Do I Need an Agent?

About Money, Negotiations, and the Value of Good Representation

When do you actually need an agent as a composer? And what do you gain from having someone else negotiate on your behalf? At BMIM Conference, composer Matthijs Kieboom and agents Valerie Dobbelaere and Annette Gentz discussed the business side of composing. From difficult conversations with producers to international contracts and the question of who is looking out for your interests.

For Matthijs Kieboom, it started with a disagreement over a thousand euros. Not even that much in the context of the overall production budget, but enough to seriously damage his relationship with a producer. “At some point I thought, ‘Even if we work this out, I don’t really want to have a creative working relationship with this person anymore.'” It was the moment Kieboom realised he needed someone who could take over the business conversations for him. Not just because he disliked negotiating, but also because, by his own admission, he tended to say yes to everything. “When someone comes to me with a project, I’m quick to say, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’ Without even talking about money.”

During the panel Do I Need an Agent?, moderated by Amber Roner, Kieboom explained how his perspective on representation has changed since then. Together with Valerie Dobbelaere (founder of the Belgian agency Strike A Score) and Annette Gentz (General Manager at Universal Music Publishing Classics & Screen GSA and founder of Annette Gentz Music & Film Arts), he discussed a profession that is still far from commonplace in the Dutch media music industry.

More Than Someone Who Handles Your Contracts

An agent finds projects, negotiates fees, reviews contracts, and maintains relationships with producers, directors, and other industry professionals. But according to the panellists, that’s only part of the job. “In an ideal world, you do what the composer expects you to do,” Gentz explains. Beyond finding work and connecting different parties, an agent also takes on all kinds of less official roles. That of a confidant, and sometimes even psychological adviser.

Dobbelaere primarily sees herself as a sounding board. Not just during contract negotiations, but also when it comes to bigger career questions. Which projects do you take on? Which do you turn down? And which decisions will help you move forward in the long term? Kieboom, who now works with two agents, recognises this. “As a composer, you’re often sitting alone in your studio. You work with one director for a while, and two weeks later you’re working with someone else.” An agent provides continuity and helps you look beyond the next project. His representatives also give him access to people he might otherwise find harder to reach, such as producers and streaming platforms.

The Art of Saying No

According to the panel, one of the main advantages of having an agent is the distance they have from the creative process. For a composer, a discussion about money or rights can quickly become personal, especially when the producer or director involved is also someone they need to collaborate with creatively. “It has a bit of a good cop, bad cop dynamic,” says Kieboom. “As a composer, you don’t want to be a burden to the director or producer. So you’re the one saying yes to everything.” An agent can raise the subjects a composer would rather avoid. It also helps that agents represent multiple composers, allowing them to compare different productions, budgets, and contractual terms.

At Strike A Score, Dobbelaere represents twelve composers from the Benelux. According to her, that experience gives her a stronger negotiating position. While an individual composer might be dealing with a particular contract clause for the first time, she can refer back to previous agreements. And when a producer claims something is simply the industry standard, that doesn’t necessarily have to be the end of the discussion. “We know about 150 industry standards,” Gentz points out. Particularly when it comes to fees, ownership rights, and publishing, there isn’t always one established way of doing things. For emerging composers, that knowledge can make a significant difference.

A Profession Still Finding Its Place

Working with an agent is relatively new for composers in Europe. While actors and directors have had representation for much longer, it was unusual for film composers for many years. Gentz explains that her own agency came about more or less by chance. First, one composer asked her for help, followed by another. Gradually, this developed into a profession that barely existed in Germany at the time. Dobbelaere witnessed a similar development in the Benelux. When she started Strike A Score five years ago, producers sometimes saw agents as an inconvenient extra party at the negotiating table. Today, she notices that attitude is changing. Producers are increasingly recognising the advantages of having a regular point of contact who understands the business side and also brings an international network.

Gentz also emphasises that a good agent doesn’t just represent the composer’s interests but can actually make a producer’s job easier. Coming from a background in film, she understands how production companies think, what their concerns are and where there may be room for compromise. “I can’t read an orchestral score,” she says. “And we don’t need to.” It’s precisely her background outside music that allows her to translate composers’ needs into the language of producers.

Bigger Productions, More Complex Contracts

With the rise of streaming services, that business knowledge has only become more important, according to Kieboom. While traditional film and television productions operated within relatively familiar structures for years, international streaming platforms have introduced new types of contracts and terms. “The contracts are getting bigger, and the streaming landscape is still evolving,” he explains. “My agents know much more about that side of things than I do. I would just say: ‘Yes, I’ll do it.'”

The contracts are getting bigger, and the streaming landscape is still evolving. My agents know much more about that side of things than I do.

Gentz also points to the consequences for the production market. Companies that previously focused mainly on theatrical films are now producing content for streaming platforms as well. This not only changes how productions are financed and distributed but also affects the kinds of films being made and the music written for them. As an example, she mentions documentaries, a genre she believes is coming under increasing pressure. While recently putting together a showreel for a composer, she discovered that much of their strongest work had come from documentary productions. When those productions disappear, interesting opportunities for composers disappear with them.

Working cross-cultural

Kieboom highlights the importance of cultural awareness when working internationally. In recent years, he has regularly worked on productions in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, where business practices differ considerably from those he was used to in the Netherlands. Understanding local customs and knowing how to approach negotiations can make a significant difference. His agent helps navigate these differences and ensures that important practicalities, from travel and accommodation to premiere attendance and soundtrack releases, are properly covered in the contract.

While conversations with directors tend to be similar across countries, production companies can operate very differently. His agent researches local business practices, customary terms, and the best approach to negotiations. “I really just want to make music,” Kieboom admits. “It sounds stupid, but I don’t want to have to think about all those things.”

When Is It Time for an Agent?

Kieboom’s examples show that an agent can make a difference both financially and strategically. Still, representation isn’t just about landing more projects or negotiating higher fees. Equally important is how much time and energy a composer wants to devote to the business side of their profession. For some, negotiating and networking are simply part of being an entrepreneur. For others, they mainly get in the way of what they originally set out to do: make music.

Whether and when an agent is needed ultimately depends on the individual composer. But anyone looking to develop their career further will sooner or later have to deal with more than just making music. From negotiating fees and rights to finding new projects and making decisions about the future. The question, then, is how much of that you want to continue handling yourself.

Text: Arjan Ranjbar
Photos: Birgit Bijl