Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1334761
SOUND LIBRARIES www.postmagazine.com 22 POST JAN/FEB 2021 hile the subscription plans being offered by stock, royalty-free music sites can provide a quick and convenient way to access music on-de- mand, they may not necessarily be cost effective. There are a number of issues customers should consider. Some library sites offer "all you can eat" limited use licensing for a year. Some offer a fixed number of selections over a three-month period. Some allow cancel- lation at any time. Some have a minimum commitment. Often, selections down- loaded can not be used after cancellation or non-renewal. READ THE FINE PRINT Some libraries, while allowing unlimited licensed uses, require end users to down- load a new license for each successive use. Again, the right to use a track disap- pears after cancellation, non-renewal or failure to re-license. COST AT THE MARGIN Subscriptions are attractive because of their "low" price points. But what is the cost/benefit at the margin? For example, is an offer for five tracks a month at $13 dollars per track a real value when there is a commitment to go out a minimum of three months? On an annualized basis, our example would yield the end user 60 tracks at a cost of $780. THE BUNDLE OF STICKS The cost per track is certainly an import- ant factor when selecting a subscription plan. But often the decision boils down to what you can do with a selection downloaded under the library's terms and conditions (i.e. the license), often referred to as the "bundle of sticks". How many sticks you get in a license bundle can make a big cost difference. One quick question to ask is: How many seats do I get under this license (How many people can be grouped together as one end user)? Another important question often overlooked is: Do I need a new license to use a track in subsequent productions? Am I infringing a copyright if I forget to get another license? Generally, the bigger the bundle of sticks, the better the value. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE SUBSCRIPTION CONUNDRUM First and foremost, end users should estimate their probable music needs for a given period of time. Be realistic, a subscription isn't for everyone. Another potential way to go is simply not to buy a subscription at all. Right off the bat you eliminate those pesky, re-occurring credit card charges or auto-renewal surprises. Our pre-paid bulk download plan of- fers 100 downloads for $199 — less than $2 a pop. Use your downloads immedi- ately, in three months, or over any length of time you so desire. No time limits. Unlimited seats. No recurring credit card charges. Use each download as many times as you like in an unlimited number of productions. We call it the CSS Music Standard Forever License. If all of this subscription stuff is too con- fusing, consider paying as you go with an eye on the CSS Music Automatic Quantity Discount Plan that can easily save you up to 40 percent. No muss, no fuss. CSS Music has been serving the AV/ Video, Film & Broadcasting communities since 1982. BY MIKE FULLER MARKETING MANAGER CSS MUSIC LOS ANGELES CSSMUSIC.COM THE ROYALTY-FREE 'NO SUBSCRIPTION' PLAN W