Do You Ever Wish Your Music Played a Bigger Role in Your Life?
So you've started on the path to licensing your music, but you're not making as much progress as you'd like. You've got big dreams for what your music can do for you. You believe in the beauty of your songs, and you want to share them with the world. But you just can't get any traction.
It doesn't have to be that way.
How Would You Feel if your Music was on TV?
Who would you tell if your music was on Netflix?
How Would Your Life Change if You Earned $1,000s of Every Year from Your Music?
There's literally never been a better time to be a talented independent musician looking to do music part-time. If you've got a home studio and you're committed to improving your skills and consistently producing music there are countless opportunities for you to build your dreams.
But learning how to do achieve success isn't so straightforward.
You've got to learn how to pick the right libraries to work with, how to write the kinds of songs that buyers need, produce them so they sound professional - and do it all quickly and efficiently from your home studio!
It's easy to become overwhelmed or to burnout before you start to see any success, if you don't have an experienced guide to show you how to grow.
Hi, I'm Evan
I've been licensing my music as a side hustle for nearly 10 years. While I started out confused and overwhelmed by music licensing, after thousands of hours of creating songs, over a thousand licenses sold, hundreds of thousands of song streams, work with almost a dozen music libraries and placements on TV, film, and radio, I've uncovered some core truths about being successful with music licensing.
I run a YouTube Channel, Stock Music Musician, dedicated to helping folks learn how to license their music and producer better tracks. These lessons have been viewed over a million times by people all over the world. In the process of teaching so many people, I've also learned a lot about how to become a music licensing teacher and mentor.
Every day I get comments from amazing producers struggling to get their music licensing side hustle off the ground.
And of course, there's always the occasional dude who thinks I'm Jimmy Kimmel (which I can neither confirm nor deny)...
But mostly I hear from regular producers try to make better beats from their home studios and get them licensed.
When I first started making my videos, I never realized how much people were struggling to go beyond just the basics of uploading a few songs to Pond 5.
At the same time, I'd get thank you messages from people who'd implemented my tips and shared how their production skills had reached a whole new level, how they were starting to get songs licensed, or getting accepted into increasingly prestigious music libraries.
Hmmm....
Some were struggling with finding good libraries for their songs or writing appropriate music, while other were getting licensing deals and starting to get placements.
I started to really ponder why some people were able to fully pursue becoming stock music musicians, and others were... stuck.
For years.
I began to realize that one-off YouTube videos & cheatsheets weren't enough to get them over the hump. How when folks just tried to wing it on their own, "life got in the way." Somehow, they just never quite found the time finish their tracks.
They used to get excited about talking about music licensing. But after awhile they grew frustrated with their inability to achieve their artistic vision and musical goals.
Unfortunately, it became clear that they were letting their dreams slip by. They gave up on something they were super passionate about because they couldn't figure out how the system worked.
It's a little heartbreaking to hear how much time people spend writing music for licensing once they've learned the basics, but how little they have to show for it if they can't find a helpful mentor.
But don't take my word for it.
This comment is from some one who had been trying for years to get by on his own.
The 10 Stages of Being Stuck
STAGE 1
Motivation
“I know I can do this…I’m pumped up”
STAGE 2
Minor deviation
“Wow, this patch is incredible! I'll just start a new idea real quick...”
STAGE 3
Socialization
"Yo guys, I'm going to upload a few songs soon…it's gonna be amazing"
STAGE 4
Reality settling in
“Ugh, I have no idea what I'm doing”
STAGE 5
Re-motivation
“OK, I just watched a couple great YouTube videos…I just learned the one technique I was missing!”
STAGE 6
Confusion
"I just spent a month uploading my song to a bunch of crappy libraries that rejected me"
STAGE 7
Doubt
“I keep saying I want this, but maybe some producers just aren't cut out for music licensing”
STAGE 8
Embarrassment
“I’m so stupid, why can’t I do this? I’ve tried everything”
STAGE 9
Denial
“Yo, check out this demo I made. I still need to tweak the drums and chords a little bit. And add an ending. And mix it. And master it. I'm going to need a few more mastering plugins though.”
STAGE 10
Resignation
“I’m never going to do this. I guess I'll sketch another 4 bar idea”
"Maybe I'm Missing Something?"
Music licensing is too complicated to be taught be a series of random YouTube videos.
Most people think that the skills you need to start music licensing are the same skills you'll need to grow your music licensing side hustle, when, in fact, there are two separate worlds of licensing!
For example, I kept on seeing that frustrated musicians kept looking for the "perfect synth" or "the best music library." Stock music musicians upload track after finished track. Stock music musicians have learned skills, built relationships, constantly improved, and adopted systems & shortcuts to boost their success.
Both sets of producers faced the same obstacles, but they focused on different solutions.
