ASCAP .... HELP !!!!!

[thegajman]

Hey all,

The ASCAP Repertory appears equate to ASCAP PURGATORY!

I have a song that I have co-written with a fellow Taxi member who is an ASCAP member (I'm in Oz so my PRO is APRA).

A Taxi friendly publisher wants to sign our song (non-Exclusive) ... BUT .. there is some sort of data glitch in the ASCAP Repertory where I am appearing twice in the writers list ... once with my correct details (including my IPI #) as well as an incorrect "dummy" entry which has no IPI number. It messes up the % splits and just shouldn't be there. We just need ASCAP to remove the dummy entry. (There are actually 2 songs we have co-written that have the same bug).

My co-writer has spent 40 minutes on the phone with them (help desk / call centre presumably), and we both have emailed them, raised support calls etc etc etc and they just don't seem to be doing anything about it... meanwhile the publisher is saying they will need to pull the deal if we can't get it sorted out. How frustrating to do all the work on writing, recording, mixing, producing a song, crossing the t's and dotting the i's with work for hire agreements etc. etc. ... land a deal.. THEN it can't proceed due to administrative blunder by the PRO - which just makes us look bad to the publisher if nothing else.

Aren't ASCAP meant to be working for us and not against us?

Do any of you folks have an actual contact "person" at ASCAP that you could put us in touch with? This has been going on for weeks. AAAAARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!

Any help or recommendations welcome! Thanks

[cosmicdolphin]

Yeah I think everyone gets more than one number in their system. I'm in PRS but I also appear twice on the ASCAP repertory with two different IPI numbers. One is my full name , the other is almost the same but without my middle name included.

One IPI number is the same as in my own PRO Account, the other is a few numbers different. The both have the same works listed, all 629 of them and are identical so they are clearly linked to each other.

If I look up my main co-writer and friend, his is exactly the same as well. Two entries, two numbers - one his full name and the other without his middle name. Look up Hans Zimmer..he has three entries ! It's normal I think.

I've never worried about it, as I'm not an ASCAP member so however they wanna deal with things is their business as long as it makes it's way eventually to my own PRO which it does then I don't really care. When a Library asks for my PRO info I just give them the IPI number that's shown in my own local PRO account which is PRS.

My theory is that you are probably right , that it's some sort of dummy number used for internal purposes that we know not. I suspect ASCAP give you their 'own' IPI number in the States but also have your original IPI number from your local PRO in their system as well. If you've not collected royalties from the US before then perhaps the 2nd 'dummy' entry has not been assigned a number yet.

My advice is just give them your APRA number , have your co-writer give his ASCAP number , tell the library the splits and sign the deal. They might ask you which US PRO you want to be affiliated with to collect the US royalties, I told my libraries ASCAP because I see from the PRS website they partner with them so I figured it would be easiest. I've never had to give anyone the 'dummy' number so don't sweat it.

Hope that helps

Mark

[thegajman]

Thanks Mark. I totally agree with all your points. The frustrating part is that the publisher won’t proceed with the deal until the dummy entry is gone. Anyway, I’m still hopeful that we’ll get it sorted. Thx for your reply!

[cosmicdolphin]

Thanks Mark. I totally agree with all your points. The frustrating part is that the publisher won’t proceed with the deal until the dummy entry is gone. Anyway, I’m still hopeful that we’ll get it sorted. Thx for your reply!

Sounds a bit strange..where is the Publisher based ? I've music in 4 different Taxi friendly Libraries, all with placements etc and it's never come up.

[thegajman]

Just PM'd you Mark... cheers..

[Kolstad]

I would document the mistake from Ascap to the publisher (forward the mail or put them cc), so they can see that Ascap is the tomato. Maybe Ascap are busy now under Covid19, where much more music is being produced.

The digital aggregators also takes much longer to pipeline music right now, so longer administration times are to be expected..

[melodymessiah]

in worst case you might need an attorney...? ben mclane and erin jacobson are two that has been on taxi tv.
and maybe you also should watch this (or more precisely perhaps your collabs in the us should;-): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA_PtU1wTlM