This is the exact article I was looking for! You might be using an unsupported or outdated browser. Licensing Artwork: Negotiating and Monitoring Royalty Payments Also see this blog post from artist Joan Beiriger for a very specific breakdown by product type. Because he doesnt sell art, he only licenses art.. DDFA LimitedLymington Business Centre,Cannon Street, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 0DB, UK, Register for an account | Artwork Submissions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy. Home - Surtex Licensing agreements can be described as a contract or strategy that is used for marketing and brand extension that is widely used for businesses. Youre doing well if you are making a living of $40K to $100K a year from licensing artwork, however this is not super easy money because youll still need to remain a productive artist, continuously producing new works for your clients to choose from. Curated Collections Top-Selling Artists Trend-Forward Designs. Take a look around your own home and notice what products youve purchased with artwork on them without really thinking about it: kitchen towels, tablecloths, cookie jars, clocks and wall art, placemats, etc. Download Exclusive Album Covers by Top Artists | Art Grab Manufacturers (licensees) seek out partnerships with MHS to differentiate their products and grow their business through unique and on-trend properties. Art agencies know how important it is to be persistent, and I have heard that they continue . This was so helpful and gave me lots to think about and plenty of places to look, Whats the most professional way to share the high res images once you have a contract? This typically means creating work as a series and in sets that can easily translate to a full product range, rather than individual, one-off pieces. Art licensing basically means to "rent" your art to someone. Greg & Company, LLC. - Art & Art Licensing Throughout this article we have shared multiple resources, both here on The Abundant Artist and on the site Tara founded, that will help you get started. They specialize in fine art, such as wildlife art, nostalgic art and figurative art licensing. Ouch. An artist licensing agreement is an accord where an artist gives a client permission to use their artwork by allowing them to acquire a license for promotional purposes to bolster a product or service. All Rights Reserved. How does one even begin to dip their toe into the vast and seemingly complicated world of art licensing? Art & Brand Licensing | MHS Licensing + Consulting For example, a photographer might sell via Fineartamerica and Getty Images. Please try again later. A lot of what goes on in the industry now, its a little different than ten years ago, is they shop your art. Licensed Artwork Submission Guidelines - Robert Kaufman It is so rare to show somebody something and have them say Perfect, send it over. Theres almost always a change. Managing your professional relationships can be challenging, but the key is to be super organized and keep track of all of your interactions. Before joining the team, she was a Content Producer at Fit Small Business where she served as an editor and strategist covering small business marketing content. Find out why you may want to consider working with an art publisher or licensing agent like us. Prints and digital files typically sell for less money than originals, however, they do present artists with a good way of repeatedly making money with one piece of artwork. Jurisdiction and Venue: This determines the legal jurisdiction your license agreement is written under, and therefore would be disputed under in the case of a legal battle. Having an organized, password-protected file on Dropbox or GDrive both work. The rewards for artwork licensing can be huge, so lets take a closer look at how to get started. How to License Art to Manufacturers - Artsy Shark ", "I have been working with the MHS team for 8 years and have always found them to be professional, responsive, knowledgeable and very easy to work with. After 32 years as owners, Laurie and I sold Wild Apple to the company's Chief Operating Officer, Shawn Harned. However, the sales channels that are right for you will depend on which type of art you are selling. Login to see our latest curated collections of art and designs for wall decor and licensing. The caveat to a show like Surtex is that its in New York City. Inspired by creativity, art, fashion, and the latest looks in home decor,our collections of art are designed to sell at retail. Licensing allows you to make money from those artworks without giving up that copyright or losing control of how other people use your work. So whether an artist interested in growing their licensing clientele chose to exhibit or simply attend, the networking possibilities for shows like Surtex are enormous and extremely helpful to growing a fledgling surface design business. Let us know how it goes! In the end, it had nothing to do with my original art. And then its their job to make those connections for you, between your art and the manufacturers., Contracts vary wildly from company to company, and depending on the type of licensing deal. I advise artists to seek counsel from an attorney, especially if you think this licensing deal will greatlyeffect your business and livelihood. