I got sync license. What about royalties?

[robertallen]

There is so much great information here that I almost forgot what I came here to look for. I browsed about 10 pages on this board and read articles at http://www.taxi.com/faq/ftv/index.html#articles but I still have a question.I have received sync license fees for songs in an independent film, a cable TV show, and a DVD release of a network TV show. They were all placed by the same company with a 50/50 non-exclusive agreement. They kept 50% of the sync fee and I retain all other rights. I am singer, songwriter, and publisher on all of the songs.I know I'll get some royalties on the cable TV show. Will I receive any royalties from the movie or the DVD release of the network TV show?I'll really appreciate any information any one can pass along. I'm signing off now because I have to get up at 3:00 a.m. and hit the road. I'll check back for your comments some time tomorrow.Robert

[yammer107]

Robert, I'm no expert, so before I answer may I suggest a book that will cover all your questions: "All you Need to Know About the Music Business" by Donald S. PassmanDont be fooled by cheesy plain jane title - this guy's been a high powered music attorney for like 20 years. This book was highly touted and recomemnded by Rolling Stone Magazine. I bought it. Now, my understanding is you only get the royalties laid out in the contract. It should list all the "monies" payable. The catch is - you really dont want the contract to list them individually - because you will not get paid on anything left off that list. According to the book - you want to add an amendment after this list stating "AND ALL OTHER MONIES" to cover all and everything. The other big reason - "Monies" change with technological advancements - I believe the book mentions a few rare instances of contracts still floating about that dont even include the term "compact disc" they still say "records". This is very scary language, considering the consenquences. The point is the media format and delivery system for music sales is always changing - dont cut or limit yourself out of it. So..... I wrote all this from memory ... dont shoot me if I've gotten a few points wrong. And do yourself a favour - Go buy the book !~Chris WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CHRISTOPHERYAMSEK

[arkjack]

If I understand what you are asking, I'd have to ask if you are registered with a PRO and whether you've registered the works with the PRO. If so, it should come up in the survey and several quarters from now you could see performance royalties. If not, then I don't know. I don't know if you get royalties for past performance when you sign up with a PRO of if they're gone. I seem to recall that if the music shows up in the surveys, there is a fund of 'undistributed royalties' that they can be paid from post facto. As far as the mechanicals from the DVD sales, it looks like that was covered in the upfront sync fee, so unless your contract addresses it specifically, it would appear that no further $$ would come from sales since the sync fee is probably the mechanical license.ArkJack

[matto]

Quote:I have received sync license fees for songs in an independent film, a cable TV show, and a DVD release of a network TV show. They were all placed by the same company with a 50/50 non-exclusive agreement. They kept 50% of the sync fee and I retain all other rights. I am singer, songwriter, and publisher on all of the songs.I know I'll get some royalties on the cable TV show. Will I receive any royalties from the movie or the DVD release of the network TV show?Robert, you'll receive royalties for the cable show (thru your PRO), how much depends on too many factors to give you an estimate. It's usually not much for cable unless it's an episode that gets re-run a lot.You won't receive anything on the DVD probably, those deals are usually "all in" and there is no mechanical royalty.As far as the independent movie, it depends. You won't get any royalties for US theatrical, but you would get something for foreign. It's usually little for indie movies. You will also get paid if the movie is shown on cable or broadcast tv in the us or abroad.Foreign TV broadcasts in certain countries can pay pretty well.HTH,Matt