PRO Asking Me To Register Songs

[TheElement]

Hi Guys,

I'm with PRS (ASCAP affiliate). Just received an email from them asking me to register songs. But as I have learn't on the forums the publisher will do this and best not to register them yourself as this creates confusion?

At the Rally one of the music supervisors on one of the panels said he will take one of my songs. Should I wait for his library to register it? How does that all work? Do I get an email from the music supervisor with a deal to sign? This would be my first placement if it happens so I'm green and confused! Thanks for any advice. always much appreciated!

[Russell Landwehr]

Hi Guys,

I'm with PRS (ASCAP affiliate). Just received an email from them asking me to register songs. But as I have learn't on the forums the publisher will do this and best not to register them yourself as this creates confusion?

At the Rally one of the music supervisors on one of the panels said he will take one of my songs. Should I wait for his library to register it? How does that all work? Do I get an email from the music supervisor with a deal to sign? This would be my first placement if it happens so I'm green and confused! Thanks for any advice. always much appreciated!

Hey, Gavin!

Good topic.

I've found out through co-writing with an APRA affiliated writer, that if the songs are signed with an American based Publisher, the Foreign based writer may need to register the songs with their PRO themselves.

The American based publisher will register the songs with their American PRO and show that the writer or co-writer is affiliated with a PRO in another country. The appropriate $$ then gets sent to the foreign PRO who then distributes it based on what is registered with them. (there will be a 3-9 month lag) However, the American publisher may not register it with the foreign PRO, leaving that up to the foreign writer.

In your case, I would bet that your PRO contacted you because they got notification from CD Baby that you cut a mechanical through them. So the PRO is making sure that you (and they) get money from any performance of those works.

If the songs on that CD may be played on radio or in clubs, then yes, register them with your PRO. BUT if your purpose and most likely usage is Film/TV through a Library, then your best bet is to wait until they are signed and registered. THEN ask them if they are going to register with your PRO, and if not, register them yourself and MAKE SURE you use the exact same title. (remember some of these libraries will retitle)

In the case of a direct-to-supe placement... yeah, you will need to register it yourself and also set yourself up to get the publisher's royalties as well if the music supe is one of the nice guys and not trying to double-dip.


Hope this Helps.

Russell

Edit: One thing that comes to mind is that your PRO is "ASCAP affiliated" possibly things are done differently in that case... maybe a phone call to your PRO asking them specifically... if something of yours is registered by an ASCAP publisher with you showing as a PRS writer, does it automatically show up in your PRS catalog.

[TheElement]

Thanks Russell. Wow it gets complicated! Much appreciate your knowledge!

I'm not with CD Baby. I do have Band Camp and a physical demo CD was done by Discmakers who added that number code thing.

I think the email they sent is a general one they send to all new members. So maybe I can wait a little longer. This is the email:

Dear Member,
We have noticed you have not registered any of your works with us. You can register your works with us using the online registration form.
​
If you are unpublished
If you do not have a signed agreement with a music publisher, then please start registering songs or pieces you have written. We will then ensure you get paid in line with our distribution policy when your music is played, performed or reproduced. View our FAQs on how to register your songs here.
You can also carry out the following through our online member services:

Amend works already registered
Search for unclaimed royalties (royalties due to you that we have been unable to match) and check our unpaid performances file (unmatched music usages)
Update your bank and address details
Read important business news updates
If you haven’t already, make sure you download our free mobile app to search our works database and view important distribution information.
​
If you are published
If you have a signed agreement with a music publisher you don’t need to do anything. They will register and manage your works with us so please do not register them yourself.
Please visit our online help centre if you have any further queries.

Yours faithfully,
Member Services
PRS for Music

[VanderBoegh]

Sounds like you just got the standard stock email, Gavin. I don't think they were singling you out personally, I think it's just something that goes out to all new members who don't register anything right away. Pretty sure I got something like this too, years ago.

Not sure how things work with foreign writers - especially writers who live in the warm paradise of the damned Bahamas! - but my guess is that your publisher will take care of everything for you. Let them take the first step, and if they have any questions, you can help them out.

P.S. cool meeting and hanging with you last weekend!

~~Matt

[TheElement]

Hey Matt, Great meeting you too! I can't wait till the next Rally.

Ok cool yeah thats what I thought. I'd just let the publisher deal with it. I will wait for them.

I've stopped submitting that song as the music supervisor said he wanted it and i've decided to treat every deal as exclusive. I have 1,000's of other songs to write..

Thanks for the feedback.

[Kolstad]

Sometimes the retitling libraries want you to have your original track registered, and then they will add a registration of the retitled track. This means you will have both the original and the retitled track registered, but the publisher/library will only register the retitled track. This is because you under a non-exclusive contract can make money with that track elsewhere, which the non-exclusive publisher has nothing to do with. They can only push the retitled track to their clients.

Personally, I never have the same track in more than one library at the time, but still that's how the papertrail works. It has to take care of the possibility that the same track can make money in different ways. Say if you had that original track on Bandcamp and made a bunch of sales there, besides having a retitled version signed to a non-exclusive library. The non-exclusive library/ publisher has no claim to you bandcamp sales, but they would have, if they had registered the original track, and not just the retitled one.

[Casey H]

Yea, it looks like a standard "stock" email and you do not HAVE to do anything right now. Register songs with your PRO if it makes sense for other reasons such as: (1) You realistically expect placements whereby you are the publisher (e.g. direct to music sups or artists) or (2) A re-title library such as one Taxi client many of us know asks you to register your track(s) under original title.

HTH
Casey

[TheElement]

All great info. Thanks! Much appreciated. I learn something new every time I come to these forums.

[Hookjaw Brown]

At one of his classes at the Rally - David Trotter specifically asked that writers NOT register their songs if they intend to place them in his library. It is part of the publisher's job to register the songs with a PRO. This ensures the library gets the publisher's share from the PRO while the writer gets their share. He will not consider songs that have been registered, since it makes it a paper work mess to make sure he gets paid.

That Said......I market songs on CDBaby, live shows, etc and I register my original songs with BMI so that I get paid, whenever I perform them, through BMI LIVE - http://www.bmi.com/special/bmi_live - and get a payment for every gig I do. It builds up - faster than streams and downloads by far.

I was surprised that many performing musicians at the Rally did not know of this service.

So you must know if you are writing for libraries or writing for performance and public sales.

[TheElement]

Thanks Hookjaw! Great info! Much appreciated.