Licensing your music is the most effective way to make money off of your songs. To do that you must first register your music with outlets that will collect royalities on your behalf. Now that the song has a copyright, you can register it at BMI (Broadcast Music Incorporated), ASCAP (American Society of Composers and Performers), SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors & Composers) or SoundExchange to ensure you receive performance and synchronization royalties. These are all performing rights organizations that help enforce the rights you possess as the holder of a copyright. This includes your right to perform the song in public, as well as your right to forbid others from playing your song. These organizations work toward negotiating licenses with radio stations, bars, and other places of business that might want to have use of your song. These licenses are one way of ensuring you receive the payment you deserve.
As an artist, you don’t actually “join” these non-profit performing rights organizations. Instead, you become an affiliate - and becoming an affiliate is really quite simple. To become an ASCAP or BMI affiliate as a writer, you need to have met one of the following criteria:
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Your song has been commercially recorded
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Your song has been publicly performed in a licensable venue (such as a club, concert, etc.)
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Your song has been performed in an audio visual or electronic medium (such as on television, on the radio, over the Internet)
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Your song is published and available to be sold or rented
To become a publisher affiliate of ASCAP or BMI, you must do all of the following:
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Let ASCAP or BMI know whether you are applying as a corporation, a partnership, or as an individual.
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Verify your company is regularly engaged in music publishing.
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Prove that you meet the eligibility requirements of a writer membership.
Once you have confirmed that you meet eligibility requirements, an ASCAP or BMI application can be easily downloaded by visiting ASCAP or BMI.
SESAC affiliation is not quite as simple as with BMI or ASCAP, as they have a more selective process. The staff reviews each songwriter/publisher before allowing the candidate to gain affiliate status. In this way, the staff of SESAC can develop a more personal relationship with the artist and are better able to help develop and perfect the affiliate’s talents. More information can be gained by visiting their website at www.sesac.com.
SoundExchange is a little different from the other three organizations. First, SoundExhange focuses on collecting royalties from music that is played over the Internet and through satellite and cable broadcasts. In addition, SoundExchange collects royalties for the sound recording, whereas ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC collect royalties for the song itself. Therefore, it is a good idea to become an affiliate of SoundExchange in addition to ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC because SoundExchange collects a different form of performance royalty. You can learn more and obtain an application to become an affiliate by visiting www.soundexchange.com.
To ensure you receive mechanical royalties and synchronization royalties, visit the Harry Fox Agency at www.harryfox.com to download an application. The Harry Fox Agency is a clearinghouse that was established by the National Music Publishers Association. Its purpose is to issue mechanical licenses and synchronization licenses (discussed more later), as well as to collect royalties. It charges a 4.5% commission of gross mechanical royalties it collects. To become an affiliate, you need to have at least one song available for licensing and it had to have been commercially released by a third party within the past twelve months.
