MUSIC LIBRARY SUBMISSION TIPS

How to produce music / tracks specifically for music libraries, and get your tracks placed in TV.
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WEBSITE: www.marlongibbons.com
/ marlongibbonscomposer
TWITTER: / marlon_musician
INSTAGRAM: / marlon_gibbons

[@malcolmplumridge2367]

Why the hell anybody , especially thirteen people, want to dislike this is way beyond me. You're helping people on the road to being successful and earning some money in a clear way. What's to dislike about that ?

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks Malcolm! It's just part of KZbin I guess.

[@ScottCurts]

You're a good Man Charlie Brown. Thanks for your generosity.

[@rosewinebrenner3179]

Thank you for the specific examples! You make a lot of sense. Will give it a go..

[@MarlonGibbons]

Rose Winebrenner Awesome! Cheers, Rose

[@Thomasresurrection]

Really interesting. Thank you for taking the time to share your process with us. Really useful, Rock on!

[@MarlonGibbons]

I appreciate you tuning in and for the comment/support! Stay healthy.

[@justinjatherley]

Such a great help Marlon. A mix of technical and practical info. Exactly what I've been looking for!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Glad you're enjoying. I appreciate you taking the time to tune in!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks for watching! I'll keep the vids coming.

[@ms.jujubeatzproduction]

Tons worth of value! Yes, very helpful!! Thank you.

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thank YOU for taking the time!

[@MirajMusicUSA]

Really appreciate the solid video. I went ahead and followed you on Twitter. I’m loving your content.

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks so much, Miraj!

[@fernandogastelomusic]

800 like right here!! But seriously thank you for all these tips!

[@Special_T06]

Very helpful info. Thank you for taking the time and effort to share your knowledge and experience.

[@MarlonGibbons]

This is an old video but I'm glad you found it of value. Thanks for taking the time to watch. It helps support my channel, so I thank you.

[@wadeharrell1338]

Thanks for the inside view of your composition techniques and strategies. Well done

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks for watching, Wade!

[@RandyColby]

Here I am a year later. Still so helpful. Thank you, Marlon.

[@MarlonGibbons]

and thank "you" for the continued support, Randy!

[@Kawsaki]

This was very educational, thank you!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thank you for taking the time to watch! I appreciate the channel support.

[@victoriatrestrail]

Sounds great!

[@GS3xtube]

well done thank you, and also I'm impressed by your mic during the registration. What mic is it?

[@KtBlack-vv2fz]

Thanks for the tips and I look forward to using them.

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks for watching!

[@renzoalvau]

Woooooow! Both for content AND the music...wow!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks so much!

[@darrenhirst9900]

Its getting a tune accepted that's the hardest part but once you know what their after its a lot easier. There is over saturation so its just giving them something different. Marlon your video is really appreciated. Thank you sir.

[@MarlonGibbons]

You're not wrong. Standing out is a good thing!

[@AllanGildea]

So very helpful! Thank you Marlon!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thank you, for taking the time to continuously support the channel, Allan!

[@nixiebeats8734]

Hey Marlon! Like others have said, great vids EXACTLY what I was searching for. Gonna be a long time sub and always look forward to new vids. Would love to shoot you a message in the future and chat a bit once I have a better understanding of the industry and how to approach doing what you do for a living. Thank so much for the videos!!!!!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Hey Nick, glad to have you hang out! Thanks for the Sub and kind words. I appreciate the support.

[@mr.robertsontheproducer2032]

i love this

[@MichaelLynMusic]

Great info...thank you for posting Sir!

[@MarlonGibbons]

This one is an old one but still holds true! Thanks for watching.

[@critacal]

This is so fire🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@MarlonGibbons]

it's an oldie but I appreciate that it's still helping people!

[@loot6]

Really good video and I like your other videos so I subscribed.

[@MarlonGibbons]

Awesome! Thanks so much.

[@kevinterruption]

Your recommendation about loopable 4 or 8 (etc) bar sections is so helpful! Do you have a recommendation for tempo? My first inclination is to stick with round, even numbered tempos; thoughts?

[@spascual4553]

Greetings, Marlon! Hope you & your family are well. Thanks for all these great tips! I have requests as a result: Could you do a video on (ideas for) setting up templates? Maybe even a separate one on setting up (a) sound palate(s)? Thanks so much & blessings!

[@MarlonGibbons]

For sure, I'll add it to the docket!

[@spascual4553]

@@MarlonGibbons Awesome! Thanks so much!

[@Ghostlymuso]

Great tips as always..

