor particularly appreciated. So you really are relying on your package and your music being picked out of the pile. However, the listing services will give you access to projects you may not have known about otherwise. They are, therefore, a good investment.

An even better way to hook into independent films is to go out and meet film people. As musicians we tend to get stuck in our own little world. Hanging out with musicians, going to music workshops and events, etc. You must take your product to the people who need it instead of waiting for them to come to you.

A great place to start is Indie Club. This is a worldwide organization of independent filmmakers, actors, crew, and everyone else. Find your local chapter through the IndieClub.com website. It’s free to join. Where I am, San Francisco, we have the country’s largest chapter. Join their discussion list and introduce yourself as a music artist. Go to their meetings and get-togethers. When I went to my first Indie Club meeting, I was one of two music artists in the room. The cries of “We need you!” were not just the voices in my head (this time). That room full of independent filmmakers was looking for good music that they could license and still stay within their budget.

I scored my first licensing deal within an hour. Two songs in the same film, one I’d already written, the other to be written specifically for the movie. My tactic was simple. Ask them about their latest project. They’ll be happy to tell you about it, I assure you. They’ll ask what you do. Tell them, but don’t exaggerate. I explained that I had not yet written for films, but just came to see where I fit in. This particular filmmaker then explained to me that he couldn’t find a particular song for this one scene he was working on. I told him I’d be happy to custom write it for him. And there it was. I was being paid up front to write a song. How much? I received $100 for the new song, $50 for the previously written and recorded one. Like I said, you won’t get rich off of these. But hey, $50 to let him use a song that I’d paid for long ago is free money to me.

For the new song, the director arranged for recording time at the local recording arts school where his sound editor was studying. This was fortuitous, and not necessarily normal. Most other project I have to record myself. Because I kept the copyright for the song (which you should always try to do), I was able to release the new song on one of my future CDs, which put more money in my pocket. There’s that multiple streams of income again. And, as a topper, I was able to perform at the premier and sell more CDs there as well. I got all that just for showing up to a meeting and talking to people. I made a few other deals at that meeting too.

So the moral of the story is to just go where filmmakers are and talk to them. Besides Indie Club, I’m sure there are other film clubs and organizations in your area. Find them and make yourself a part of them. Get to know everyone, and you have your tunes in the movies in no time!

Next time: How to get your music in movies by getting yourself in movies!

Okay, indie is definitely a broad term for people to use but are you comfortable with calling bands by this large generic term or do you like to get more in-depth? One person’s definition of an indie band may be vastly different to another person’s opinion so if you are trying to describe a song or band, it could be worthwhile being able to use more expressive terms.

Have a look at the following genres and think about how many you recognize or can spot: Shoegazing, Britpop,

Grunge, Noise rock, Lo fi, Indie pop, Math rock, Garage rock, Post rock, New Wave of New Wave, Post Punk Revival, Nu-Rave, Folk rock.

And if you were so inclined you could probably list many more. Are these genres genuine or have they been created by magazine editors in order to create a buzz and help some more copies of their publications?

Historical Terms are Easily Definable

There is no doubt that some terms are used to define an era or particular style, with Shoegazing, Britpop and Grunge being largely historical terms now but you will have an idea in your head of what this genre is like. Some of the more recent names are a lot more confusing and harder to place which sort of makes the genre pointless.

The idea of a “scene” or “genre” is to ensure that bands are easily identifiable and can be pinpointed quickly. If you like one band who plays a particular style of music then there is every chance you will like a band that plays a similar sort of music. An example of this would be the crossover between fans of The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev. Some bands can gain a lot of new fans and publicity from being linked to a style of music with many other bands.

Bands Want to be Seen as Individuals

You will find that many bands are not happy at being pigeonholed into one particular style or genre. When you think about it, it is not a compliment to have your entire musical output summed up in a couple of words. Every band would hope that they have some originality and that they are not instantly recognizable to many other acts.

There are strong commercial reasons to allow your music to be defined with a few easy definitions.

It may open up support slots or festival appearances alongside other bands that play a particular style.

It may allow your music to be placed in record stores / online stores alongside other similar bands ensuring you can tap into other groups fan bases.

It will make it easier for magazines and online sites to write about a band if there are easy points of references to be made.

There are Commercial Reasons for Genres

All of these reasons would appeal to a manager as they would increase the chances of a band being recognized by more consumers which should lead to the possibility of more sales. Deep down performing music should be about the love of the art and doing something worthwhile but bills will always have to be paid and bands need to earn money to stay alive.

It may go against your purist beliefs for being in a band and making music but creating noticeable links between yourself and other acts may generate awareness in your act that could not have been created elsewhere.

With so many different kinds of people in the world, many different styles of clothing are made. Tee shirts are the most commonly worn type of clothing; therefore they must be the most diverse, not in the way they are made, but the style, in order to cater for everyone’s different needs. Different types of tee shirts are always available to buy, with many different designs on the front made by many different companies ranging from your local high street to exclusive brands.

The way in which people have grown up in their surroundings has a major influence on their type of dress and style. Music is a major player that effects how people dress. Avid fans of hip hop and RnB music often wear very baggy tee shirts with conations of violence and exclusive brand names that are rapped about in that genre of music. Rapper 50 – Cent’s Clothing brand G-UNIT is an exclusive brand that fans buy in order to have an association with the rapping legend. With the rapper being very rich and famous many fans want to be like him therefore buy his clothes in order have the rich, powerful feeling he has. The same can be seen for rock and indie music. Many fans that follow listen to this genre of music are greatly influenced by what the band members wear. In regards to indie music the general tee shirts trend is to wear tight “skiny” fit clothes with many different accessories such as waistcoats and slim ties.

When comparing these two types of tee shirts (RNB and Indie rock) it is clear to see there are different styles for different people. RnB followers are more likely to wear bright, baggy expensive looking clothes. The idea of these people is that they are to be better than everyone else, as stated in many rapping songs, that the rappers are the richest most powerful people. With this influence fans want to simulate this style in their own lives. Whereas on the other hand, indie rocker tee shirts are often varied from plain to wild colours and shapes pictured all over their tee shirts. 

From this one case study when comparing these two different styles it is clear to see a number of similarities and differences. The similarities between these two types of people’s tee shirts are that they are all expensive brands. This is because the celebrities who wear these clothes are often rich, therefore can afford expensive clothes. It is in human nature to say that buy having expensive things you are rich; better then the people who are poorer then you. This status of being rich separates you from other people and makes you feel as if you are better than people without tee shirts and the brand you wear. The differences between these two are the image they give off. The RnB would give connotations of thuggish nature whilst indi rock gives more of a sophisticated simple look.  From this is it possible to clearly see that tee shirts are made for different people and can give off very different connotations depending who wear them and their style.