360 Commissioning by Jason Langley
360º Commissioning
Jason Langley, Commercial Director at Audio Network
360° commissioning may be the current buzz word of the TV world, but for corporate producers it’s been common practice for a number of years now. Whilst broadcasters are fixated with companion programming, audience voting and programme websites, corporate producers already have multi-platform content production and distribution at the heart of their projects.
The idea of being commissioned to produce a linear video, without any supporting material is all but a distant memory. This is a reflection of the real changes in the way communication professionals, and their target audiences, are using and consuming content. Clients increasingly need a library of flexible content that can be used to exploit a wide range of opportunities, from events through to interactive media, online and point of sale activities.
As a result, corporate producers have to deliver a library of flexible content that allows a client to be responsive to their business’ needs, whilst amortising production costs across a range of activities.
However, having spent the past five years working with corporate clients on the dissemination of their key messages, it is clear to me that there is a common pitfall. Limited rights material, which restricts the clients’ ability to exploit the content, is commonly overlooked; music copyright clearance is often at the root of this problem.
Traditionally corporate producers have chosen between existing recordings, either commercial or library tracks, or specifically composed music. Each of these options has its own creative and commercial challenges. Composed music can be costly and complicated to produce, especially if the composer is being asked to clear for all media and territories. Nevertheless, a consistently applied track, which is exclusive to the client, can have all the advantages of a well-marketed logo.
Commercial music allows the client to associate its key messages with a recognised track, delivering the benefits of secondary brand associations. However, commercial music can be very expensive, complicated and slow to clear. It requires separate multiple MCPS, record company and PRS agreements to clear both the recording and the musical work for individual territories, platforms and purposes.
Library music has a key benefit of being cleared through one organisation, the MCPS. Whilst this carries the same problems of multiple platform and territorial licenses, the song and recording can be cleared with one licence. Nevertheless, library music has often been overlooked because of its ubiquitous availability and it still requires a PRS license for any public (including online) distribution.
The MCPS’ role in clearing music for use in corporate production is key to each of these music options. When a producer only had to worry about the use of the music in a linear video - in a clearly defined territory - it was relatively easy to secure the necessary MCPS licence. However, with the advent of multi-platform distribution, the clearance of commercial and library music is problematic.
The response of the MCPS has been to offer a range of music clearance licences. Each licence clearly defines the permitted use, platform and territory, and often requires the producer to go back to the MCPS to pay additional fees for any incremental use of the music. This may limit the creative distribution of the key messages as the cost is often prohibitive.
As the need to resolve these problems has become ever more pivotal, there has been increasing pressure on the music industry to find answers. One significant development is the birth of independent music libraries like Audio Network. These are music libraries which operate outside of the MCPS and it’s licensing framework. This avoids the restrictions inherent in traditional licensing models and can make the licensing process far quicker and easier for corporate producers.
With one licence, all tracks are pre-cleared for all territories, all platforms, in perpetuity.
Clients including RBS, Dell, Johnson & Johnson, VW, Budweiser and British Airways have taken advantage of having unlimited access to Audio Network’s 14,000 tracks. From orchestral to hip-hop, Audio Network provides a music resource of the highest quality, recording with the likes of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and collaborating with the UK’s best commercial composers & lyricists.
For these clients, this music solution is an opportunity to unlock the potential of their library of content. Without any of the limitations imposed by commercial or other library music, clients are free to use the content whenever and wherever they so choose - at no additional cost. In the communications space, this allows a client to be opportunistic, exploiting emerging ways to communicate with its audience through high quality content that delivers a consistent message.
As corporate clients and their key stakeholder groups become even more sophisticated in the content requirements, this approach to music clearance is set to become the industry standard.