[@MarlonGibbons]

Cheers! Thanks!

[@bonevalle1920]

Thanks for sharing your insight with us!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thank you, for taking to the to support and watch my channel!

[@bonevalle1920]

Sure thing Marlon, I look forward to seeing more of your videos they are very insightful and helpful for someone like me who wants to learn more about sync licensing. You're scores sound awesome, really nice work. Thanx Again!

[@TimSidden]

Awesome!!!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks Buddy! This one is a couple years old, but still relevant tips.

[@gallivanator]

As I try to branch out, your insight and this video is like finding a diamond needle in a haystack ... Kudos Plus, Thank you.

[@MarlonGibbons]

Chris, thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you found it of value. Lot's more new videos to come. I wish you success for 2021.

[@RonDavis2012]

excellent

[@music7studios]

Great video, thanks!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Ben, thanks for taking the time!

[@music7studios]

@@MarlonGibbons Absolutely. Thanks for providing inspiring and informative content, all the best!

[@Deeplycloseted435]

Thanks for the video. I’ve been making music for about five years. It has gone from hobby to obsession. I have some time off of work due to a legal mess Imm caught up in. I’m looking to generate some income, though I know it will take some time. I have some decent gear, my skills both composing and mixing have improved a lot. Where do I begin? Who do I contact? I google and a million things come up. I can do EDM, chill out, ambient, hip-hop....I love it all.

[@topnotchbeatz6759]

dope

[@normjones6916]

super educational !!!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks for taking the time to watch, Normand!

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

Good info.

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks!

[@blackshotband]

Hi. Very new to this. I'm just releasing music on stores through a distributor. Do major labels upload their artits music to libraries aswell? If I release music as an artist, should I put them in music libraries? Or are music libraries for unreleased music and not on spotify ect?

[@TheGandiaChannel]

Awesome video! I know this question is off topic sort of, but I was wondering what kind of string samples or sounds are those? They sound amazing. The percussion is killer, too. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Hey Antonio, I have a lot of different string libraries, and usually blend them depending on the tone I want to achieve. It's very likely these are a mix of VSL and EastWest. Cheers and Thanks.

[@TheGandiaChannel]

Great, thank you!

[@kwayxtee2332]

You are very skilled and I am inspired. I am going to be following you and your works to draw more inspiration to churn out most of the music that I am pregnant with.

[@MarlonGibbons]

thanks for taking the time to watch!

[@HitMenProductionGroup]

Hey Marlon, dopeness as always! What would you recommend for BIG orchestra drums?

[@MarlonGibbons]

A lot of what I use comes from the NI Complete Ultimate library.. so thats VSL and others.. Outside of that.... Spitfire makes great stuff, and I have EW/QL. How you mix them makes a huge difference too.. Orch drums (timps, bass drums, even toms) are one of those things, sound great in solo, but can often muddy up a mix... but I know you have good mix chops, so no worries there. My advice is try to find something "dry" so you can add your own verb, as many come with verb (or actual room) build into the audio sample.

[@HitMenProductionGroup]

MarlonGibbons Aaah 👍🏾 Thanks and I’ll definitely add these to my notes 📝

[@shane2973]

that was a great video. I very much appreciate the practical examples of what you are describing. Are you actively getting placed in film/tv? With what you played here I cannot see why you wouldn't be. The second piece I could see in a movie like the mummy or something as they are riding camels through the dessert...something like that. I think it's great! I just wanted to say thank you for giving an idea of how to structure things, very cool. Do you mind giving a couple of examples of which libraries you submit to? So anyway, thanks...great video!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Hey Shane, thanks for taking the time to watch.. and comment, glad you dig! I make a living as a freelance Composer (Mostly Production Music for TV/Media), so this is essentially where I draw content/topics from, for the channel. Sharing my success and fails, hoping both helps others. I can't recommend any specific Library, (there's so many factors). I get asked this a lot, my advice is to consider if you want to associate with a large library or small (both have pros/cons) or be exclusive or non-exclusive with your music, also if your style is a fit for a Library you may consider (some specialize in singer/songwriter over instrumental, or one genera moreover another). Other things to consider is the contracts, while 50/50 splits are common, there are many other agreement terms regarding % of shares. My advice, hit Google "Top Music Libraries" or "Music Libraries 2017".. or a variation of.. Make a list.. do some serious homework and consider the points I mentioned above before submitting to them - it has to work for "you". Sorry for the book-like response, hope there's some helpful information there.

