Theater Play Licensing: The Ghost in Your Production Budget
The Ghost in the Budget.
Every producer knows the big numbers. You know the venue rent. You know the insurance. You know the royalty percentage. But there is a ghost in your budget that most people do not see until it is too late. It is the cost of the “Traditional” script model.
When you license from the big houses, the royalty is just the starting line. Then come the “hidden” fees. You pay for script rentals. You pay for shipping and handling. You pay for the “privilege” of returning those scripts by a certain date. If a cast member loses a book or highlights a line they should not have, you pay a damage fee.
The Digital Double Dip.
Even when these companies offer “Digital Materials,” they often charge you a “convenience fee” just to download the files. Think about that. You are paying them for the right to use your own ink and your own paper.
On top of that, you often run into “Technical Support” fees or per-user access fees if you want to share those files with your cast through their proprietary apps. By the time you actually get a script into an actor’s hand, you have paid for the license, the download “convenience,” the paper, and the toner.
At TLC Scripts, we think that is a dinosaur way of doing business.
Digital First is a Budget Lifeline.
We built our model to kill the hidden fees. When you license from us, you get a digital master. There is no shipping. There is no “digital access fee” just to get the files you already paid for. There is no waiting for a box to arrive in the mail. There are no return deadlines.
This does more than just save a few dollars on postage. It gives you back your time. Your actors can have their scripts on their tablets or phones the second the show is cast. You can print only what you need.
Transparency as a Standard.
The theater world is expensive enough. Producers should not have to guess what their final bill will look like. By removing the physical rental model and the “pay-to-download” nonsense, we have removed the friction between finding a great play and actually getting it into the hands of your actors.
If you are planning your next season, look at the fine print of your licensing agreements. If you see “return shipping” or “digital delivery fees,” you are paying for an outdated system. It is time to put that money back onto your stage where it belongs.
