At Leeds Conservatoire we constantly strive to create modern music industry focused opportunities for our community, developing employability and learning experiences for our students/graduates, and creating platforms to both promote their brilliant work but also monetise it.
Our Library Music Platform does just that…
Partnering with MediaTracks, an existing and successful library music provider, supports talent development within the music industry, while creating new, relevant and authentic compositions for clients and users of library music catalogues.
Core to the partnership, and powered by MediaTracks experience and expertise, the conservatoire has created this online music library platform to showcase our student and graduate music. The platform and the content within it is supported by a team of student interns who are tasked with finding and nurturing talent, inputting accurate data and promoting our composers and their releases.
The core objectives and beliefs of this project are:
- To represent diverse voices and talents while ensuring equitable access and opportunity for all at Leeds Conservatoire.
- Create a forward thinking, market leading platform that nurtures new and exciting talent, helping to create the music industry that our students and graduates want to inhabit.
- Promote exciting and original compositions that meet the requirements of end users and customers, but challenge norms and conventions to continue the development of this industry.
- Create a sustainable project, that links our students/graduates directly to the creative industries, develops understanding of said industries and of transferable skills, and generate income streams for those engaged with it.
These core objectives sit alongside Leeds Conservatoire’s and MediaTracks joint commitments to access and diversity equality, diversity and inclusion, seeking to promote music and artists currently underrepresented in the music industry.
- Library Music, also known as production music, is non-bespoke music. It is composed to a brief or in a specific style with a strong idea of the market it will be used for but not for a specific programme.
- The tracks written are made into Albums and Playlists which are then sent to sub-publishers and music supervisors and placed on TV, Radio and other forms of broadcast media.
- The tracks can be used repeatedly. The composer receives a share of mechanical, synchronisation and performance royalties.
- The revenue generated from library music can often take a long time to be accounted, so it does not provide a 'get rich quick' income stream. However, its’ longevity can provide a reliable income stream which can contribute towards a “portfolio career” in music. The more successful tracks you have in library music catalogues, the more chance you have of building long term income.
Through our partnership with established library music company, MediaTracks, Quarry Music publishes music selected from students and alumni, making it available to purchase as part of a commercial production music catalogue.
It is a fantastic opportunity for composers and songwriters from all pathways and genres to generate a royalty based income stream from their work.
Our team of student interns, guided by industry specialist mentors, will review all submissions, providing feedback and track development in order to promote work to our professional platform ready for release.
Composers who's musical works are selected will be required to sign a contract with MediaTracks in order for their works to be added to the catalogue.
Support is available throughout the whole process to ensure you fully understand the opportunity available, but ultimately we are here to support and promote your work.
Its fairly simple...
- Submit a track via our uploader form ensuring you have read the basic requirements. This doesn't need to be a finished, ready to release track, but try to make sure its relevant i.e. would be suitable within a library music catalogue.
- Our team will review your submission and provide constructive feedback where possible. This might include tips on how to improve the work, or how to make it more suitable for catalogue. They will also be able to explain more about what library music is, our composer contract, and the opportunities within this industry and in particular Quarry Music.
- After responding to feedback or resubmitting works, if the music is deemed suitable and of high enough quality it will be shared with our partner MediaTracks for further approval.
- If approved at all levels your music will then be contracted, released and placed within our Quarry Music catalogue.
- Usage of your track will be shared with you annually, and any income generated will come in the form of royalties via PRS for Music.
Quarry Music is delivered by our student interns, supporting development of the service by growing visibility, demonstrating the opportunities available to LC composers, by talent scouting for suitable contributors and materials, and onboarding successful content to the platform.
In return we ensure that our interns receive direct mentorship from experienced music publishing professionals, supporting their practical hands on learning, and helping them to explore all facets of the industry.
We are looking to recruit three LC students to work with us on our exciting new library music platform – Quarry Music. We are 18 months in to delivering this project, building the project from the ground up, and already delivering production music albums to our partner publisher MediaTracks. These intern roles will support the project development of this service by continuing to grow visibility and engagement, by talent scouting for suitable contributors and materials (providing feedback where applicable), and onboarding successful content to the platform.
This opportunity is available for application from current first year, second year, and post graduate students at Leeds Conservatoire. The role will require the successful candidates to work throughout the year, across both term time and holiday periods.
Pay: Casual staff rate - £12.18ph (Grade 3) including holiday pay.
Hours: Hours variable up to a maximum of 5 hours per week (average 3 hours per work). You will be expected to attend a one hour online session with your mentor each week.
Employment Period: This is a fixed term for, beginning May 2024, and ending July 2025 – exact start and end dates will be agreed upon offer of the position.
Hybrid working: You will be able to utilise desk space in room 401 during work hours but can also operate remotely. Weekly mentor sessions will be delivered online.
How to apply
To apply for this position, please provide a CV and a detailed covering letter explaining why you are suitable for the role referring to the information provided below. Please detail any relevant experience you have in relation to this role along with two references who we may approach in relation to this. Prior to applying please consider how you will balance this role with studies or other commitments should you be successful.
