Some years ago I had an aspiration to write for production music libraries, however did not really know where to start. By chance, I stumbled across Dan Graham’s book ‘A Composer’s Guide to Library Music’, which provided me with both the impetus and handrail to get going.

Early in 2022 I decided to take stock of my approach to the industry, and in particular review which bits of Dan’s advice and guidance had worked for me. I documented this in my own ebook which I’m now making available via my store on this website.

To be clear, this is not a ‘how to bible’ guaranteeing a swift and successful route into the industry - there are plenty of others who can boast of greater success. This is merely an account of how I got going and covers my experiences in relation to topics like production, gear, pitching, business plans and the vulgar subject of money.

So, if you’ve been working with publishers for some years and gaining successful placements, this probably is not for you. However, if you are new to the world of library music and looking for an account of how someone else got started, then this might be up your street.

Chapters

Introduction

The Industry - An overview of some recent shifts in the market and my thoughts on topics such as subscription libraries, consolidation and saturation.

Gear - What worked for me as a minimum and avoiding gear addiction.

Music & Production - Some musings on choosing genre, adhering to tech specs, quality assurance and mixing & mastering.

Pitching - My ‘tiered’ approach to pitching including what has worked for me, and equally, some lessons learned.

The Vulgar Subject of Money - A comparison of Dan Graham’s revenue projection in his excellent ‘A Composer’s Guide to Library Music’ with my own experience (re-produced with kind permission from Dan). Includes a suggested method for revenue projection and business planning.

The Disclaimer - A brief summary and reminder that this ebook is an account of my journey so far (not a guaranteed guide to success), and includes my ‘Top Ten’ handrail of lessons learned.

(Total 34 pages)