"Composing for Music Libraries (Production Music) can be very gratifying, for those with a sense of quality and excellence, a creative field in its own right.
Things have progressed quite a bit since I first started writing tracks for this media. Back in the day, "stock" or "library" music was mainly used in documentaries and sometimes in commercials. The style had an "off the shelf" generic, impersonal quality. Television and radio producers in need of tracks for evening news segments for instance, would delve into their music librairies to find a piece that would fit their subject quicky and efficiently. As time went by, every topic had been abundantly filled and illustrated (action scenes, news, romantic, blues, folk…). In addition to which, most composers now had their own recording facility and could easily provide more and more tracks to the already overwhelming selection in every style and genre. As a result, the market for stock music has now become jam packed and difficult to break into.
As is the case with the artists I work with, I'm very selective about the Library Music projects I choose to take on.
My first album "Unplugged Journey" (KOKA MEDIA) was a very personal album, even though I knew it could easily be used in a library music catalogue. Frederic Leibovitz, the founder of Koka Media, produced the album, because he instinctively felt that times were changing in the stock music world and that it wouldn't be long before he would see a demand for music played by "real instruments". Not only would there be a need for musicianship, but also one for the kind of musical creativity you simply won't find coming out of a computer. "Unplugged Journey" was recorded with an impressive list of great musicians, which may account for its immediate and long lasting success in the U.S., Japan, Europe, where it is mainly used to illustrate commercials, documentaries and TV films.
I still work with Koka Media : I have recently finished working for Thierry David on an album entitled "Contemplative Journey", with Steve Shehan. I played on most of the tracks and co-composed one.
However, it's with Frederic Leibovitz who has now founded Cezame Music Agency FLE that I compose for the most.
Frederic defines his work and passion for music : "Cézame was conceived with the belief that music for audiovisual is a creative field in its own right. No pale copies... the real thing. We believe in the individuality of the composer and the emotional power of music."
I still enjoy composing music for his projects, covering a variety of styles, from atmospheric to hawaian music."