A forward, and a deal for it, the same day! PRO doubts!!

[xavid]

Hello!!

Please excuse me if I'm not asking in the right place in this forum... I've been looking for somewhere to do it but haven't had any luck...

I've been with Taxi for a year and a month. I've submitted 13 songs, 6 of which have been forwarded, and today, the sixth has arrived with a deal for a library in the United States.

I've never belonged to a PRO because in my country, SGAE hasn't handled this issue very well; many doubts, problems, bad reputation, etc.
I'd like to think they offer better service these days, but given that all the music I compose, since always and now for Taxi, basically due to the format, style, and demand, I'm considering joining ASCAP.

I understand there are others like BMI, etc , but I think this one definitely offers me better service than SGAE in Spain. It's also currently free for composers!

Guys, I'm coming to you directly before doing anything! Do you recommend doing it this way, through ASCAP, even if I'm a foreigner (by completing form W-8BEN), and...

The key question: Should I register the work with ASCAP? Or is it better to ask the library if they'll do it for me?

I understand that the natural procedure is to register it on your own wherever the music will be released, and with my ASCAP ID, would that be done?
Or should I register it myself on my own with ASCAP? I'm a complete novice when it comes to these legal matters and I don't want to make a mistake!

Thanks a thousand times in advance!

I must reply ASAP...

[telefunkin]

Congratulations on the forwards and on the deal offer.

Ideally, you ought to have sorted out PRO membership well before now. Delaying a library when there's a deal on offer could lose you the opportunity, but I hope it doesn't come to that.

I'm in the UK, but for historical reasons I'm a member of BMI in the US. It works, but there are pros (not just PROs ) and cons. My US placements reach BMI fairly quickly (by PRO standards) and appear on my statement with details of the track and show. My 'foreign' placements might be reported to the local PRO in a timely manner but then not reach BMI for up to another year (depending on the frequency of reciprocal information sharing between PROs), and with only limited information (perhaps track but not show). Furthermore, BMI pay me in $US so the amount I receive is affected by exchange rates. Then they send me a check because I don't have a US bank account, and I'm charged by my bank for cashing it. Maybe ASCAP are better organised for direct bank transfers but I don't know that.

Therefore, I would consider where you think you might get most of you placements in future, and whether it makes more sense to be a PRO member in the US or your home country. Ultimately, it'll probably be 6 of one and half-a-dozen of the other (i.e. it makes no difference in the long run), so perhaps the admin side of it is a more important consideration for you. My instinct would be to have faith in your home country PRO, but its entirely your choice, and I'm simply making you aware of some of the implications.

Good luck with whichever way you jump, but I would also strongly advise doing it ASAP because the library will 100% need your IPI number on your contract.

Finally, as far as registering tracks is concerned, the general advice is ..... don't. There are several reasons why. For example, its possible you could make a mistake and complicate matters, or the library might request a name change (especially if they already have a track in their catalogue with the same name, or just don't like your title). You'd be better off asking the library whether or not they will register tracks on your behalf with whichever PRO you join, and its very likely that a US library will register with US PRO, but less likely they will register with a 'foreign' PRO (no absolutes though). However, also bear in mind that even if they don't register tracks with your PRO they will definitely register them with their own PRO (otherwise they wouldn't get paid). Furthermore, if a track is registered with ANY PRO that has a reciprocal agreement then the information on any placements should (in theory) eventually find its way back to your own PRO and you'll get paid, even if it is not registered there. That is the point of sharing the information through the reciprocal agreements.

Pheewww..... I hope that helps .

P.S. I believe its still free to join BMI should you prefer to have a US PRO.

[xavid]

Congratulations on the forwards and on the deal offer.

Ideally, you ought to have sorted out PRO membership well before now. Delaying a library when there's a deal on offer could lose you the opportunity, but I hope it doesn't come to that.

Thank you!

I should have applied for a PRO membership well in advance.

For this very reason, I've been forced to act quickly and register with ASCAP. As I said, because I can almost guarantee you 100% that what I write has no outlet in my country because there isn't enough industry for this genre, compared to the rest of the world...

On the other hand, I fear that if I had done it with SGAE, many of the possible or future agreements here would have been somewhat "misled" and/or delayed for longer...

Finally, as far as registering tracks is concerned, the general advice is ..... don't. There are several reasons why. For example, its possible you could make a mistake and complicate matters, or the library might request a name change (especially if they already have a track in their catalogue with the same name, or just don't like your title). You'd be better off asking the library whether or not they will register tracks on your behalf with whichever PRO you join, and its very likely that a US library will register with US PRO, but less likely they will register with a 'foreign' PRO (no absolutes though). However, also bear in mind that even if they don't register tracks with your PRO they will definitely register them with their own PRO (otherwise they wouldn't get paid). Furthermore, if a track is registered with ANY PRO that has a reciprocal agreement then the information on any placements should (in theory) eventually find its way back to your own PRO and you'll get paid, even if it is not registered there. That is the point of sharing the information through the reciprocal agreements.

A big thank you for your replay Telefunkin...I apreciate all the information as gold! I hope it's not to late, at least I have a member ID...Maybeit's enough for make contract...

Best wishes from Barcelona,

Xavier Duch

[cosmicdolphin]

Yikes !

For anyone else reading this, JOIN A PRO before you start submitting as it can take several weeks to get your CAE/IPI number and without that you cannot sign music to a library.