BMI..composer or publishing co? What's best?

[donreynolds]

I am getting ready to join BMI and have a question. Is it better to join as a songwriter/composer or is it better to join a a publishing co? Any tips on the best way to get started?

Thanks in advance.
Don

Also is Sesac any good?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

You have to join as a composer to get composer credits. Publishing companies are really only necessary to split royalties with other companies. If you don't have a publishing company, you get 200% of royalties. Otherwise it splits 100% writer; 100% publisher or whatever spilt you have with the other publishing company that adds up to 100 %.

ASCAP is another good choice. I'd stay away from SESAC if you are an American composer. If you stuff is going to be mostly broadcast, I'd go BMI. ASCAP is more general, but you should know that the board of BMI consists of BROADCASTERS. The board of ASCAP consists of artists (for the most part).

[donreynolds]

Thanks MLC. that was a quick reply! As far as the composer name...I figure my name is pretty common over all. Do you make up names or what? How do you differentiate my name from someones elses in order to join up or/ and get paid correctly? I hope I am being clear in what I am trying to ask. I know that you can come up with some really original names for a company, but what do you do as a somgwriter?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

USe you full name (if you have a middle name, etc.) You can also go to the BMI site and search for your name and see if there is a duplicate.

They go by cue sheets, so it's hard to get mixed up with someone else. But it's not that hard to screw up your cue sheets. <sigh>

And NEVER subpublish. Don't ask - just don't do it!

[donreynolds]

thanks... I don't know what it is so I aint askin'

What are the cue sheets they are using? Is it something that I send in to them?

I appreciate your help MLC.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

thanks... I don't know what it is so I aint askin'

What are the cue sheets they are using? Is it something that I send in to them?

I appreciate your help MLC.

I really can't give you a primer on the music business. Not that I don't want to, but one thing leads to another and I just don't have the time to go thru it all.

You submit cue sheets (or other documentation) for various projects (orchestral concerts, commercials, TV, radio, etc) and register the works (songs,pieces, episodes) with the licensing agent (BMI or ASCAP) and the work gets reported to them, they send you money. Not always a lot. Sometimes an embarrassing amount if you get lucky.

BMI will gladly send you all the info you need. I think it's all online as well.:

http://www.bmi.com/career/entry/C1517

[donreynolds]

What you told me was very helpful. thank you. I will find out the rest online. Again thanks for your help. I know your time is limited and I appreciate the advice.

Don

[MIDI Life Crisis]

What you told me was very helpful. thank you. I will find out the rest online. Again thanks for your help. I know your time is limited and I appreciate the advice.

Don

Don't hesitate to ask about the finer points. I've learned the hard way and I'm happy to share that info.

[OldTimey]

MLC maybe you can help me out, i've looked all over the web and can't fid an answer.

I'm looking to join ASCAP or BMI as a writer...thing is, all my compositions are collaborative efforts. How do I go about getting my entire band registered as one entity? or is it not possible? Should we all just register separately?

thanks so much

[MIDI Life Crisis]

MLC maybe you can help me out, i've looked all over the web and can't fid an answer.

I'm looking to join ASCAP or BMI as a writer...thing is, all my compositions are collaborative efforts. How do I go about getting my entire band registered as one entity? or is it not possible? Should we all just register separately?

thanks so much

I think they all need to join as individual writers to collect royalties. Then each song is cut up into the % of each writer so the total ends up to be 100%. Should be equal %'s but I think you have wiggle room there and can change from tune to tune. You could also have the band become a publishing company and collect half of the royalties. In essence, each full song has 200%. 100% to split between the publishers and 100% to split between the writers. I.E. you might sell off !0% of your publishing for a tune. Buyer Publishing Co. gets 10%; the BAND publishing Co. gets 90%.

In order to "sell" a share of the publishing, you MUST be a BMI publisher. If no publisher is present, the publishing share gets distributed between the writers and no published distribution would take place.

For the songs, you might have John with 25%, Paul with 25%, George with 25% and Ringo with 25%. But then John and Paul wrote a lot of songs together, so those songs are 50% John and 50% Paul. ANother song might be 30% Paul; 30% John; 15% Ringo and 25% George.

All these percentages are don't on the song clearance forms (most of the time these can be done online) or in the case of a TV or film production, the same %'s are reflected in the music Cue Sheet.

[OldTimey]

thanks MLC, after a year and a half of searching and learning, im finally starting to understand all this.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

thanks MLC, after a year and a half of searching and learning, im finally starting to understand all this.

This is just the getting stared introduction. It gets better once you start actually collecting royalty statements.

[GMT]

If I want to license my music for film & TV, I can join either PRO (ASCAP/BMI). Joining as a publisher is not necessary? Or is it? - since some deals involve giving a percentage of publishing to a music library, for example. What then, would be the core purpose for establishing oneself as a publisher via ASCAP or BMI? I've got more reading to do.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

If I want to license my music for film & TV, I can join either PRO (ASCAP/BMI). Joining as a publisher is not necessary? Or is it? - since some deals involve giving a percentage of publishing to a music library, for example. What then, would be the core purpose for establishing oneself as a publisher via ASCAP or BMI? I've got more reading to do.

THere is no PRO vs. non-pro BMI (don't know about ASCAP.)

To "split" publishing, you must also be a publisher. If the licensing co. says you don't they they intend to take 100% of your publishing. DOn't do that!

[GMT]

Thanks, MLC. I was thinking along those lines.

By PRO I meant Performing Rights Organization.