[jaydohertyMember]

Hi all,

I am curious about how various radio stations actually go about the process of ordering/buying jingles. I’ve heard that stations usually pay jingle companies upfront for the actual production and then sometimes will pay yearly, semi-yearly, etc. to re-license the cuts for airing over and over…. I’m not sure if this is correct. But, assuming it is, does this mean that un-renewed cuts become effectively useless in the public domain after a certain time period, even if the station buys more cuts (say, the next year) from the same the same company later? Is there sort of a standard license or agreement of some kind between stations and the jingle company? Or do stations get to air them forever under some circumstances?

What I wrote above may be the incorrect way to guess, but any insight to the behind the scenes process would be greatly appreciated; I’ve always been curious how this stuff works out from “idea” to “production” “airwaves” over time. Thanks!

[bobgreenradioMember]

actually, it is more painful than buying a new car.

you have to shop, and shop hard. there are no set rules, only ‘desires’ from the weasels in the sales office.

pick several packages you like from several companies. then approach them. and, as i said before, EVERYTHING is up for discussion, EVERYTHING. and, any jingle mill that insists the price is the price?…..walk away. actually, run.

i would deal with less than 5 guys in that business. the others simply make car dealers look like good guys. another thing is determine what the shop is actually producing. how is it supporting its overhead. resings? personal cuts? then examine what new packages they have churned out. how badly did they flop? another warning.

there is the ‘trade-out’ too. a station swaps its unsold time with the jingle mill which in turn sells that time to a national account for peanuts. the barter is high, but, it reflects giving nothing for getting nothing. cash would buy the package for $1000 and the spot exchange would be for $5000. all a paper work joke actually, which is why i only use cash. and i get a 99 year license.

want to know more? hit me up off line.

[GrahamCollins]

What you have heard is broadly correct.

For syndicated jingles – that is singing over tracks that already exist – the cost includes a period of licensed use – usually two years. After this period, jingles can be re-licenced for extra years.

For custom jingles – singing over new tracks created specifically for you – the same principle applies but the cost is higher to cover the writing, musicians and studio time.

This principle is also known as ‘limited buy-out’. You do not pay per play.

The deal that you get depends on the relationship that you build up with the jingle supplier, the amount you spend with them and how often. You may get extra years of use offered for your existing jingles for a nominal sum, if you are committing to buy a selection of new jingles.

Hope this is of use.

[MarcMannetje]

As a PD I always tried to get the creative flow going, in our own team and at our jingle partners. Money was never leading. Creativity has value. Musicians and composers should be payed well. This having said:

[1] We decided what jingles we needed – for example: did we need new news bumpers or were they timeless enough and did they still have authority? Or: did we need transition cuts for new parts of our playlist? Mostly: what parts need refreshment?
[2] Search for jingles available for syndication that fit – if not try to integrate existing syndicated jingles with custom ones.
[3] Pay 50% upfront, 50% after delivery.
[4] Start the production process (mostly with Top Format / JAM / Music4).

Working with the same production team has benefits. You get to know each other and therefor don’t have to explain the stations DNA over and over again. You will hear that at the end.

A disadvantage of a long term relationship might be the risk of ‘burn out’ in creativity and innovation.

[michiMember]

I also think of it as there are two separate elements:
(1) The costs of producing the cuts (whether it is a custom or a syndicated resing…) that may vary based on certain factors such as station type (such as commercial or noncommercial) and could vary based on market size; and
(2) The license to use the cuts for public performance.

Based on the terms of the contract, it could also guarantee market exclusivity thus meaning that the jingle company, for the life of the contract (including extensions depicted below) will not provide another station within a market or other geographic area designated by the jingle company with the same cuts.

The jingle company continues to hold the copyright on the entire work created in (1) but they grant authority to publicly perform the cut in methods provided in accordance with the contract or imposed terms and conditions.

For example, a company like JAM may have a terrestrial station sign a contract which gives the station a 2 year license to publicly perform the cuts. At the expiration of the contract, the station must discontinue public performance, or if, based on the contract, the license can be extended for a specified term through a payment of an additional licensing fee.

Another example, JAM personal cuts provides for a cost for producing the cuts and provides a lifetime license for their public performance, but places a condition that public performance may not be on a terrestrial radio or television broadcast station. In addition, no market exclusivity as afforded. The use of the cuts on terrestrial radio/tv would require expressed permission from the copyright holder (the jingle company) and the granting of such license is at the discretion of the copyright holder under terms the may specify.

Some of the “cheap cut” companies (like LFM, MRC, RJ24, etc.) are likely to charge for the production but then gives a lifetime license for public performance that may include terrestrial broadcast but would most likely not guarantee any kind of market exclusivity. The jingle company retains the overall copyright for the material and therefore can demand its public performance, either in whole or in part, be discontinued.

Everyone does things differently, but the bottom line is the jingle company still “owns” the cut, it only gives the end user “license” to use it in a public performance or other purpose.

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