Registering songs with PRO

[roughly]

Hi gang,I have a question for all you pros about registering songs with your PRO, I'm a BMI member but I assume this will pertain to all organizations. When should I register our songs? Do I register as we write the songs, when they go into a library, or wait until they will be played? And if I sign with a publisher (or music library) do they register the songs with our names or do we register the songs with their names? I want to be sure that I don't shoot myself in the foot by doing something wrong and I would like to know the standard business practices for this. Thanks for all your help!Theresa

[davewalton]

Quote:When should I register our songs? Do I register as we write the songs, when they go into a library, or wait until they will be played? And if I sign with a publisher (or music library) do they register the songs with our names or do we register the songs with their names? I want to be sure that I don't shoot myself in the foot by doing something wrong and I would like to know the standard business practices for this. Hi Theresa,I can answer one part of that, at least what my experience was or is. Once I signed with a music library (non-exclusive, songs were retitled), the music library took care of registering those retitled tracks under my name with them as the publisher. They register new songs I send as they became part of the library, I guess as part of the process of licensing the song. Once I write the song and it's accepted into the library, they take care of everything else.I can see why a music library would register a song in advance of an actual placement. It would be a nightmare to always have to be checking to see if it's a first placement and therefore needs to be registered. Doing it all up front takes care of the problem. I'd be interested to hear from others if personally registering songs in advance of an actual placement or publisher/library deal is good, bad, ugly, or otherwise. Dave

[spariam]

From BMI (I'm a member as well):In order for BMI to make payment on time for the public performance of your music, it is imperative that all registrations (both songs and cue sheets) be received as close to the performance date as possible. It is essential that you register all of your works in order that BMI can provide information about your entire catalogue to foreign performing rights organizations, and so that BMI may quickly and easily identify foreign royalties received on your behalf. Late registrations and cue sheets may cause royalties to be delayed and/or lost. It is your ultimate responsibility to make sure that work registrations and cue sheets are delivered to BMI in a timely fashion, even though you may rely upon others to provide them to BMI in the normal course of business. Also, you must affiliate with BMI prior to the time of the performance of your music in order to receive royalties. Late affiliations will cause royalties not to be paid.Quoted from:http://www.bmi.com/songwriter/resources ... eral.aspMy experience is the same as Dave's as far as music libraries that retitle tracks.

[roughly]

Thanks guys, that helps a ton. At the moment all of our contracts are retitles so I guess I will leave it up to the libraries. Though we do have a retitle contract from overseas. Any ideas on that one?Thanks!-Theresa

[matto]

Libraries will almost always register the songs with your PRO, regardless if they are retitles, exclusive, or written to order.Just keep an eye on your catalog at Bmi or Ascap and make sure they do show up there (and correctly, with proper co-writers if any, etc...mistakes do get made from time to time), particularly if you are aware of a performance taking place. Some companies will wait to register the song until it is getting used, but most will register them when they are relerased.For songs that are placed with a library overseas and registered with the respective foreign PRO, it couldn't hurt to also have the song registered with Ascap/Bmi, but you should ask the overseas company for the exact names of publishers, splits, etc, so there are no discrepancies.mattoPS check your PMs

[spariam]

A foreign library I've worked with gave me the information I needed to register the retitled songs myself with my PRO (and I'll register with the original titles as well, as the deal was non-exclusive). That applied only to writers who live outside the country where the library is located.

[roughly]

Thanks matto and spariam. That helps set my mind at ease, I now know how to proceed and pretend like I know what I'm doing. Theresa