Publishing and P.R.O. Specifics

[southpaw]

I've been doing my homework to gain a handle on the publishing side of business, and have a few questions about some specific aspects, and i figured id just start a new thread instead of high-jacking someone elses. Please pardon the multi-layered questions. According to Jason Blume, he said one should register with a PRO when you have a pending deal, or before you want to/plan to, license out a song that could generate income. So if i understand correctly, does that mean in simplified terms, that it is not necessary to register with a PRO unless you have a deal that will make you earnings, or feel strongly that a pending deal will work out etc..? I plan on registering with Ascap as a publisher and writer just to get it out of the way - and start registering my songs with them... Bottom line, after doing this, as a publisher i have full rights to my songs i understand, but the only way i can get them used to generate income in any form, is if i negotiate and license my music myself as "acting publisher" of my songs. If i am able to secure something that i am due royalties for, do i have to collect them myself or is that the responsibility and whole purpose of the PRO? Do i have to report it with them or something like that? Im a little confused on difference between an admin deal with an independant publisher, and being my own publisher in a PRO? My last question is, if i own my own publishing and am able to secure some deals myself, but then i landed a deal with a "production music library" or other publisher that would take half of all income earned, does this mean i can no longer be an affiliate with a PRO as a publisher, to try to personally place songs outside of the contract agreed upon if i could? How does that work if you dont mind? Please parden the multi-tiered question. I just need to have a firm understanding of these concepts. Thanks for your time. Jamie

[gitarrero]

hi jamieI only read your first question ("when do I need to join a PRO"), and here's the answer: you should join a PRO as soon as one of your compositions can create royalties. that is the case if one of your pieces is in a music library, or a recording artist want to cut it, if it's played on the radio etc - simply as soon as its used in any commercial way.btw you might should consider using more paragraphs in your writing - it would make the life of the reader easier;)hth,martin

[southpaw]

Thanks. Will do. Cheers

[billg]

I ran into a situation where a place wanted me to suppy the ASCAP number associated to my song just to submit it for screening. I hadn't registered it yet so I had to wait a few days until I was assigned a number. So now I just go ahead and register anything I think I might be submitting.If you have a situation where someone is going to be taking all or part of your publishing they will handle it . . . mostly nowadays by re-titling the song.And yup, if you are your only publisher then it's up to you to handle cue sheets, making sure all usuage is reported etc. That could get out of hand pretty quick I would imagine.

[southpaw]

"I ran into a situation where a place wanted me to suppy the ASCAP number associated to my song just to submit it for screening. I hadn't registered it yet so I had to wait a few days until I was assigned a number. So now I just go ahead and register anything I think I might be submitting."I c. Point taken."And yup, if you are your only publisher then it's up to you to handle cue sheets, making sure all usuage is reported etc. That could get out of hand pretty quick I would imagine."I C. thanks. Now to clarify, and im sorry if im sounding redundant, but if i am writer/publisher with PRO and i get a song placed in a promo or used in a tv show or something, then i have to collect all the royalties owed to me? If so, then what is the point of being with a PRO? Again, i temporarily suffer from retardation,:-) but im having a hard time wrapping my head around what my responsibilities are if i am a writer/publisher with a PRO, and what the PRO responsibilities are..? What if i just want to license out a song to a business for a jingle or something, is it illegitamite to do unless you own your publishing? I maybe overcomplicating something, but i am a visual person and i can't seem to picture how it all works out. Thanks again for your time, ill get it eventually

[slideboardouts]

Dec 17, 2008, 6:49pm, southpaw wrote:""And yup, if you are your only publisher then it's up to you to handle cue sheets, making sure all usuage is reported etc. That could get out of hand pretty quick I would imagine."I C. thanks. Now to clarify, and im sorry if im sounding redundant, but if i am writer/publisher with PRO and i get a song placed in a promo or used in a tv show or something, then i have to collect all the royalties owed to me? If so, then what is the point of being with a PRO? Again, i temporarily suffer from retardation,:-) but im having a hard time wrapping my head around what my responsibilities are if i am a writer/publisher with a PRO, and what the PRO responsibilities are..? What if i just want to license out a song to a business for a jingle or something, is it illegitamite to do unless you own your publishing? I maybe overcomplicating something, but i am a visual person and i can't seem to picture how it all works out. Thanks again for your time, ill get it eventually The PRO will collect and distribute the royalties. It is the responsibility of the show to fill out the cue sheets. They report them to the PROs and then the PROs divy up the money. If your music is going to be broadcast in any way, cue sheets must be filled out or you will not get any performance royalties.-Steve