Hey, newbie here :)

Hi guys, stumbled on this website (and the whole stock audio phenomenon) last night. So I can get paid for producing little pieces of music… thats so cool So, if any of you guys have any useful advice on how to get started, and the best strategy to make money, I would be most appreciative. One question I do have is…. Do people tend to sell their music exclusively to sites or non exclusively? Obviously you make more selling exclusively, but surely you reach I wider audience on multiple sites? Could you not upload your tracks exlusively to one site, then with the master files tweak them, to sound different for upload on other sites? And when I say tweak them, I dont mean just adjusting levels etc, im talking about changing instrument sounds, different lead melodies, hey, even changing the genre style from say, a relaxing classical piano track with solo violin, to a full on ambient chill out track. So, I take it this is a grey area and you have to excercise common sense and restraint, Im not looking to ruffle any feathers at this point, I am just interested in the rules of the game Anyway, sorry for long post and I look forward to being a part of your community… if you will have me. Joe

the beauty of exclusivity with AudioJungle is that it is on the basis that the tracks you put here are exclusive, whereas you as an author of stock audio are only as exclusive as you want to be. So, as long as you don’t upload your exclusive AJ tracks elsewhere, you can still put other stuff elsewhere and reach the wider audience too.

This is pretty much unique to audiojungle, you can “remix” files and post them elsewhere – obviously it is a bit of a grey area as you say, they need to be different enough to not just be considered a minor modification for the sake of getting around the exclusivity rule. I don’t know of any other major stock audio site that has this same policy on exlcusivity- if you become an exclusive author on those sites, they don’t want you posting any royalty free audio (whether they have the track or not) anywhere else.

I’ve yet to really get into this myself (mainly because I haven’t found time to actually finish anything to an acceptable level) but when I do I plan to stick with exclusivity on AJ, because you do have the freedom to have other stuff elsewhere- some things might have more of a market elsewhere rather than on AJ, so it’s good to have that freedom.

Hey Joe,

Welcome to the Jungle! First things first, may I recommend that you read this post first by Scott Wills (he’s the main man around here and more badges you can shake a furry stick at!). Great post that gives an insight into the fundamentals of AJ promotion.

The key motto around here is that “selling royalty-free music is a marathon, not a sprint”. This is one of the first things I learned selling music online. Definitely takes time and patience. And when possible, get involved in the superb community we have here on AJ.

I’ve seen quite a few people speak of re-jigging AJ exclusive tracks to sell elsewhere. Correct that it is a grey area, but as long as you can make the track sound and style very different from the original, you should be ok. I don’t think it would be seen as acceptable if you were to say take one of your exclusive AJ tracks and just throw a tambourine on top, for example. I have a few tracks myself that adhere to the same chord structure, yet completely different sound, to fit a different genre. You’re right that common sense should rule when it comes to this kind of thing.

Also, when it comes to the exclusive / non-exclusive thing, it really does differ from person to person. If you have an entire catalog of tracks that you can spread around online, then non-exclusive may be the way to go. However, if you’re building from the ground up, and want to remain loyal to AJ, then exclusive could fit the bill. Track licenses may be more expensive and sales may be less frequent, but if your material is of high quality and in demand, then people will find your stuff. Remember that ‘the cream rises to the top’ in this game!

Also, it’s worth noting that if you’re very good in one genre of music but not so good in another, just stick the the ones you’re good at. There are some seriously amazing composers on here and it’s tempting to see all the sales they have, then go out and attempt that style yourself with no previous experience. I wouldn’t recommend that as quality may suffer as a result. Personally, I tend to shy away from the orchestral / cinematic stuff. I just don’t have the experience or know-how to create music in that genre that I would see as acceptable, so I concentrate on the stuff I know I can do confidently.

So again, welcome in Joe, look forward to seeing you out in the jungle!

Matt

Thanks for the warm responses guys. It really does seem like a thriving community here and one I’m excited to be part of. I dont want to spread myself too thinly at this point so I have decided to stick exclusively with AJ for now (leaving my original question rather redundant… sorry about that ) anyway, I will get on with reading the link you have sent me and then I will continue to build up my portfolio… See you on the other side!

A quick non-exclusive perspective…

What I’ve found (with this profile as well as my JHunger profile) is that in general you can probably bring in more revenue going non-exclusive, but it’s a lot of maintenance and time to manage that could otherwise be spent making music. Arguably you may be able to sell better on AJ by going exclusive because you can focus your marketing efforts in one place. On the flipside you do miss some opportunities that may come up elsewhere, e.g. getting in the ground floor on a budding marketplace.

I think that AlumoAudio’s comments about going exclusive if you’re building from the ground up makes a lot of sense. If you decide to move to non-exclusive at a later date, that is allowed. Another thing that’s allowed is having two profiles, one for exclusive and one for non-exclusive works.

As for selling remixed songs of exclusive AJ tracks on other marketplaces, my personal opinion is that the area is way too gray, as mentioned before. If you’re going to go through the trouble of making it sound “different enough,” why not just create a whole new piece?

Like Seaport I’m non-exclusive. Like he said there is definitely maintenance in going the non-exclusive route, so much in fact I’m contemplating of just going the exclusive route with AJ, but not sure yet as AJ’s sales are good, but not great for me. 70% cut is a real incentive. If sales pick up for me here I will definitely go exclusive because I’d rather spend that time composing rather than maintenance. If you want a track remastered, it is a nightmare if you are non-exclusive.

Hello Joe and welcome to the Jungle! As you have already found out, people love to help around here. This is almost definitely the best community for stock music you will ever find. It’s just that simple. Also, I don’t think you could have picked a better audio site to start with, and chances are, if you are like me, you will probably stick to being exclusive here with AJ, just out of the sheer way Envato treats it’s authors. But, you may find the time and enjoy going the non-exclusive route, and that may be better for you. As the guys mentioned above, you can do both right here on AJ! SkyProductions had one of the best points I have seen for sticking with exclusive though. I must agree that he must be right when he says that it is easier to remaster your tracks when you are exclusive.

One thing that will help, and you’ve probably already done this, is to listen to some of the music that is selling well here on AJ and decide if that is something you feel you want to and can do. Besides getting a feel for what sells here, you will find many talented and inspiring musicians and producers here.

My biggest piece of advice is this….....when you go to upload songs…...don’t be afraid of a little rejection at first…..it can happen….and after being here a while, you will find that it still happens from time to time. The best thing you can do is read and heed the words of the reviewer, use what they tell you to improve the track. If you do get a rejection….and you do this….you will likely be surprised at what you learn, and you will probably even like your track better! Anyway, just a little advice of what to expect….just in case.

I hope to see you on the otherside and beating me up the chart!

Welcome!

Newbie highfive!