PRO Registrations

[LindsayH]

Hey everyone,

I wondered if you could kindly help, I have a few questions relating to PRO registrations and cover songs and have done a number of courses to increase my knowledge but the info I have been given is conflicting so hopefully this could be the place to clear it up!

1. Should you register a cover song with your PRO to ensure you get performance royalties? Even though you were not the original writer of this song? Have been advised by someone in the business that I shouldn't register covers but I honestly don't see how this is right

2. Is it usual for a library to register your track with your PRO or should you be doing this as soon as you are releasing the song?

3. Some libraries ask for an ISC number which would imply you need to release a track before sending to them. Is this usual or do most libraries prefer the track to be unreleased especially when exclusive?

4. I was told that I should be registering myself as a publisher separately but pretty sure BMI automatically assign this to you (hence 200% writers share is an option), any thoughts?

5. Is an ISWC always needed? Never heard of it until recently or know where to get one!

6. Is copyrighting your work just for the US? In the UK work is automatically copywritten so wasn't sure if this is specific to where the work is created or where the work is used.

Thanks so much, apologies for such a long post

Lindsay H

[CTWF]

Hey Lindsay

1. Should you register a cover song with your PRO to ensure you get performance royalties? Even though you were not the original writer of this song? Have been advised by someone in the business that I shouldn't register covers but I honestly don't see how this is right

This plays into question 2, because your library might do that. Someone else with cover song experience hopefully will chip in, too, but I think the performance is yours also in a cover.

2. Is it usual for a library to register your track with your PRO or should you be doing this as soon as you are releasing the song?

Some libraries do it for you, some require you to do it before you even submit to them (e.g. if they are non-ex).

3. Some libraries ask for an ISC number which would imply you need to release a track before sending to them. Is this usual or do most libraries prefer the track to be unreleased especially when exclusive?

This might depend on the library. But my experience with exclusive ones is that they want the song with no strings already attached.

4. I was told that I should be registering myself as a publisher separately but pretty sure BMI automatically assign this to you (hence 200% writers share is an option), any thoughts?

Correct - I am also with BMI.

5. Is an ISWC always needed? Never heard of it until recently or know where to get one!

It usually is assigned to your work after registering it with a PRO, so that is how you get it.

6. Is copyrighting your work just for the US? In the UK work is automatically copywritten so wasn't sure if this is specific to where the work is created or where the work is used.

Yeah, I think this is more a U.S. thing, but from what I know, it is very uncommon in sync music to formally copyright your work even in the U.S. My guess is that it is a prohibitive amount of money and effort for something that will possibly never pay all that much (i.e. an individual track). Maybe if you are very sure that you will have a billboard hit you would do it.

Tom

[LindsayH]

Hey Tom, really appreciate your response, that is super helpful and clear! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to reply

Lindsay