[@shane2973]

Book like response is great! I am not sure exactly how to get going in this area as what I've done my entire music life is write music for my bands sorta thing and it seems this is a bit different. Different in simply how songs are structured/arranged. Which is why I appreciate your practical examples so much. I spent so much time working to write music that was more like an artist that I almost have to redo some things. Positive is when you know what is good and are able to find it that can translate to many different things. So, again...thank you for the response and the great video.

[@TrainsBigandSmallUK]

As ever, awesome information. Please could you tell me what the brass vst is. The crescendos sound amazing - is it flutter tongue articulation? Many thanks.

[@MarlonGibbons]

This was a several months ago, I'll check the session next time I'm in the studio, but my guess is a mix of horns from East/West Library. Possibly VSL.

[@TrainsBigandSmallUK]

Thank you Marlon, much appreciated!

[@JakeyWakey]

Loopable Dynamics

[@woytd6435]

Nice tips, thank you! May i ask what is that fader controller do you use ?

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks! I no longer use them but they are the a) Avid Artist Mix and b) the Avid Artist Transport. They worked great!

[@woytd6435]

@@MarlonGibbons thanx Marlon!

[@UndergroundChemist]

good stuff

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks!

[@PrateekGuptaOfficial]

That subtle addition at 7:18 Made all the difference. Good stuff mate! Would love to connect with you, Are you on Instagram?

[@MarlonGibbons]

IG: marlon_gibbons. Thanks!

[@HitMenProductionGroup]

Good info bro! Thank you! What libraries do you recommend?

[@DigitalRelay]

There is a great series of articles in Sound On Sound magazine that do a thorough job of explaining the music library world and specifically go into how to find good libraries for what you do. I think it's going to be a different answer for each composer out there. I think it's the Jun, July August issues. You can purchase just the articles for $1 each I think. I did and it is well worth it. I've re-read several times and continue to make notes.

[@MarlonGibbons]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to watch. Maybe I'll do another video on all the different kinds of libraries out there, more so, how they operate...there's so many factors! I hesitate to suggest one specifically. Typically if you google "Top 10 Music Libraries" you'll get a bunch of good quality Libraries to submit to. Look at their credits, listen to their catalog, look at their offer (e.g. 50/50? or..). Keep in mind what you want to achieve, are the exclusive?...etc. Research is key before you submit.

[@HitMenProductionGroup]

MarlonGibbons Thank you!

[@armandorodriguez6175]

First of all awesome video... great insight. I’m curious on your string virtual instrument and reverb. I cannot get that great of a sound. Can you share the names of these 2 plugins you used? I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you. Armando

[@MarlonGibbons]

I love 8dio stuff, also Heavyocity's stuff. Some of the libraries that comes with NI Komplete Ultimate are good, too. A couple helpful tips. a) blend a couple different brands. b) choose your articulations carefully. c) If it's at all possible, blend real instruments with the Sample libraries (that applies to everything, not just strings).

[@armandorodriguez6175]

@@MarlonGibbons Thank you Marlon!

[@armandorodriguez6175]

@@MarlonGibbons Good Advice will definitely do!

[@terrysuttonmusic982]

Hi Marlon, thanks so much for this; EXACTLY what I was after and just makes me wanna run home and start using the ideas! Also I hear some real Blake Neely style feels in the orchestral tracks, do you follow his TV work as influence? love the ideas on adding the digital element to the crescendo's and the layering of movement underneath the tracks.. Did you look to any particular composers or influences to help you find your sounds?

[@MarlonGibbons]

Glad you dug! Blake Neely is a monster. Truthfully, I get inspiration from all sorts of places and people. I also have a great friend that's a very accomplished composer, he's been a mentor to me for over a decade.. that's likely where I get a lot of my influence. : )

[@terrysuttonmusic982]

Glad you didnt mind me saying, im sure you have influences from classical to rock..whats your friends name, love to check him out.. btw i shared the video on all of the music sites im on on fb. im sure they will find your video's useful as i have and subscribe!

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks man! Didn't mind at all, was quite a compliment actually. Really appreciate the promo too! It's hard to grow the channel, I just want to make clear to people, I'm NOT selling a course or even music, I'm not selling anything, just sharing my experiences / paying it forward! So I do appreciate the viewership and support.

[@terrysuttonmusic982]

Totally agree, thats the best way, very valuable and I think its a great way to open up opportunity and important relationships in the industry. Fingers crossed I manage to get to my goals soon enough

[@sedrick8628]

Great info! >>> Sedrick

[@16914]

I meant to say audio stamp on some of the library productions I haven't done this. have you? I think I could hang out if you like

[@philcotter2853]

What sound libraries are you using for this?

