Lemons and Stems
I’ve spent too many minutes of my life trying to retrieve seeds from a lemon that I’ve squeezed. So what, you might ask, does that have to do with stems?
My favorite appetizer from a local restaurant is the Chesapeake Bay Fish fry and the first time I ordered it I was struck by a detail…the lemon was wrapped in cheesecloth. That extra step had a direct and positive impact on my dining experience (no seeds to retrieve) and added another star to my already high rating of the restaurant.
Seemingly small, subtle details matter in all facets of our lives. In the business of sync licensing, video editors rely on stems – the grouped and/or individual instrument tracks that make up a song or instrumental cue – to be able to adjust instrument and vocal levels to fit together with the visuals and dialogue. Music supervisors care about stems because their client’s editors do their best work with them. So much so that stems are increasingly a requirement to be considered for a placement. Providing stems is like the cheesecloth - an added detail that matters.
Music supervisors are insanely busy and have endless options for sourcing music so as we are building relationships with them, the quality of the business and logistical details have to equal the quality of the music itself. In addition to the artistic value, quantity, and choices that we offer, we also must ensure that the details of our business practices and procedures exceed expectations.
Riverland Collective is entering an exciting phase of building on the foundation we have meticulously laid. So far, our licensing pursuits have focused on furthering relationships with industry friends and existing contacts and we have pitched for some wonderful opportunities…many of which have been for advertisements, ranging from hundreds up to tens of thousands of dollars.
As we grow, what will be more common is licensing through a larger network of music supervisors who choose to work with us because of the quality of the music we have available AND having our affairs in order to be able to make the deals happen without hassles.
As an artist/composer, it can be a hassle gathering stems, but doing so positions you for many more sync opportunities. Help us put cheesecloths around our pitches….help us show music supervisors that we value their time, efforts, and consideration as we collect your stems to make your work available for pitches and licensing.