I recently found out that if you write for Pusher Music, you have to be signed exclusively to them.

Like a record deal I guess, if you're not getting any placements, you're kinda screwed financially.

What's the appeal of being exclusive for Pusher as opposed to a free agent writing for multiple trailer libraries?

Unless they are placing your stuff regularly and for considerable sync fees, then I see no appeal there whatsoever.

I assume you mean "signed exclusively as a writer" not your music signed exclusively? If so, that is insane, and most likely the end of your career. IMO of course. For a deal like that, I'd want a recoupable draw every year that was big enough to live on. Say $80k a year against royalties. Otherwise, no way.

Signed exclusively as a writer I was told. Just as if you've got a record deal.

Well Pusher is really hot right now. They are getting a lot of placements and they are charging crazy money ($they charge around double what everyone else charges, so I've heard.

And yes while you are signed exclusively to pusher... you can still write for other things, just under a different name...

For example Ursine Vulpine. Frederick Lloyd is Ursine Vulpine. When he writes for pusher it is always under Ursine Vulpine. When he writes for others or other projects he is Frederick Lloyd.

Also, just FYI, Riptide, Position and a few others also do the same thing.

That seems to break the spirit of the agreement, no? Is pusher aware? If not, I suppose they will be quickly. LOL

Honestly, what's the point of the exclusive signing then?

I seem to have been misinformed. I was told that he and the Supernatural guys (and all their other writers) can not write for any other library, even with their own names. That isn't bad at all then, Pusher's quality is great. And you get to pick a cool edgy name! Been thinking of doing that for my trailer stuff.

No, it's about owning a brand. They want to be the one place that has "it". They will usually also ask you not to do the exact same thing for anyone else... so if you are doing edgy electronica for pusher under the name "acquiesce indomitable"... you could still write epic orchestral family adventure for another library under your own name or a different "artist" name.

Aren't Pusher the purveyors of faux emo, breathy vocal, mediocre covers that seem to be so en vogue right now?

Redundant (rhetorical) question.

Yup. That is them.

Btw, most of the time when licensingna cover the libraries do not do a MFN... but the going rate for a library is usually 50% what the publisher is charging for the song.

Kanye/SonyATV charges $900k for the sync... so Pusher gets around $450k for the master use. And there have been about 8 or 10 Kanye covers used in the last couple years. Not sure if all of them are from pusher but at least a few are.

The Rolling Stones charge $250k-$500k and up for sync license of a cover... that means the master use license will be $125k to $250k

And so on...

Yeah, with our extensive song catalog, years ago we proposed a solution to our parent publisher that would be a budget minded, premium catalog (Non MFN). Or, at least, would allow the publisher to own a master of all songs on which they owned exclusive publishing. Masters would be in all sorts of cool indie styles, EDM, Rock, Country, etc. Core wasn't having anything to do with that. Too bad. Could have killed it. They preferred sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring rather than have the sales team go and sell covers. The publisher still would have received their full license, with the master taking a hit... but the money would all stay in-house.

Ive done a lot for Pusher. And still work with others too. Hasn't been an issue.... BUT I'm not "signed" to them... so I guess thats the difference.

Did you get a cute writing name pseudonym?

I call myself ....."Jon Bunjavi"