[@TheMMAMoneyMinute]

Geez what Sound library is that? Sounds amazing

[@MarlonGibbons]

Thanks! It's a mix of several, including East/West and Native Instruments Komplete Ultimate.

[@TheMMAMoneyMinute]

MarlonGibbons Thank You

[@Coolguy8623]

...just a G on da wall

[@jacksp8de]

Hey I have a question, are you submitting to online music libraries? I’m starting this process and it’s very time consuming lol. Are you seeing success? I normally send my tracks to this guys that have an in with music sups and they got a ton my stuff place but it’s exclusive so I’m trying to branch out

[@MarlonGibbons]

Hey, Jack Spade! You're not wrong, it is incredibly time consuming with little to no yield, upfront. Many get discouraged and give up b/c of this. You bring up a great point and it echos what I've been saying since I started the channel,.. Relationships are so important! e.g. "This guy you have an in with". I suspect, you consistently give him great tracks, he consistently looks good rep'ing your great tracks, so it's a win/win/win and you keep busy. I bet building that relationship took time too? It sounds like you got a tight game in terms of production quality , that said.. I feel like if you invested the time and energy researching a few quality libraries (that were in-line with you and your music, only you will know that) that you'd stand to get a return on that upfront time you spent. Of course I can't guarantee that, but I'm basing this on the fact that you already have placements, so I assume your work is on par. Personally, I mostly do commissioned work these days and at that, it's always exclusive. Meaning, the work appears ONLY in the Library it was written for. Hope that helps.

[@armandorodriguez6175]

15:00 min sick!

[@chrispinelli]

My orchestration teacher always used to say Viola is a girls name and viola (veola) is the name of the instrument lol

[@MarlonGibbons]

I'll remember and use this, going forward. Thanks!

[@kg0ye]

Perhaps you could make a video in response to my request. From other producers I am getting the idea that the marketable library submissions are little more than drums, pad and a variant like a guitar or keyboard rhythm track.. All of these mixed in mid to low range and virtually no lead/melody lines. To make this clear imagine a James Bond theme with no melody just the chords done by strings or horns but bare bones. Is that what sells over anything else?

[@MarlonGibbons]

Good day, sir! You're not far off the mark. Often the simple, stripped down tracks are what get placed the most (at least in my personal experience). More important than the instrumentation, even.. is the emotion the track evokes..(of course the production quality always has to be present). For example, while a big, epic orchestral cue, may sound nice to listen to, a simple yet poignant piano line with perhaps a solo cello under it, may pluck the heartstrings a little better and be preferred because it has less competing with the picture. Of course there's always exceptions to the rule. I've added your suggestion to my topics list. Thanks!

[@kg0ye]

Thank you for your response. It does sound boring. But money rules.

[@MarlonGibbons]

I wouldn't count-out the more involved cues (especially if you enjoy writing them). They do certainly have a place, especially if they're well produced. They're especially favoured if you can provide a "reduced" or "Lite" version stem from your full version. Also, it's quite hard to produce / record something that sounds simple. Often, because it's so bare and exposed, it's difficult to get the timing perfect and the performance as close to flawless as possible. (solo finger picked, acoustic guitar, for example).

[@16914]

some library production. wants a water stamp. in the mix how do you go about it.

[@MarlonGibbons]

I don't waterstamp mine, if a Library wants to so they can post it on their site.. they would be the ones to do it, not you.

[@bladetj]

@@MarlonGibbonswith audiojungle you have to do it yourself and upload!

[@MarlonGibbons]

@@bladetj Interesting, thanks.

[@candicefamber5434]

Would you still need to register/copyright your music before submitting to a library?

[@MarlonGibbons]

Depends on the Library (Royalty Free or not) but typically, YES if you want back-end royalties.

[@candicefamber5434]

@@MarlonGibbons Cool! Thanks!

[@EdgardoPlasencia]

It can be classical, electronic or rock , main thing .. it's got to be generic ?

[@MarlonGibbons]

Lyrics* should be generic and broad. "Love" or "Heartbreak" common things, allowing a wider audience to connect and for the song to have a better chance of being placed.

[@bookmakers]

I have a question: what do you use for strings?

[@bookmakers]

@@MarlonGibbons Thanks!

[@jrosboston9106]

I'm new to this but how can i find music library to send my stuff?

