Did you ever wonder who sang the Cheers theme song? How about who sings the Shameless theme song?
If you’re a working or aspiring musician, you’re probably wondering how much those guys get paid. Well, writing TV themes can be big business — and you can get seriously lucky in this game.
One hit TV theme means retirement.
While being a working musician is an arduous career, there’s hope. Take a look at Greg Portnoy, who was just 25 years old when he co-wrote the Cheers song, “Where Everybody Knows Your Name“.
He was initially paid $150 when Cheers came out. I know, that sounds incredibly low. But with TV themes, you shouldn’t be worried about what an ‘Instant Publisher‘ can give you. The most valuable thing they will give you is the proper exposure, and at some split on the ensuing plays.
In Gary’s case, he didn’t have the clout to retain 100% of his copyrights. But he did retain a writer’s split, which are paid out on every plays.
So don’t cut your nose off to spite your face. Portnoy said if he had demanded a 100% ownership stake, Cheers would have simply picked another track.
Leading up to the selection, Portnoy and his co-writer had several songs rejected. In fact, the now-successful writer had endured a string of failures and near-misses, but kept writing. Portnoy’s journey is indicative of the uncertainty that surrounds the music business.
Initially having to settle for $150 and losing the full publishing rights to your song is a tough pill to swallow. But because Portnoy went ahead with the best deal he could negotiate at the time, he now enjoys the massive success of his hit. He is retired and lives a comfortable life in New York.
It’s not all Butterflies and Rainbows.
Portnoy is an example of the TV theme top 1%. Most TV theme creators still make good salaries, though. The average income for TV theme composers is $50,000. As a musician, that’s not something to scoff at.
The highest earners in TV theme composing make an average salary of $85,000 per year. These are your Fox, NBC, and ABC composers. The lower average salary is at about $20,000. Think local television.
After you’re paid a salary, the network will hire one of three U.S. performing rights organizations to pay you royalties. Royalties depend on a number of things such as:
- The number of networks airing the show.
- Whether your music airs for over a minute.
- How many times the show plays.
- Where the TV show airs.
- What time the TV show airs.
You can also get paid a synchronization fee if another musician wants to use your piece of music for a specific scene in a TV show. These fees can range from $1,000-$4,000 and also depend on the above-mentioned factors.
Working Toward Hit TV Themes
Portnoy’s vanity plate reads ‘1HIT1DR’ and it’s great. He’s living proof that you don’t need to be a huge rockstar to make it big in the music business. In fact, Portnoy is unrecognizable in a crowd, but lives off of his music.
As a musician, what more do you want than the respect that comes from hearing other people listening to and loving your song? That’s what all those hours of unpaid work are for!
It’s also encouraging to know that you don’t have to slave away in the music biz for years if you’re looking to ‘make it’ off a big hit. You can successfully write for a variety of TV shows, and even strike it big if the stars align properly.
Cheers to that!
If you’re serious about pursuing a career in music, check out these other informative pieces. Thanks for reading!