Sure, some producers look for help when they get stuck. Maybe they search for a specific video about their current problem, or buy a shiny new "vintage" plugin. They might even forget about producing and binge an entire music podcast. (Know anyone like this?)
Hey — at least they’re looking for answers. But the heartbreaking thing is that they genuinely believe if they find the “right” preset or the "perfect" library, then all their problems will disappear and they'll be able to nail that goal they’ve wanted for years.
You and I know better. We know they’re playing the wrong game entirely.
The honest truth:
- They could get the perfect preset... and nothing would change
- They could find the best library in the world... and nothing would change
- They could have friends in the industry... and nothing would change
No matter how good your contacts, your songs, or your plugins are, producing is still tough! You and I are going to continue to face the same challenges every time we start a song.
In fact, the better you get and the more complicated your songs become, the more challenges a song will throw at you! And that's not even counting when an exclusive library offers you an amazing opportunity with a short deadline or a genre out of your comfort zone!
Some producers get stuck. Their musical skills plateau. Don't let this be you.
Because meanwhile, the best producers out there a quietly playing a different game.
Quick question.
Does this remind you of anyone?
If we're being honest, does this sound like you?
No need to be shy, we're all friends here.
When has your own lack of knowledge about music licensing prevented you from finishing songs? Or from pitching songs to libraries? Or from earning as much as you can from your placements?
Getting stuck happens to talented producers. There are people that write brilliant beats, play guitar gracefully, or create the lushest patches, but they just can't figure out how to produce a song they're proud of or get it placed. People who can make an interesting demo, but can't share it without apologizing.
Why do some producers go on to placement after placement? Why do some producers have hard drives full of half-finished beats?
The secret system to achieve your music licensing dreams:
When I looked at successful producers, they weren't chasing the newest toys. In fact, many of them used software and hardware that was years out of date!
Why?
Because they knew it backwards and forwards. Because they'd mastered the systems and knew exactly how to translate their vision from their soul into sound.
Imagine a successful producer that you admire:
DeadMau5
Photo by Lazz R
Nile Rodgers
Photo by Drew de F Fawkes
Brian Wilson
Photo by wonker
When you imagine them sitting down to make a track, do you think they feel overwhelmed by the options? If something bad happens, do they immediately look for a new preset? Do you think they endless fiddle with settings, waiting for songs to be completely perfect?
Of course not! Their ability to channel their creativity, unlike most people, is based on the fact that they understand the tools they use, but more importantly, they are making music with a goal in mind and systems in place to keep them moving forward.
They are laser-focused on producing a hit. Which means they're writing music intending it to sell it. It means that they're making production choices the benefit the song, not their egos. It means they understand how the music business works. And it means that they finish their music on deadline and under budget (ok, maybe not Brian Wilson).
That's why I want you to focus on a what really matters. Building an enjoyable framework to consistently create marketable stock music and get it in the hands of clients. Forget tips, plugins, or presets. Understanding stock music licensing's creative framework outweighs all of that.
Mastering this framework will let you appreciate the nuances of each song instead of having to make each song writing decision from scratch.
What most people miss, is that being successful at music licensing actually requires you to master four separate frameworks equally well. Too many people focus on minutiae of music production instead of developing solid competency in these four categories:
- Writing songs that sells
- Producing songs in a way that serves the eventual use of (hopefully) being broadcast on TV
- Understanding the music licensing industry and how to maximize your earning potential
- How to be able to do everything efficiently, effectively, and enjoyably
Once you learn the framework for each major category, you'll be able to create anything you can imagine. You'll start to see that as the quantity of music you produce increases, the quality of the music will also increase, both of which will cause your earnings potential to increase!
"You make your mistakes to learn how to get to the good stuff." – Quincy Jones
I love that. He understands that creativity is a fleeting thing that needs to be captured when inspiration strikes. But it's only possible to capture if you know what you're doing. He understands the making music is a process that requires commitment, if you want to achieve success. That it may be slow going at first, but as long as you're learning along the way, you shouldn't be impatient.
Of course, with all his experience, Quincy doesn't dismiss the early stages of being producer, with the mistakes and bad judgements, and the sense of being overwhelmed. No, Q sees it as an essential part to becoming world class.
As I've worked to develop Double Your Licensing, the songs I've licensed have gone on to be streamed over a million times on Spotify & YouTube, placed in films and TV shows, and licensed by top-of-the-line music libraries.
Situations that would have derailed a song years ago don't even phase me.
"Oh, the drums don't groove?"
Three years ago I may have abandoned the song - or worse, finished but told everyone it was a demo because I knew it wasn't great and left it to rot on my hard drive.
Now though? I know that if I need to re-program some drum tracks on the fly, it will most certainly be bumping.