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. As Tara describes it, Heres the beautiful part. Communication and sales skills are essential, if you can speak to people in an authentic and personable way, you will increase your chance of success. 3. Hopefully, this will have given you a good insight into the world of artwork licensing and inspired you to consider it for yourself. The money you receive from licensing your artwork is known as royalties. Cups. We are really excited about this and Id like to tell you why. It isnt essential to attend trade shows, but they do form an important part of the design cycle for many companies, and buying decisions are often made according to specific seasonal dates. Dismiss. Scope: What does the license agreement cover? Items are only created when someone places an order. The art on licensed products may vary wildly from home to home, but it will have some factors in common such as being a coherent series as well as attractive and appealing to the eye. Thank you so much your article. Some platforms are free to use, while others have a monthly fee. Art licensing agents: MHS Licensing & Consulting. 5/19/2022. Ask yourself the following questions to see if you are ready: Preparation is key, if you want to be successful at licensing you need to be ready to move quickly and professionally. If youre selling digital prints and reproductions printed on items, you might want to keep costs down to get your products out to more customers. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. Christian medical cost-sharing ministry accused of stealing $4 million In addition to being willing to create art along popular trends, fashions, and color schemes that are most likely to sell merchandise, you have to be willing to work with third parties, taking feedback and making changes that you may not feel are necessary. If selling your own art takes off, you can start hosting other artists in your store as well. Subscribe to receive MHS updates MHS Named 2023 Top Global Licensing Agent. Are you able to work to a tight deadline and make changes if needed? Most companies will be looking for artwork that fits their particular niche really well and is up to date with the latest trends. Some agents will represent a handful of artists and some may represent hundreds of artists, it all depends on the agency. So theres other ways to go as well, there are a lot of agents in the industry. Best 11 Websites to Find Freelance Artists - Unlimited Graphic Design However, if you hope to sue the offending party for any kind of punitive award, you will need to take your copyright a step further by registering it with the US Copyright Office. Its our business to know whats trending. Hi there! This is why having a large network of fans, collectors, and fellow artists who recognize your art and have your back is so important. 7. 12. Im so impressed. Today, working from her home studio, she loves to experiment and see how she can push the limits to see what combination of tools and images she can use together to get a different outcome. You are approached by a company and offered a deal. 6. Here is how Art Licensing Info puts it in a section titled The Basics of Art Licensing: For those individuals who are willing to work hard to create the necessary collections of art needed by manufacturers, to work with the legalities of a contract, who are willing to continually market themselves and their works, and willing to work under a system that does not guarantee immediate income for the work being done, art licensing may be the route to take.. This includes greeting cards, merchandise, murals, art prints, home products, clothes, etc. Many companies that license art have a standard policy of paying per piece. Make a plan as to how you want your licensing program to work, what types of companies you want to license with, where you want your art to be sold,where you don't . You need to be persistent and continually follow up. You can offer companies the following incentive to continue using your artwork as they grow: If they spend over a couple thousand dollars reproducing your artwork, then you can ask for a lower royalty percentage of lets say 5 percent so that they can save money by investing in more products with your art on it, however if they only invest a few products with your art printed on it, then you can ask for a higher royalty of lets say 17% so that the deal is still worth your time. Please submit your artwork using our submissions form. Representations & Warranties: This is your promise to the licensee that the artwork is yours to license out and that it doesnt infringe on anybody elses intellectual property. Oftentimes, a well curated instagram account will lead companies into reaching out to artist for a potential collaboration. There are three ways artists usually find artwork licensing deals: Lots of artists do one or a combination of these, depending on the terms of each contract. 