Building a Relationship Between Music & Film

From: http://musicdish.com/mag/?id=7007
By: Eric de Fontenay (Associate Editor)
2002-11-13

The Web as a facilitator for the independent music industry licensing their music has long been touted, but much more difficult as illustrated by the twisting fortunes of companies like LicenseMusic.com. And while the market for music is expanding with the multiplicity of media channels, from advertising to cable TV shows, the challenges to such deals, from creative to financial and rights clearance, are significant for even major organizations. So why launch such a service now?

"We, actually, first began creating this service back almost a year now," explained Ryan Vinson, founder of VersusMedia, the marketing/promotion provider for the music and film industry. VersusMedia recently announced a new service, dubbed the Film Music Agent (FM Agent), to assist musicians in networking with independent filmmakers looking for music. But unlike similar services, the goal is not to create a "super e-commerce music-for-film online service."

"Our main goal is to make connections, and to have lasting opportunities," says Vinson. Just purchasing a track online, is just what it is... purchasing a track. With our service, there is no purchasing online. We're only making matches, and helping each find potential people to work for and with."

Musicians wishing to pitch their music to filmmakers can set up an account on the VersusMedia site where sample tracks can be uploaded for preview. In addition to providing musicians with the ability to search specific projects posted by filmmakers seeking music for film, filmmakers can receive a bimonthly mailer with 10 musician profiles.

Vinson adds, "This service is what I like to call a human-to-human service, in that it's a matching vehicle to make connections, not an e-commerce engine built around taking the human interaction out. When a filmmaker locates a musician they'd like to work with, they are responsible to contact the musician and then pursue the relationship from then on. The lasting relationship is what's more important in an early career, rather than just selling a track."

Learn more here:
http://www.versusmedia.com/filmtv.php