And I came to realize that there were more fundamental ways to teach music licensing that couldn't be conveyed through a few simple YouTube videos. And that went beyond the basics of getting started with a music licensing side hustle.
That's why I set out to develop the best course on stock music licensing in the world for intermediate and advance producers: Double Your Licensing.
5 Differences between a producer with Double Your Licensing and an ordinary producer
Look at the striking difference between a producer who knows the secrets of Double Your Licensing and a producer who is just bumbling along.
Which approach do you want to use for your music?
On Songwriting
Most producers: "How am I supposed to start a song? I wonder how long it should be? Does the genre matter? Oh well, I'm a big fan of long form bagpipe death metal, so I'll just do that."
-VS-
A Double Your Licensing Producer: "'I've already got my song structure backed into my template. I know exactly how long to make each part of this track and already have some of my favorite patches and effects loaded in. My publisher told me that there's been a lot of demand for future pop lately, so I'll make a few of those tracks and see what they think!"
On Quality
Most producers: "I've spent thousands on the best presets and patches I can buy, but my mix doesn't seem to fit together, and my song doesn't have any groove. Guess I need some better presets."
-VS-
A Double Your Licensing Producer: "Damn this track is funky! Each sound is designed to sit perfectly with the others to convey a marketable vibe. It's a loud, clean mix, without any distracting harsh frequencies or dynamic issues."
On Clarity
Most producers: "Is this song even worth finishing? I wonder which libraries to submit it to? Crap, am I gonna need to register this with a PRO!"
-VS-
A Double Your Licensing Producer: "I've got a great idea how to finish this song in a way that conveys a unique vibe. However, I'm pretty sure this song will do better in a non-exclusive library, so I'll just go ahead an upload it to my two favorites, then register it with my PRO."
On Completion
Most Producers: "Yo dude, check out my new song. Well, it's still a demo... yea, I mean I need to fix the drums, and the mix is off. And I still need a lead part... I'm not sure when I'll finish it..."
-VS-
A Double Your Licensing Producer: "Here's the link to my most recent placement on Netflix. I think I'll have a few more songs on the next season of the show - so keep your eyes open because I've been submitting multiple albums this past year."
On Priorities
Most Producers: "Man, I just bought this $300 synth, but I can't find the right sounds. Maybe I should get the expansion pack for $49? Oh wait, this vintage EQ plugin is on sale for only $199, if I buy that my songs will totally sound like the pros!"
-VS-
A Double Your Licensing Producer: "I'm glad I took the time to actually learn how to create my own sounds and focus on the key elements essential to music licensing! I've saved thousands of dollars on plugins and sample packs by taking courses."
This is the unspoken, hidden difference between producers that consistently finish incredible sounding tracks and everyone else. Even smart, talented people get stuck and don't know why. Whether it's songwriting, production, or what to do with songs after they're finished.
It took me years of work and sheer trial-and-error to discover the systems that allow part-time producers to have a big time impact. The songwriting tricks, how to produce great music consistently and efficiently, and music industry knowledge about how to get it in the hands of libraries that could make money with it.
In other words, the systems that give super producers the rare edge we all crave.
Yes, systems. Because anyone can learn to build a series of systems to double their licensing (or a lot more). It can be taught, practiced, and perfected.
How come nobody talks about this? The short answer is: It doesn’t sell. The vast majority of people are looking for tactics for “free sample packs” or “the best music libraries."
But a small group of producers don’t want to focus on tactics or plugins. They know the one thing in common with all Top Producers is their mastery of systems.
Most people seek out Double Your Licensing because they realize the hacks and plugins won't solve their problems.
Are you sick and tired of:
- Still struggling to finish songs after months - or years - of work?
- Having trouble writing music that sounds like "stock" music?
- Getting so frustrated with your progress that you literally quit making music for months at a time, only to be drawn back in again and again?
- Having a hard drive of songs that aren't getting licensed because you don't know how to market them?
Double Your Licensing changes everything - in fact, it lets you approach your productions from a completely different angle. In fact, instead of just overcoming these problems...
...you'll discover that you can go from being good at making music to being great.
- Become confident in sharing your music and pitching it online to clients and libraries
- Produce faster so you can capture your inspiration before it slips away and finally finish your music
- Create songs with marketable characteristics so you can profit from your passion
- Develop strategies for how to approaching submitting music to exclusive and non-exclusive libraries
- Produce more music in less time - of a higher quality than you ever have
Top producers do it. Now you can too.
Introducing...
Learn How to Double, Triple (or More) Your Music Licensing Income, While Having Fun!
Music licensing is supposed to be a fun side hustle - and Double Your Licensing reflects that. The content is deep, but the presentation style is fun.
Knowing how precious your time is, the course is also packed with worksheets and cheatsheets to download so you can reference them any time. These worksheets cover everything from the most popular chord progression for stock music to keyword guides to help your songs rank higher in search results.