[@MarlonGibbons]

To BEST help you, even though it’s not the quickest way, because it involves you doing work and research (thus = BEST results) is to Google “Music Libraries” or “Production Music Libraries”…. Once you’ve compiled a list, roll up your sleeves. You’ll want to…. Read everything you can on a Music Library, the same way you would if you were applying to a company for a job. Learn about them! Listen to their catalog, decide if a) You feel it’s decent quality and b) if your music is on par and even if it’s in the same genera (if not, don’t submit). Look at their roster of clients. Are they getting lots of placements? How big are they? Are they MASSIVE and you’ll virtually be lost in their catalog. Or are they Boutique and value their contributors (it’s easy to see if they go above for their writers). What are other people saying about them when you google reviews? Ask about their terms/agreement. Exclusive vs Non-Exclusive. What are the Splits %. How long do they keep/represent your tracks Do they respond to questions, are they easy and helpful. Accessible? Do they specialize in one area, e.g. Trailer music, or Hiphop, or Electronic/Rock fusion.. or.. maybe they focus more on “Singer/Songwriter” traditional songs. (again, are you a fit?) Do you even have enough material to submit to them? Some want 10 tracks off the hop (it’s not a good idea to solicit to them and ask them what they want, then tell them you’ll go write it and come back) - be prepared. It’s super easy to find a list of Libraries. It’s difficult to convince someone that’s been in the game for a long time, to give you a list of the Libraries they work with.. They’ve spent years nurturing relationships, and building trust with them. They’ve put in the countless hours doing what I’ve outlined above (#1-#9) But multiply that by several libraries. And more importantly, every producer/composer is different and what fits or works for you, may not work for me and vice versa. There’s a TON of free helpful content on this channel, too. There is no easy/quick path, but.. if you do the work, your odds are amplified. Best to you.

[@girlinagale]

Do you have to submit all the stems or a stereo wav?

[@MarlonGibbons]

If you're just submitting to them for consideration, then no, you wouldn't provide stems. When you submit to them to be considered for their catalog, they only need to hear the quality of your production and relevance of your music (genera) . Almost ALL Libraries will specify what to send them as far as files or streaming links. Most (but not all) prefer streaming links, rather than emailing them mp3's. (don't do that unless they ask).

[@girlinagale]

@@MarlonGibbons Thank you, I may join the hordes of home producers submitting to libraries (have you noticed it's the new mass dream of making music money?) :-)

[@MarlonGibbons]

Awesome, do it! It's a great time to be in this industry (IMHO) with all the new programming (TV Shows) and reality TV. Best to you!

[@KoolKatBeatz]

are those East/West sounds?

[@MarlonGibbons]

KoolKatBeatz some are. I love E/W

[@KoolKatBeatz]

Mind if i send you a DM to ya inbox?

[@MarlonGibbons]

Sure! I'll respond as soon as I can.

[@dannybrains]

This should be used in World of warcraft!

[@MarlonGibbons]

haha.. thanks, man!

[@larrywhiting5323]

Why do we keep saying you are writing? I don;t see anyone writing The machine is writing everything right!--lets not Complicate and confuse the beginners Thanks

[@MarlonGibbons]

Hey Larry! Thanks for taking the time to watch and share. My apologies, I didn't mean to confuse you. Or anyone. My goal is to help people and simplify things. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, nobody has ever expressed confusion about what "writing music" means in an actual sense. If anyone reading this is a beginner, and shares Larry's concerns, what I meant by "writing" is simply the production of music, in any form. Real-world / Industry example: If a Music Library wanted you to create music for them/their catalog.. they might use the term "write". e.g. "Could you write 3 tracks in the style of...". This is interchangeable with the term "Produce" or "Compose". I don't know of any Music Library that would expect you to put ink on paper and deliver that as your work. Hope that helps.

[@larrywhiting5323]

@@MarlonGibbons Thank you so much For clearing that up--for me that would be a Whole lot of Writing lol --PEACE And BLESSINGS Sir

[@MarlonGibbons]

@@larrywhiting5323 If there's anything on any of my videos that isn't clear.. please ask and I'll do my best to clarify. Cheers!

[@larrywhiting5323]

@@MarlonGibbons OK Thanks

[@CraigHinrichs]

I like these videos but man you take a while to get to the point. It's one thing to be repetitive, but it's another thing to be repetitive, comment on how repetitive you are and then repeat that. I sort of wish you would get to the point quicker without first telling me what you're going to tell me, telling me and then telling me what you told me and then meta commenting on how you tell me what you told me again. Also, could you normalize your sound? I find I have to turn your videos up compared to the norm.

[@MarlonGibbons]

Hey Craig, thanks for taking the time to both watch and for your feedback. While this video is a few years old, your points are valid. The “KZbin” thing is something I’m always trying to improve, and get better at so again, thanks!