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Do you add to your catalog once a work is finished, or do you wait until you sign a deal and then add just those tracks?

If it's a track composed for film/tv I let the library/publisher register it unless they advise me otherwise. If I register it prior to signing a deal for it, then the registration will have to be changed to reflect the new shares. I don't want to give them any more work (or cause any delay) and since the track won't earn anything until it's placed, it doesn't seem necessary to register when it is mixed down to my satisfaction.

I'd usually wait until I sign a deal. The library I've dealt with requires you to register all of your works with your PRO in advance, before they even consider signing your song. So I guess it just depends.

So registering, as of now, is pointless because it basically comes down to the library/supervisors operate? This is good to know because I have been registering all of my forwarded works thinking that I wanted to be ready if someone contacted me. Thanks for asking this question, Paulie.

-Joseph

I don't see it as quite as black and white as "registering is pointless".

it depends on the particular library / publisher you are dealing with.

If its direct to a music supervisor, ad agency or other party which doesn't take any portion of the royalties and sync / master use fee - then register your track by all means, or hope a cue sheet appears in your PRO account with all the info properly accounted if its actually broadcast. I do both. It has worked out so far pretty well.

If its a non-exclusive signing - be definition non-exclusives retitle tracks so that they are the publisher - so you can still register the track with your original title (different than what the non-exclusive entity is titling the track) as you can still pitch it to direct to super opportunities.

If its an exclusive signing - then that is when you can just cruise and let the library / publisher do all the work - PRO registration (and copyright). It just makes more work for somebody if there is already a registration for that track name done by you with no publisher attached.

If you are in that space between finishing the track and having it actually signed to any publisher, and you have not decided whether you want to keep the track as one of your personal library tracks to pitch to supers and non-exclusives, then there is really no need to go and register the track either.

Interesting thread, thanks for asking the question!

So getting all excited and registering four pieces with BM after receiving my first request from a small library for exclusives was not the right thing to do. Got it.

Thanks everyone!:-)

Paulie wrote:So getting all excited and registering four pieces with BMI after receiving my first request from a small library for exclusives was not the right thing to do. Got it.

Thanks everyone!:-)

Oops!

So glad I read this thread! Something I had been wondering about, too.

(I had also been registering tracks with my PRO ahead of time, mainly because the only library I have any music in required registration prior to licensing. I think I may alter that now.)

Thanks for all the info you guys share!

--Damo
http://www.damonallengaymusic.com/