The annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin,Texas is currently wrapping up. SXSW began twenty-two years ago as a small showcase for independent bands and has grown into a massive music, film and interactive technology extravaganza
One effect of the growth is the rise in film, television, and multimedia producers who attend SXSW in search of good music for their productions. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, reporter John Jurgensen profiles SXSW as a source for film and television background music.
The phenomenon is consistent with the advice I often give to my producer clients who want good music for their productions but have limited budgets for music acquisition. I recommend using original music by independent artists.
There are thousands of talented and just-about-to-be-famous musicians who would welcome the exposure offered by inclusion in certain productions and will license rights at fees that are affordable for independent producers.
While the music of independent bands may not be as instantly recognizable as music that has been at the top of the charts, using independent music in a production offers several advantages:
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Incorporating music into films and television often requires the producer to obtain multiple licenses from multiple parties. When using original music by an unsigned band, you have a better chance of obtaining all the rights you need from one source.
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If you want to use an existing recording of a song, you need the permission of the recording’s copyright owner. If it’s a recording by an independent, unsigned band, the band generally owns the rights to the
recording. If it’s a recording by a band associated with a record label, the record label usually owns the copyright in the recording. IIt can be difficult to get the attention of a major record label for a use of the recording that’s
not going to produce substantial licensing fees for the label.
- Licensing fees to use well-known, commercial music in television, films, and games can be very expensive running from the low thousands up to $70,000 and more depending on the popularity of the music and how you plan to use it in your production. Many independent bands will license their music for a fair but comparatively modest fee. Some emerging artists may even be willing to license their material to certain productions for a credit or other non-monetary compensation.
