Here are some frequently asked questions:

 

Are you a CD Baby type of business, but selling videos and CDs from a television channel?

Yes, but the difference is we make the videos/films and share revenue as a percentage of what we actually receive. The television channel airs the films like a radio station, building exposure until such time as we make sales through DVDs and downloads. Downloads deliver the clips directly to the home anywhere in the world and the television channel markets the clips as a relaxing television format at no cost to the music rights owner. Unlike record companies there is no charge back out of your royalties - the production and marketing of your music is free to you.

 

Where does LandscapeHD broadcast?

LandscapeHD is not yet broadcasting but has started High Definition production. The Landscape Channel has been broadcasting twenty years in Europe in Standard Definition (see http://www.landscapehd.com/distribution2.html) and all HD films are made in Standard definition for this market, which is continually changing. The new format is expected to start Spring 2010, so we are making films now in order to be ready for that time. The standard definition version of Landscape is starting to be used on some channels as a taster for what we will be doing in HD soon. If you have seen the standard definition version of Landscape it is prelaunch marketing.
 

What do you pay the artists and film makers?

We pay out 25% of what we receive from the sale of downloads (the retail price) directly to the music rights owners and 25% to the film/image owners who supply the other half of the production process. Theyy are onthe same deal as you so we pay out 50% of what we receive to the rights owners.

Are there any deductions

We are selling at retail price and will do so in many countries. You are therefore dealing directly with the distributor as well as the people who make your production that is being sold. We therefore have to take off any local vat or sales tax and deduct any transaction cost charged by paypal who collect the money at source. If we sell physical product, where someone wants to buy a physical DVD there is the cost of the shipping and production taken off the retail price before being divided by the number of tracks on the product - just like a normal record company, but a lot fairer because it is based upon the money we receive. That cost is (currently £1.95 for a DVD retailing at £17.95.

We now also sell complete cds. Why miss the opportunity of making a sale whilst the customer is buying your video or even other people's videos from our store? The deal on audio cd downloads is we pay out 90% to the music rights owners and retain only 10% after deduction of £1.00 per unit to cover bandwidth costs of the net price after deducting local vat. We plan to sell all our cds at a special price of £5+local tax each (approximately $10 for our USA cousins) as a download to encourage people back to our site. The more people come to our site the more chance Landscape artists have of making further sales. Backed with television exposure sales should justify your being in the LandscapeHD music store.

I am a publisher what happens to the mechanical royalties and sychronisation rights

If you have a separate entity that collects mechanical royalties they can be deducted at source and paid direct to them. BUT this is a sort of madness because we pay them, they hang onto the money for a minimum of six months and overseas this can be years, then they pay you after deducting collection costs often at source in the country of collection and then where they pay you (ie. twice). This system was good in the days of physical distribution with hundreds of distributors but is absolutely mad in the days of electronic one source accounting. We will deduct mechanical royalties at source if we are instructed to do so. - otherwise we will pay you as the original rights owners and it is up to you to oragise paying those whom you have subcontracted to. You should also know that you have the legal right to exclude collection from LandscapeHD for mechanical royalties in Europe where you receive them direct.

On synchronisation rights you are paid a nominal $10.00 per track for recording and music syncronisation rights once the music has been chosen by one of our producers to be made into an HD production. This is a nominal synchronisation fee which is paid as confirmation that the production process has started. All artists are paid the same fee irrespective of how famous or great their guitar licks are. Thats fair on everyone and ensures money for production is spent on making the films. Most of our productions cost the film producer more than some artists spend on their albums so this has to be put into the perspective of the nature of contributing to a project where you are as much a beneficiary of income as anyone else involved in the production and sistribution process - a sort of co-operative venture if you like.

 

What formats do you make your films?

We start with High Definition 1920 x 1080 but also make lower quality versions for standard definition wich will get shown on standard definition as we try to expand our viewers and get them to use the HD channel. High Definition is a future format which we will grow into so films are also made in the lower definition formats so that sales can start now in the traditional video sales markets.

 

What price do you sell your downloads for?

We sell world-wide via download in any country that takes credit cards or Paypal. The UK price for an HD clip is £1.50, although we may shortly be moving to euros and prices may vary - so look at the actual store to see current prices>

 

Does LandscapeHD play films which are owned by other people?

Not usually. The reason for this is we broadcast worldwide and because we work as a minority music format we need worldwide exploitation in order to earn enough money to pay for new films and continue to exist. If you are unable to provide us with world-wide clearance for the rights we require we cannot broadcast your film or music. Most artists retain the right to synchroisetheir music to film. That is in fact the only right we need since the production becomes ours at that point and should not interfere with any recording agreement you may have. Please contact us if in doubt.

