7 Mistakes Songwriters Make When Registering With A PRO

If you ask the people that work at the Performance Rights Organizations (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, they'll tell you that they see a number of common mistakes when a songwriter registers a song.

The problem with a mistake or omission during this process is that someone will end up not getting paid when royalty time comes around, so it really does pay to be as meticulous as possible. Here are the 7 common mistakes as outlined by Songtrust.

1. All performers of the song are not listed.

2. All the writers and publishers and their correct shares are not listed.

3. Any alternate titles (like those used for some music libraries) are not listed.

4. The writer/publisher account doesn't have the correct contact information.

5. All samples aren't licensed or cleared.

6. Songs have names that are not clear or too difficult to remember.

7. Songs that are performed live aren't listed with the proper PRO.

Filing the correct paperwork is a vital part of modern songwriting so you can get paid, so take it seriously and get it right. Make sure that you don't make one of these mistakes so that royalty check shows up when you expect it.

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Has The Time Come For A New Collection Society?

Performance royalty collection societies like BMI and ASCAP have been around almost a hundred years (in the case of ASCAP), and while they've been essential to the well-being of the songwriter and publisher, some wonder whether they're a product of another time that hasn't quite kept up with our Music 3.0 age.

For one thing, in our new streaming world, some publishers and record labels feel they can do the job better than these companies, and have made their own deals with Internet broadcasters, something that would have been unthinkable even 5 years ago.

Now it seems that a new collection organization in Germany may show the way for other territories.

Currently GEMA is the equivalent of BMI or ASCAP in Germany, but the new Cultural Commons Collecting Society (also known as C3S) began in 2010 especially for musicians and songwriters that did not wish to be represented by GEMA. The company is now in the middle of a crowdfunding campaign to raise the necessary funds to go head to head with the big dog of the marketplace, and already has close to 500 supporters.

I'm not sure that C3S can make a dent in GEMA, given that it doesn't have the deep pockets required to be a player (at least at the moment), but it does exhibit an emotion that many are feeling; that it's time for something new and fresh.

We'll check back from time to time to see if C3S is gaining traction. If it does, you can bet that execs and songwriters in other parts of the world will be watching.

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7 Mistakes To Avoid When Registering Songs

Recently the Songtrust blog ran an excellent article regarding the 7 mistakes that writers make when registering theirs songs with a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC.

Ryan Brodhead, the manager of performance rights administration for Songtrust, wrote that these were the following mistakes that he sees all too often.

1. All performers of the song are not listed.

2. All the writers and publishers and their correct shares are not listed.

3. Any alternate titles (like those used for some music libraries) are not listed.

4. The writer/publisher account doesn't have the correct contact information.

5. All samples aren't licensed or cleared.

6. Songs have names that are not clear or too difficult to remember.

7. Songs that are performed live aren't listed with the proper PRO.

Filing the correct paperwork is a vital part of modern songwriting, so take it seriously and get it right. Make sure that you don't make one of these mistakes so that royalty check shows up when you expect it.

-----------------------------------

Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Check out my Big Picture blog for discussion on common music, engineering and production tips and tricks.