Typically, ad agencies have a number of music houses compose spec scores for a given spot; one effort wins out and the rest are handed the demo fee. Little effective debate has ensued on the topic, although a US organization representing commercial music houses, the Association of Music Producers (AMP) includes a statement on demos in its music production guidelines:

"It is a common practice to demo music and sound design ideas prior to going to a final recording. Because the creation and recording of music is a labor and cost intensive art, it is important to allocate the time and resources necessary to develop and produce it. For demos this includes budgeting for production and talent costs as well as creative compensation (the demo fee)."

The guidelines suggest song revisions should garner additional funding, but the practice leaves a lingering off-key buzz ringing in the heads of some top US music honchos, including Lyle Greenfield of New York's Bang! Music + Sound Design and president of the AMP.

"The traditional demo fee needs to be reviewed and producers need to understand there are many components in creating a demo. If people plan early and put music on the same footing as the pictures, then financial waste in the demo stage can be averted," says Greenfield. "Too often, music is the last thing budgeted."

While he does not condone the current state of music as an afterthought to the process, Greenfield says that eliminating demos outright is not a realistic option. Others disagree.

"I think it's insane that music houses have to write demos! $1,500 to produce one or many pieces of music in that time frame, pitted against other music houses," exclaims Thad Spencer, creative director of Asche & Spencer, Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Spencer's company ceased doing demos seven years ago, which he says has upped the quality of work seen by his company: jobs for Nike, MTV, Heinz, EDS, Diesel, Peugeot and Miller attest to this fact.

"If an agency is asking you to do a demo, that would lead you to believe that they are not completely confident that you can handle the job. And since they are working with you as well as several other music houses, your creative partnership is very unstable. If the agency and composers trust each other, great work can happen," says Spencer.

Who better to forge trust between agency and music house than a composer? Ira Antelis was recently hired by Leo Burnett, Chicago, as the agency's in-house music guru. A longtime commercial composer, Antelis now helps creatives connect with the right music, with or without demos.

"If the creatives really know what they want to do, I would say just go to the music house directly. If you give jobs without demos, you don't give anyone new a chance, and if you don't know what you want you couldn't risk giving it to just anyone: your ass is on the line," says Antelis of the quandary facing creatives. He also stresses the give-and-take nature of the agency--music house relationship. If a house has done numerous demos for numerous jobs, payback is key to a healthy relationship.

"If you have music houses give demos, you have to give them a job at some point; people work their asses off and sometimes they have to smell the roses and get a job. One of the reasons I came here was to spread it out," says Antelis.

Near middle ground on the demo scene is the pragmatic Jeff Elmassian, president/creative director of Digihearit?, Los Angeles. He says he has no problem doing demos provided the creative team is seriously interested in working with his company and are not simply fishing for ideas to present to their client. For Elmassian, deciding which jobs to devote resources to and produce a demo for is a judgement call based on the client, agency and creative potential of the ad, certainly not the elusive $1.5 grand.

"When they tell you there is a US$1,500 fee for demos, that is completely and totally bogus. To this day, I still get asked to do demos for nothing, and other times when I can get the fee it is negligible. The amount of demos we do and the fees we get never cancel each other out. You put your own money into the demo," says Elmassian. "Any demo I decide to do I go all out. $1,500 doesn't cover my costs if I am going to do justice to it. People expect the demo to sell the project, and when they present to the client, they want it to sound like it is done. The fee is something agencies have created to let them feel a little less guilty about extracting the service."

Spencer has more than two cents to add on the topic of dough-ray-me: "To deliver the quality of work that agencies "DEMO" on pg 61> <"DEMO" from pg 38 require, you need a talented staff of composers, engineers, producers, assistants and technicians. You also need several studios equipped with the latest and fastest recording technology. When the deadline is tight, and the creatives aren't happy with what you have written, you need to be able to respond very quickly."

Spencer says the typical response would be writing several new tracks in less than 12 hours, a task eased by the presence of a tight staff and studio situation. The more talented the staff, the more money it costs. Beyond the money realities, Spencer says demos can also exact a heavy cost in terms of creative energy, demoralizing composers who see their much--labored over demo tracks rejected.

Until recently, demos were not as much an issue in the UK, but with thick competition between top London music houses and more US agencies working in the UK, bidding and demo work have rapidly become the norm. Cliff Wilson, a producer with Amber Music, London and New York says demo fees in the UK are lower than in the US, ranging from US$500 to US$1,200. What's more, if a UK job is awarded based on a demo, Wilson says the fee is wrapped in with the overall payment, unlike in the States where demo and production fees are stacked. He sums up the demo/non-demo split in Amber's business:

"It's 50--50 really. We have regular clients that've worked with Amber for four or five years; experienced producers who use us exclusively knowing they will get a good job," say Wilson. "However, I find more UK music production companies are using lesser demo rates. If there is a big production budget you end up lowering your prices, leading to clients lowering the amount they are willing to spend."

Greenfield of the AMP calls the Asche & Spencer (or any anti-demo) position an enviable one.

"Over the past 10 or 15 years, one or two companies have taken that position -- maybe they are that burdened with work. But the reality is I've watched a number of companies change that policy when their businesses slowed down and they realize another company is now hot instead of them," says Greenfield. "I think the industry has to make the case for the position. If every major company and composer group said they would not do demos, maybe it would be effective. But you have to be careful about creating an adversarial relationship with the people you are working with."

Elmassian, experienced in the world of film as well as commercials (he recently scored a Disney animated feature), says the demo has, for the most part, become integral to the interplay of music and business.

"Musicians do demos, it doesn't matter where you are. Demo-ing is part of the reality, and what's important is that you measure your resources and pick which projects you demo on."

>Webfiles

Bang! Music + Sound Design> www.bangworld.com

Association of Music Producers> www.ampnow.com

Amber Music> www.ambermusic.com

Leo Burnett> www.leoburnett.com