Library failing to pay but music is still live

[Marbury]

I have been with an American library for a few years which was initially very good but then it started to decline in earnings as they priced the music very cheap. In fact, to boost earnings they had a scheme if I payed $200 they would send out circulars to 1000 punters, with my music featured in the list. As they were doing well for me at the time, I thought it seemed genuine but sales still were in decline after I paid this fee. I have mostly had to prompt the company to actually get any royalties so I have never really trusted their transparency. I have been corresponding with their support rep for a few years, with a pretty good relationship who, in our last correspondence, promised to send over the latest royalties at the end of June. I have since heard nothing after several emails and no statements have materialised.

I can see the site is still live with all my music (as well as other quite famous artists) I suspect they are paying those artists with what little money they have and leaving the smaller fish like myself last in the line. I am at a loss as to what to do. I will not identify the company but it's a real conundrum as I don't have any access to take down my tracks. But clearly things are not well.

[resistorman]

If it's songtradr I'd like to know since I'm about to upload some more music.

[Marbury]

It isn't Songtradr.

[RichardT]

I’m not sure there’s much you can do. It sounds like they are suffering cash flow problems and are about to go under.

[Marbury]

So I have no power to be able to pull my music from their site ?

Disappointing lack of input here I must say

[Sam Spoons]

I suspect that may be because this seems to be a legal issue and mostly we are sound engineers not lawyers. Either way it's not my field of expertise but looking at it from first principles my first action would be to read the contract and T&Cs and see if there is an exit clause. It may be you need to give notice or you may be tied to a fixed minimum term during which they hold the rights to use your music. This may be exclusive, in which case you can't publish elsewhere until you have ended the contract with them or non-exclusive where you can just get your stuff onto another distributor ASAP and just wait for them to go tits up. If the contract was properly written it should all be in there.

HTH

[Hugh Robjohns]

Disappointing lack of input here I must say

Not much people can say when you haven't given them any information.

They can't tell you if the company is in trouble, or if they've had similar experiences because you wont say who the company is... understandably.

You've said you're in direct communications with the company through a rep you have a good relationship with, and that's very obviously your primary route to resolving the matter.

The only other alternative is to check your contract T&Cs and start legal proceedings if appropriate to sue for the royalties you think you're owed and/or to have your tracks removed from their catalogue... and that's obviously not something a technical sound forum can really help with.

[Marbury]

Thanks for the additional input which I appreciate but as this thread is called "music business" I thought it the most relevant considering it is business related.

The rep I was corresponding with does not respond and neither do support when the site is contacted. The music is on an non exclusive contract so there is no problem with that issue. I would rather them be honest with me than non responsive which is frustrating.

[Sam Spoons]

This may be a time to cut your losses and get your music up and available elsewhere. I don't know how much a 'cease and desist' letter costs these days but that might be an additional option but you'd need to read that contract to see where you stand first.

[Marbury]

This may be a time to cut your losses and get your music up and available elsewhere.

You mean there are still places out there worth bothering with in 2023 ?

[Sam Spoons]

I have no idea but you clearly are no longer getting anything useful out of your American library so rather than spending time and energy in pursuing them why not spend that time and energy looking for different avenues?

[Marbury]

I have no idea but you clearly are no longer getting anything useful out of your American library so rather than spending time and energy in pursuing them why not spend that time and energy looking for different avenues?

That's just it, I don't think there are any these days unfortunately.

[Sam Spoons]

You may be right WRT library music...

[Marbury]

Unless you are a big name in the scoring business or music industry it's pretty pointless perusing a "career" Especially as Ai progresses.

[tea for two]

Unless you are a big name in the scoring business or music industry it's pretty pointless perusing a "career" Especially as Ai progresses.

It can be disheartening.

One of the utube channels I checkoot is Bolo Da Producer.
Bolo uploaded a video naming an online company
https://unitedmarket.com/
$30 a month to be member : which can be too much for some or for many around the world.
Have to apply to be accepted.

Once accepted,
a piece of music you upload may have a chance of placement :
meaning some major musician band or very popular social platform musician band could use this piece of music or part of it as a backing track,
thereafter their millions followers would hear this music with vocals over it.
The monies you would receive would be negotiated in advance.

This means you'd have to make your music into backing tracks. As your music isn't typical backing tracks, making them into backing tracks would have a chance to stand out possibly.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Unless you are a big name in the scoring business or music industry it's pretty pointless perusing a "career" Especially as Ai progresses.

It's a good job they were already big names before perusing their music careers...

[Marbury]

Unless you are a big name in the scoring business or music industry it's pretty pointless perusing a "career" Especially as Ai progresses.

It can be disheartening.

One of the utube channels I checkoot is Bolo Da Producer.
Bolo uploaded a video naming an online company
https://unitedmarket.com/
$30 a month to be member : which can be too much for some or for many around the world.
Have to apply to be accepted.

Once accepted,
a piece of music you upload may have a chance of placement :
meaning some major musician band or very popular social platform musician band could use this piece of music or part of it as a backing track,
thereafter their millions followers would hear this music with vocals over it.
The monies you would receive would be negotiated in advance.

This means you'd have to make your music into backing tracks. As your music isn't typical backing tracks, making them into backing tracks would have a chance to stand out possibly.

I've been had by paying money upfront for "marketing" with this last library. I need to make money, not lose any more but thanks for the suggestion anyway.