Submit your completed application to: EaE@lcm.ac.uk
Closing date for applications: Monday 22nd April 2024
Interviews will take place online during the week commencing Monday 29th April 2024.
About the team
The Employability and Enterprise Team deliver a broad range of extra-curricular support and interventions to help develop the ambitions of both conservatoire students and graduates. This includes our Leeds Conservatoire Agency, a variety of funded support schemes, performance and work placement opportunities, employability resources and of course Quarry Music; our production platform, ran by students for students.
About the role
This is an exciting role that will help to build and develop Quarry Music our commercial library music platform over the course of the year. Working closely in partnership with MediaTracks, and under direct mentorship from a music publishing/A&R specialist, you will continue to grow engagement with LC stakeholders and the student/graduate catalogue. As a result the workload and expected outcomes may change on a weekly basis, but some of the potential tasks required of the successful candidates will include:
- Promotion of service via LC internal communications (including email and social media networks), writing camps and fairs.
- A&R/Talent scouting to find suitable composers/contributors, and to develop those that have potential
- Communication with relevant LC composers, sharing feedback, current briefs and providing important information to assist with understanding of the offer available.
- Accurate onboarding of information and metadata to the library music platform (which is currently in development)
- Communication and updates to all stakeholders including your mentor, the Leeds Conservatoire Employability and Enterprise Team and the team at MediaTracks.
- Meeting with potential LC composers (both students and graduates) to promote the opportunity and understanding of the sector.
- To provide feedback on development of the service, and help LC and MediaTracks improve performance and relevance of both platform and associated resources.
This is a paid position, so the successful candidate will be expected to show a professional attitude when working within the team, with MediaTracks and the mentor, and with the associated client base and stakeholders. The experience gained from this role could be utilised across a number of music industry sectors, and will help you to develop a better understanding of the daily tasks involved in many of these areas.
Key attributes of the successful candidate:
- Work well under pressure
- Excellent IT and administrative skills
- Excellent organisational skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to follow instructions
- Ability to prioritise work load
- Ability to work within agreed parameters
You will be:
- A Highly motivated individual who works well under pressure in a fast paced ever changing environment. A self-starter, you will be able to follow instructions and get the job done while remaining responsive to shifting demands.
- You will be happy to take on seemingly mundane tasks with energy and enthusiasm.
- You will be an excellent team player who is keen to learn and develop new skills alongside an experienced team of industry relevant professionals.
- You will have excellent communication skills.
- You will be polite and trustworthy with a full acceptance of the need for confidentiality.
In return:
- We will welcome you into our fun and fast paced working environment.
- We will train you and provide you with industry relevant skills, knowledge and experiences.
- You will benefit from weekly guidance from industry professionals including your mentor and the team at MediaTracks.
- We will give you a clear set of tasks and keep you busy and engaged.
- We will train you on business skills in a real world environment (e.g. customer service, metadata administration).
- We will provide you with advice and feedback and tools for self assessment which will support you in better understanding how you work, which roles to target in future and how to make the most of your strengths and overcome weaknesses.
Who owns the music if Leeds Conservatoire/Quarry Music choose to use it?
If a submitted musical work is chosen to be used, you will be required to sign a contract with our partner MediaTracks. The rights to release this music will be assigned to MediaTracks, and income generated will be split 50/50 between MediaTracks and the composer(s) in question. Leeds Conservatoire will not own any part of your musical work or take any commission.
Can I use the song/music elsewhere?
No. If you sign the contract for your music to be sold via the Quarry Music/MediaTracks catalogue, this will be on an exclusive basis, and you will no longer have the right to use this track elsewhere.
How long does the license period last?
The license is “in perpetuity” i.e. forever. This is because the music will be embedded in a TV show, film or other media, and in order for the production company to feel comfortable with the license they will need this level of certainty, matching the potential life span of the media in question.
How does payment work?
Usage payments will come in the form of royalties which Media Tracks will account twice yearly to the composers. Performance also money flows through to the composers through performing rights organisations such as PRS, IMRO and GEMA.
Can I ask for my song to be removed?
Once you have signed the contract and therefore reassigned rights, we will not be able to remove the track.
We are here to support you in this process, and we will ensure you fully understand the agreement you are entering in to should your track be chosen. We are here to support all students and graduates submitting music and this project is only here to promote your work, and create a professional platform on which to sell it.
Please ensure you fulfil the following requirement:
- If appropriate supply instrumental versions of the same track (if a top line/lead vocal is on the original track). You can submit this at the same time.
- Any swearing should be removed from the recording.
- There should be no infringements of another piece of music.
- The music should be an original composition.
- You must own the publishing and master rights to the songs submitted.
- If using samples, these must be 100% cleared for use with accompanying paperwork.
- Only submit one track at a time.
Please make sure you have read all of the supporting documentation on this page prior to submitting works.
If you have any questions regarding this support, please feel free to get in touch.