 

Is the contract exclusive?

No we are not exclusive. You may licence or sell your music or film to anyone else. We only have exclusivity in the film which we make under our contract with you - so the deal is very easy and does not interfere with third parties - we do not need to restrict you in any way in terms of what you might want to use your music or film for in regards to other productions.

 

What does it cost me to have my music made into a Landscape HD film?

Nothing. LandscapeHD pays for worldwide clearances and makes the finished film to your music in either its own production facilities or in the facility of one of its film makers.

 

If I sign the featured artist contract does LandscapeHD have to make any films of the music I send them?

No the contract is one that clears the rights for you to send music to the LandscapeHD library so that the Landscape film makers can choose music if it suits their need. When a track is chosen as being suitable for a Landscape production you will be notified in writing by email, a payment of the synchronisation fee will be made to your paypal account and at that stage LandscapeHD has committed to make a production.

 

How long after LandscapeHD advises me that it wishes to use my film or music will it be before the film is ready to be broadcast or foe sale as a download?

As a result of the LandscapeHD schedules being created over a long period it is unlikely that a film will be ready for broadcast or sale in less than six months. LandscapeHD production is by its nature a slow process.

 

Does LandscapeHD pay normal performing rights royalties like other radio and television channels?

Yes LandscapeHD is affiliated to the UK's Performing Rights Society and is itself a member with a  publishing catalogue of titles under the name Keeper of the Garden Music, which we exploit as a means of creating music publishing revenue for instrumental music. LandscapeHD offers its service to distributors all over the world who then pay performing royalties to the local performing rights societies, either as a channel or as a programme, who then pay the music copyright owners under the local agreements. Involving your music in LandscapeHD will guarantee that you will earn more through PRS because our distributors pay the performing rights societies in each country based upon what we schedule in the UK.

 

Does LandscapeHD take advertising?

Landscape as a television channel has been in existence since 1988 as a broadcast channel and has never taken advertising.  We have found that advertising disrupts the flow of the relaxation element of our channel and because the reason that people watch us is to relax we have to earn our living from selling music and sharing this with our music and film contributors as a business model. We are like a radio station for instrumental music with pictures. However we cannot rule advertising out in the future if a suitable format is found. Should that happen a percentage of our advertising revenue would be paid to the PRS similar to other music channels so we play by the same rules as all the other music channels. Record companies who complain that we do not pay VPL (the video producers society) should understand that those rights belong to the people who make the productions (usually the record companies). LandscapeHD is the company that owns those rights because it makes the productions and in consequence we can offer commercial deals to television distributors that are based upon the value of what we do and not the values of the pop world. This is really important to understand, because it ensures our genre of Landscape music gets airtime that you cannot get on any commercial music channel.

 

Do I have a say in what the LandscapeHD film looks like?

No. Landscape isn't like MTV. We make a film that is right for our us. It does not feature the artist and often has no relevance to the title of the music. Very difficult explaining to an artist why his music titled "roses" features a field of bluebells. The answer is we make our productions according to the feel for the music and what our directors think works for us as visual interpretations. Our viewers know this and trust us to make a film that is sympathetic to the music. We have been doing this for twenty years and believe we know what our viewers will like. Artists who work with Landscape have to trust us to work with them rather like a screenwriter needs to trust the producer without having artistic control.

 

Can I sell the LandscapeHD films myself?

No the films once made belong to LandscapeHD and it is important to control the rights and accounting procedures so that they remain accurate. We will supply you with a link which you can put on your web site and would recommend that you do this to ensure your fans know about the film and have the ability to buy it as part of the marketing of both your music and LandscapeHD as a co-operative marketing tool.

 

Can I play the LandscapeHD film on my web site?

Yes we give you the right to play our films which incorporate your music on your web site but these films must be streamed and not copyable or downloadable. You must make sure that a link is available where your fans can download the film from our servers and you must host any film on your own servers or by getting permission from us to host elsewhere. If In doubt contact us.You may not upload the video to youtube or any othe video sharing site - we make low quality versions of what we do for that prupose. Our job is to encourage people to buy the high quality versions for home use.

 

Can I use the HD version of my film on tour?

Yes we give you the right to use our films which incorporate your music on live tours as a backdrop to your own performance or in interludes before or after performance. We see this as valuable marketing for your music and our channel concept. A number of artists have started to do this. The only requirement is that a suitable credit is given either in the written programme, preferably with a link to the LandscapeHD web site or a spoken credit live to the audience as information to help build the business for both of us.

 

Where is the contract?

If you are a music contributor it is here.