Simply put, there are over 50 video lessons in this course, amounting to nearly 20 hours of of advanced learning, including everything you need for the next phase of your music licensing side hustle!
How to Write Songs that Sell
With Double Your Licensing you'll learn exactly how to write songs that sell. It includes hours of videos on how to compose covering everything from song structures to popular chord progression to song endings tricks.
How to Produce Professional Tracks
You'll learn more than just the foundations of mixing and mastering in Double Your Licensing. You'll learn a variety of tricks that separate stock music from pop music, from drum programming to the use of reference tracks.
How to Pick the Right Libraries for Your Music
With the "Hybrid Licensing System" you'll be able to figure out the best sorts of libraries for your music at each stage of your career. You'll also learn how to expand your network and earn more from your existing songs!
Make More Music in Less Time
Speed is one of the biggest things that differentiates stock music musicians from amateurs. You'll learn powerful frameworks that will help you finish your music in half the time, or less!
Double Your Licensing is an online course that gives you the tools you need to unlock the full potential of your music licensing dreams. Unleash the systems that have been holding you back for years and use their awesome flexibility to make your music and get it licensed!
This is specific — It includes the exact concepts, breakdowns, and examples of all the systems and shows you how they interrelate to each other.
This is in-depth — it includes nearly 10 hours of video lessons and over a dozen downloads. Take it at your own pace and revisit it whenever you want.
And this is practical — if you’ve already tried the treadmill of random music licensing tips and hacks, and you want to go beyond symptoms to focus on what truly works, Double Your Licensing gives you the precise, actionable framework needed to license your music on your terms.
It also includes lots of practical worksheets, a sample work-for-hire agreement, a transition effect sample pack, and some fun bonuses 😊.
Makeda N.
"Just wanted to share with you that I received my second official sale from Pond5! To my surprise, I came home Saturday night and saw in my email that someone had made a purchase on the “Euphoria” track!
In the Course, You'l Learn...
How to Apply the Hybrid Model of Music Licensing
How to Write Songs that Sell
How to Produce Professional Tracks
How to Produce More Music in Less Time
Understanding the Stock Music Business
Turbo-charged Downloads
Bonuses
This is a practical course, that will teach you how to create and license stock music from your home studio. It combines lectures describing how to create great stock music with videos demonstrating exactly how to implement these skills. Follow along and you'll quickly see how rapidly you can improve.
On top of that, the course includes breakdowns of successful (and unsuccessful) stock music. Each song is a different genre, so no matter what type of music you make, you'll have a handy reference.
Plus, lifetime access to Double Your Licensing. Feeling frustrated with a song? Worried about your sound design? Not sure if you should focus on exclusive or non-exclusive libraries right now? Don't fret, you've got access the right classes at any time!
The difference between great producers and everyone else
What do the best producers do different from everyone else? How do they create music and develop their unique sound? How do they consistently get placements?
Double Your Licensing is an inside look at how any producer can build a stock music licensing career by...
- Create powerful unique instruments patches that will set your productions apart
- How to understand what makes stock music unique (and what helps it sell) to bring your musical vision to life
- How to develop a stock music licensing strategy that will ensure that your music is placed in the best libraries, no matter the stage of your career.
- How to get your music into "exclusive" music libraries - and how to grow your relationship from there to become a "go-to" producer for your library
- 4 practical steps you can take to produce more music in less time
- Exactly how to focus on the most important dimensions of production music (in under 10 minutes) so that you know exactly what you need to do for every instrument of every song
- The most important secret that great producers use to add interest and create captivating tracks.
- Proven strategies for drum programming for productions with next-level groove.
- Workflow strategies to create songs faster so you can capture inspiration when it strikes.
- The ideal song structure for stock music, and how it can help your earn more from your music
- How to accomplish in 2 days what would normally take 2 weeks while building your custom workflow
- 4 additional revenue streams beyond music licensing that will massively boost your earning potential,
And that's just a sample of what's packed into this course.
AN UNBEATABLE GUARANTEE: TRY DOUBLE YOUR LICENSING FOR A FULL 30-DAYS, 100% RISK-FREE
I've packed a lot into Double Your Licensing, and I want to make sure that you not only get all that content before you fully commit to this — I want to give you 30 days to let it digest, integrate it into your daily life, and make sure this is really working for you.
Try the entire course. 30 days is enough time to take the course twice and then decide. If you don't LOVE it, I insist that you get 100% of your money back. I'll even eat the credit-card processing fees.
It's simple: Join the program and try it for yourself. If the powerful focus on music licensing don't help improve your understanding in 30 days, I want you to email me and I'll give you all your money back.
This guarantee lasts 30 days, which completely covers the course. That means you can try the ENTIRE course and then decide if it's right for you.
