Approaching a Producer about Cue sheet info -

[beachbum]

Has anyone had to do this?

I already have most of the info minus the air dates etc.

when is it appropriate to ask for this info ? - and then I assume it goes to my PRO ?

I'm going to try and file my cue sheets myself (just got my first one) - I can do that right?

I already have my own publishing company set up - I just need a little guidance on how to go about this first one - any help would be appreciated - thanks - bum

[Mike Barresi]

I'm in the same boat.

I'm trying to get a hold of as many cue sheets as possible. I'm a member of (socan) and I want to make sure that any cue sheet make it over to them. Even though I'm pretty sure ASCAP will send them. I guess I'm just trying to maximize my royalties.

anyone have experience with this?

[beachbum]

thanks for replying - seems there's not much activity on these boards anymore - I was a Taxi member for 2 years 06-08 and back then this place was teeming with info and quick responses - apparently not so much these days - I dunno...I do my best to pay it forward but something has has changed here as of late..if I find this info elsewhere i'll PM you - good luck

[matto]

Generally speaking it is the duty of the production company to fill out and submit the cue sheets, it's not the composer's (or publisher's) job. If the company is professional/conscientious/experienced, chances are they will submit the cue sheets without you ever having to lift a finger.

Only if they don't would you (or actually, typically, your publisher) have to spring into action and do the work yourself, and with some production companies, trying to get them to do get them right and submit them in time can be like pulling teeth. This is where a good publisher can really earn his keep...

[beachbum]

Thanks for the reply Matto,

How will I know if they filed the cues sheet ? (receive an email etc. ?) - or will it show up at my PRO ?

also..I was offered by the library I got this placement through to follow up on the cue sheet filing but they would get the publishing royalties - I have my own publishing company setup to do this sort of thing and i'd rather do the leg work and make the money rather than give it away because it was "easier" to have them do it - I make my living strictly through music these days and I need ALL revenue streams to make this work.

The company that got me this placement is awesome and they gave me all the info on a cue sheet minus the air dates/network etc.So let's say this producer didn't file the cue sheet in a timely manner - when is it polite to send an email/call them about the info I need ? - then I could file it on my own right ?

if you'd rather not answer this in a public forum PM me about this please..thanks..bum

[Casey H]

Hi BB
If it's the library I think it is- don't mention their name (on-line site, starts with "a"), I've been in the same situation and elected to have them be the publisher on my placements.

My attitude is (a) they deserve the money for getting me the placements and (b) it's not worth it to me to have to worry about this stuff. That's THEIR specialty and since they have a vested interest, I expect them to do all that well. I'd rather focus on other things.

If we are talking about the same library (which I like a lot!), they don't do a lot of high end placements such as prime time network TV which pays the most PRO royalties. Most of their placements are more low-middle end and therefore do not earn much on the PRO side. So, most often, we're talking about 50% of nothing or very little. THERE ARE EXECPTIONS, I'M SURE! And this is not at all a knock on the library. I love working with them. But different libraries serve different markets.

Best of luck!
Casey

[beachbum]

thanks Casey and yes it is the same library - I was on the fence about letting them handle it and posted here about it but got no response so I had to make a decision - from what I gather this placement is a documentary that will be aired on Tv - possibly several times..they also used the whole song unedited from what I read...I dunno..that's what made me decide to handle it myself - you're right - they're GREAT over there and i'm happy to be a part of what they do - I felt kinda bad telling them i'd handle it but i've been at this since like 06 and am now just starting to make some $ - I also record/produce other artists/do sound editing and anything else I can to make music my living so I didn't want to leave ANY $ on the table that might otherwise go in my pocket

any more insight/opinions into this would be greatly appreciated !

bum..

[Casey H]

thanks Casey and yes it is the same library - I was on the fence about letting them handle it and posted here about it but got no response so I had to make a decision - from what I gather this placement is a documentary that will be aired on Tv - possibly several times..they also used the whole song unedited from what I read...I dunno..that's what made me decide to handle it myself - you're right - they're GREAT over there and i'm happy to be a part of what they do - I felt kinda bad telling them i'd handle it but i've been at this since like 06 and am now just starting to make some $ - I also record/produce other artists/do sound editing and anything else I can to make music my living so I didn't want to leave ANY $ on the table that might otherwise go in my pocket

any more insight/opinions into this would be greatly appreciated !

bum..

It's totally your choice. Do what's right for YOU. It's not too late to change your mind as far as what you told them. However, since it IS going to be aired on TV (many of their placements are not), there is at least some cash involved. As matto said, if the TV network files the cue sheet properly, as often is the case, not much for you to do anyway.

Good luck!
Casey

[beachbum]

thanks guys - I really appreciate the help

[matto]

thanks Casey and yes it is the same library - I was on the fence about letting them handle it and posted here about it but got no response so I had to make a decision - from what I gather this placement is a documentary that will be aired on Tv.

My first bit of advice would be to be a little more patient with us here and give us some time to respond ...I saw your post and was going to reply but by the time I got back you had already pulled it. Remember some of us are also doing this full-time...writing music that is, not answering forum questions ...so we can't always drop everything to post an immediate reply. And of course neither could most people with a day gig.

The thing to keep in mind that 'airing on tv' can mean many things, so you have to try to make a determination what kind of total royalty potential there is...$20, $200, $2000?
Unless we're talking a feature placement on one of the major broadcast networks it's not gonna be $2000, and at the other extreme, if it's on PBS it's probably less than $20. So in the future you'd want to do a little research there before deciding whether you want to do the publisher's job...it really comes down to how much money is on the line and what your time is worth (i.e. if you ultimately would make more writing new music or recording other bands in the time otherwise spent on this admin stuff). Also, from your previous post it appeared that the library would only take 50% of the publishing (i.e. 25% of the total royalty pie), but now you seem to be saying they would take all of the publishing (i.e. 50% of the pie)...obviously this could be a significant difference and you should make sure you're clear on it before making a decision.

In this case, since you've already made the decision, here's what I would suggest:

1- find out what the first air date of the production would be. You may be able to find this out thru google and never even have to contact the company since you've got all the pertinent information.

2- Find out what your PRO's pay schedule is, in other words in which quarterly royalty distribution the royalties for the first air date should be paid and exactly when that distribution would occur.

3- If you're with ASCAP, keep an eye on the cue sheet section of your account. If no cue sheet shows up by about 2 months before the scheduled distribution, contact the production company and inquire. If you are with BMI or any other PRO, contact your PRO rep about 2 months before the scheduled distribution and ask if a cue sheet has been filed, if not, contact the company.
This would ensure that you don't do any unnecessary legwork (or make a pest of yourself by bugging them unnecessarily), and on the other hand if they didn't file on their own, should still give enough time to resolve the issue in time to get paid when you were originally supposed to.

as matto said, if the TV network files the cue sheet properly, as often is the case, not much for you to do anyway.

Just a correction here...it's the *production company* which produces a show that has to generate and file the cue sheet. The tv network/station that airs it typically has nothing to do with that, although they are the ones paying the PRO (of course they don't pay per cue, they pay per program or on an annual blanket basis)

HTH,

m