5. Tara Reed gives us a rundown on the basic steps involved in an art licensing transaction: In our perfect world I was just working on this collection this morning of art, and Ill finish it probably tomorrow and Ill start sending it out to a couple of clients that I work with all the time. What an Artist Needs to Know About Licensing Artwork - Nile Livingston Vibrant Banner Designs for Center City Philadelphia Slight Reopening. Cold calling random companies and aggressive sales pitches are only going to alienate potential licensees. I want to start moving in the licensing sector, but in my country there is not much market and I find it hard to find information and references. We received several offers from inside and outside the industry, and chose the one that we believe will be best for the company. Licensing artwork is like renting your work out. ", "For over 8 years MHS has been a great source for Pavilion's licensing needs. Our images are supplied in the following format: Input colour space: Adobe 1998 RGBFile Type: Tiff ( No Compression)Sharpening: Slight sharpeningThe images are colour corrected for contrast, cast and grey balance, and cleaned of dust and scratches when viewed at print size. But how do you make sure that the contract offered to you is completely on the up-and-up and isnt going to take advantage of you? They have a big consumer base. If youre on Pinterest at all, you see chalkboard stuff everywhere. No matter what kind of artist you are, learning how to license your artworks is a valuable skill that will help you build your art-related income. If you want to sell yourself as a voiceover, create pretend commercials or jingles that you'd do. Tara Reed describes the choice to show at expos (or not): 75 to 80 percent of my business I can track back to either exhibiting at or going to an industry trade show. If youre using print-on-demand services, websites such as Society6 or Printful might satisfy your needs. 2. You can do this in lots of different ways. Sometimes an advance payment is made to the artist in addition to the ongoing royalty percentage, at the start of an agreement, as a sign of good faith and expected sales. On top of that, you can also set up print on demand services so that orders are automatically printed and shipped every time you land a sale. These work great for jewelry because you can control the lighting and create a clean background. If youre not great with photography, consider hiring a local photographer or collaborating with one in exchange for free products. USE. If you are licensing an artwork to multiple different licensees at the same time, you would need a non-exclusive license agreement. By far my favorite way to find manufacturers is to go shopping. If presenting a collection, create a cover page showing the designs as you envision them working together. Its a mutually beneficial collaboration between an artist and an separate entity, achieved through a written contract. Take Taras advice and do some shopping therapy research of your own! This is called artwork licensing. So this is the first question to ask yourself if you are interested in licensing your art: are you willing to collaborate with a third party on every piece of art you license? Dont randomly approach potential licensees without first understanding the type of artwork they are looking for. There is no limitation on the medium you use for licensed artwork, but you will require high-resolution scanned (or very well photographed) images for the licensee to use. Finding an agent to represent you isnt always easy, and you might face a lot of rejection before someone says yes. One of the UK's leading artist agencies for licensing purposes, with over 10,000 artworks by 150 of the UK's leading artists and illustrators. Name *. Artwork licensing - How to license your art for beginners A helpful resource to have in your library whether or not you pursue licensing is the Graphic Design Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines. Meet the press and take part in interviews, vox pops and PR opportunities. They dont have the budget to do that. Its a difficult calculation, but higher shipping costs tend to dissuade potential customers. A Quick Guide To Licensing Your Artwork - Intellectual Property HQ The specific products your artwork will be used on. To keep this website and its information free for you and all artists, most links are Amazon affiliate links. Hi there! In order to proceed further with this action, you'll need to login, or create an account. Artists can also hire an agency that will license their work to a . Licensing artwork can be a flat fee arrangement or you can negotiate a percentage of royalties if youd like residual income, however the royalties are usually small unless you are a well known artist with a large body of work. 4. DDFA was established in the late 1980s due to the demand from publishers. Julia is a writer in New York and started covering tech and business during the pandemic. Then a contract will be drafted, the artwork is formatted digitally and produced, shipped, and sold. What is an artwork licensing agreement? As a licensing agency, MHS represents artists, brands, patent, and trademark owners (licensors) looking to monetize their intellectual properties by licensing their assets to manufacturers of consumer products. A Change in Ownership. Of his current licensing partners, many have maintained product lines