overseas publishers and song registration

[deantaylor]

.....
I am in the USA. Say I license songs to a publisher/library that is non-USA based (exclusive).

For me to receive performance royalities, does the publisher/library:

1. have to register the songs with my PRO (ASCAP)

OR

2. can they register them with another PRO in their country (say PRS). In this case, I guess PRS would send my royalities to ASCAP and ASCAP would pay me.

OR

3. is it the publisher's option to do it either way (1 or 2)

Thanks,
Dean

[matto]

The publisher will register the song with the PRO they are a publisher member of. When they register the song they will enter all of the writers' affiliations.

If you wish you can also register the song with your PRO (yourself), entering the publisher's name and affiliation when prompted (make sure you get this info from the publisher so it is 100% correct). This is not necessary but might make things easier on your PRO when they receive payment from the foreign PRO(s).

[deantaylor]

The publisher will register the song with the PRO they are a publisher member of. When they register the song they will enter all of the writers' affiliations.

If you wish you can also register the song with your PRO (yourself), entering the publisher's name and affiliation when prompted (make sure you get this info from the publisher so it is 100% correct). This is not necessary but might make things easier on your PRO when they receive payment from the foreign PRO(s).

Thanks Matt.

Are some publishers members of several different PROs? So they can pick and choose which PRO to register the songs with.

[matto]

The publisher will register the song with the PRO they are a publisher member of. When they register the song they will enter all of the writers' affiliations.

If you wish you can also register the song with your PRO (yourself), entering the publisher's name and affiliation when prompted (make sure you get this info from the publisher so it is 100% correct). This is not necessary but might make things easier on your PRO when they receive payment from the foreign PRO(s).

Thanks Matt.

Are some publishers members of several different PROs? So they can pick and choose which PRO to register the songs with.

It wouldn't consider that likely, although I can't say it's impossible. More likely though, they would have different publishers for different PROs, just as most US companies have separate ASCAP and BMI (and sometimes SESAC) publishers.

[deantaylor]

More likely though, they would have different publishers for different PROs, just as most US companies have separate ASCAP and BMI (and sometimes SESAC) publishers.

Thanks Matt. That's what I was trying to ask.

[matto]

More likely though, they would have different publishers for different PROs, just as most US companies have separate ASCAP and BMI (and sometimes SESAC) publishers.

Thanks Matt. That's what I was trying to ask.

Yeah that IS possible, although all the foreign publishers I've worked with so far only had an affiliation with the PRO of their country. So it's probably not too common overseas...

[deantaylor]

More likely though, they would have different publishers for different PROs, just as most US companies have separate ASCAP and BMI (and sometimes SESAC) publishers.

Thanks Matt. That's what I was trying to ask.

Yeah that IS possible, although all the foreign publishers I've worked with so far only had an affiliation with the PRO of their country. So it's probably not too common overseas...

Great. That's what I wanted to know.

Do you know if PRS has a way for anyone to search their catalog on-line .. like ACE Search on ASCAP? The 'search' box on the top of their page doesn't seem to work for that purpose. I think PRS is where the library in question will register my songs and I'd like to be able to 'error check' their registration as much as possible. Or is there another way to 'error check'?

[matto]

I don't Dean...maybe we have some PRS members on the forum that would know?

I think I have only about 10 songs signed directly with UK publishers so I never bothered to try to check if they were properly registered.
I have seen royalties for a couple of uses though so it seems everything is cool...