using Greg's art for over 15 years. DDFA Licensing acts as a licensing agency supplying publishers and manufacturers with artwork to use on a variety of products. Thanks for the article. Include clear, high-resolution images of your work and mock-ups demonstrating how your artwork looks on relevant products. If you work with digital art or are interested in leveraging your time by selling copies of your original photography or art, you can sell prints of your work in various sizes. Good Evening Maria, That was some of the best advice I have come across in terms of art licensing. This not only protects you and your intellectual property, but it is also what gives the licensee a commercial opportunity and therefore a reason to pay you. Protect your work, control its use and back everything up with paperwork. Your Business/Artist Facebook Page. "This means an artist can do some upfront work to arrange the licensing deal, and then get . In addition to being consistently named as a Top 20 Licensing Agency by Liense Global magazine, Licensing International (formerly LIMA), has nominated several of MHS licensors licensing programs in such categories as "Best Overall License of the Year" and "Art License of the Year" at its annual Excellence in Licensing Awards. Get the latest trends, artist news and where to shop Wild Apple Art right in your Inbox. If you are looking to use a print on demand service to sell your art online, learn more about how to start a t-shirt business. Do you have a clear understanding of what licensees are looking for from you as an artist? How to Get Started in Art Licensing | Artwork Archive As an artist, you want to spend as much time as possible creating a portfolio of work, exploring new artistic ideas, and immersing yourself in your art. Some people dont choose to do that, theyre not comfortable doing that. Discover art licensing agents who could represent you and your work. Alternatively, you can create your own products based on your artworks by getting crafty. Licensing your art makes it easy to gain more customers and generate sales. Andrews McMeel: calendars, paper gifts, etc. With 700+ artists and 130,000 images in our archive, we . Art licensing is a way of making money wherein, as licensing expert Tara Reed puts it, you rent your artwork to companies to put on their products. This would be an exciting item for anyone to buy because people love to have bespoke artwork to decorate their spaces. Creating an email database of contacts is a great way to keep everybody updated on your latest creations in a succinct and easy-to-digest bulletin. The SunDance Art Licensing division provides high quality art to manufacturers worldwide. So if people just really dont want to do the business side, like theyre super shy and youre super intimidated by it, or they just truly want to be in their pajamas painting all the time and not deal with all the others. DDFA - DDFA Licensing At SURTEX, companies source unique designs, patterns and prints for commercial use in every category imaginable, from home textiles and giftware to dcor, apparel . If you dont clearly agree on the terms of a deal in advance, you are likely to encounter problems later on. Demdaco: Gifts, fashion, and decor. We received several offers from inside and outside the industry, and chose the one that we [], Artist Laura Marshall is the kind of artist that you want to spend time with. There are other people who are licensing their art that are making really good money as well, like six figures. Whilst all artwork is automatically protected by copyright when you create it, it is much easier to enforce that protection if you have registered your copyright with the government in your country. TSB . Or, use social media to connect with people who are interested in your type of art, whether thats through Facebook Groups, Facebook Marketplace or Instagram. You basically have to learn to put on this hat that is the doom-and-gloom worst case scenario hat, and you read each paragraph, and you go Okay, worst case scenario. So say my art is on a mug. Art Licensing for Greeting Cards Katie Made That The type of products people license artwork for vary enormously but include ceramics, gifts and greetings cards, tea towels and homeware, puzzles, toys, stationery, fabrics, and wallpaper. We provide trend-forward images, collections, patterns & designs for manufacturers in the home, wall decor, gift and stationery industries. Folio Art. Get instant access to my library of graphics, patterns, templates, calendars, plannersand resources! WHAT IS ART LICENSING? Pillows, blankets and other soft goods. Every pair of eyes perusing the internet that belongs to someone who would recognize your work if they saw it is a valuable ally. The exact amount you can make in royalties depends entirely on the deals you (or your agent) can negotiate. Art licensing agents tend to specialize and have existing clients for specific niches, such as fabrics or giftware. Take your time before following up again. PLEASE NOTE: Fabric purchased from Spoonflower does not require licensing and may be used/sold on . So if Paul Brents art is on their product, they license art. If we are looking for the next best collection we can always count on MHS.