score for feature film, who submits cue sheets for BMI

[audios]

I did a score for a feature last year and own all copyrights and publishing (BMI) on the separate cues in the film. The production company only got a mechanical license from me to use the music in "synchronized" use in the film, nothing more.

They got distribution through Vision Video and I just saw the film being broadcast on TBN this past Saturday (8-21-10). I know I eligible to receive royalties from this and other airings of the film, but how do i find out if anyone has submitted a cue sheet to BMI?

Anyone with previous exp. along this line would help greatly.

[Kubi]

You can contact the BMI cue sheet department and inquire if they have them. You should then also verify they're accurate.

If they don't have them, you can also submit your own set of cue sheets, the major PROs have templates on their website.

Finally, you can of course contact the distributor and inquire.

You can claim royalties retroactively for a while, so you shouldn't be missing out if you take care of this soon. Won't be a lot of bread, most cable pays crap, but hey.

[audios]

Muchas gracias Amigo.

I will follow through. A $1 is a $1 these days. can't leave any money stone unturned.

Peace-

[dix]

You can check your BMI catalogue online at the BMI website. If it aired they should have submitted a cue sheet and it will be reflected in your catalogue.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

You can contact the BMI cue sheet department and inquire if they have them. You should then also verify they're accurate.

If only that was true. BMI has 3 or 4 shows of mine that were incorrectly logged (5 seconds instead of 50 seconds per cue!) but trying to get anyone to correct that has been impossible. I even met with a gal in NYC personally and we went over it (she wouldn't let me see her computer screen!). She promised to fix it but never did and doesn't return phone calls (as many at BMI don't do - it's a company policy I think).

Much as BMI can be great in some ways, their "customer service" often leaves something to be desired. If I had it to do over, I'd go to ASCAP but with my entire publishing rep at BMI since 1977 I really don't want to experience the nightmare of a change at this point.

And yes, your cues should be listed in your online repertoire.

[dix]

Can you be a member of both PRS's? …if so, you could just use ascap from here on out.

[Kubi]

I'm all for switching to ASCAP - my favorite PRO and my peeps. It's easy to do, and they help you do it, too.

Michael, have you contacted BMI's LA office? Talk to Anne Cecere. I can get you her email.

I do think ASCAP is by far the better organization for structural reasons (BMI is basically a wolf-owned organization in charge of the safety of sheep...) and the people at the LA office of ASCAP are simply super-humanly amazing (as are all the folks I know in the NYC office of ASCAP.)

Having said that, the peeps I know in BMI's LA office are first rate, and I'm sure would be eager to help.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Thanks Kubi. Now is not the time for a variety of reasons. I met with the LA ASCAP folks about 8 years ago and actually started the process, but there are some very troubling aspects to my licensing, not the least of which was a two year stint with CMI as my sub-publisher in Europe and that really messed things up royally - and royalty. Perhaps when this current round of works is completed I'll look into it again. With all the issues I may have had with BMI, they have been collecting at a satisfactory level. And yes, I know, they are made up of broadcasters but then there are people like Ralph Jackson in Classical Rep. who have really done superb work and I also feel a sense of loyalty to the folks like him.

[audios]

All, incredibly useful info here. I checked on the BMI site and no cue sheets have ever been filed, so I'm doing it myself and send the production company a copy with a firm letter to make sure they are doing their job.

Thanks guys. Maybe we should start our own PRO: B-MOTUCAP???

[dix]

I knew a major-ish band whose two main co-writers were with different PRS's. One BMI one ASCAP. Pretty much everything they wrote was a 50/50 split so it was an interesting way to track which PRS was better. This was ten years ago or so, but as I recall the statements were never the same and sometimes the two payouts would be wildly different, but for the most part it it evened out. …one composer would compensate the other for the difference after they got their statements.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

The collection timelines as well as the distribution concepts and timelines are all factors. Foreign collections can be particularly tricky with long delays in receiving performance/broadcast income. I believe ASCAP works on a weighted "point" system while BMI is either direct payment for a license or more commonly, a split of bulk licensing fees based on cue sheets, media buys, and a few specialty reports - at least as far as TV broadcast. I'm not familiar with the current radio methods and know they used station sampling in the past. That may have changed with computerized logs.

It's a mysterious business and one of the harder things for a novice and even some 'career' writers to understand.

[audios]

yeah, I agree MLC.

You can't just be an audio engineer or composer these days. You have to be a lawyer, accountant, web developer, software engineer, blah, blah, blah....

Sometimes i think I'd rather be cutting on my old Studer 2" analog in a studio where engineers were engineers and there wasn't room for anyone else accept talented players and a couple of great pizzas

I had a number (and still do) of aired tracks on radio but there are 2-3 hands that touch it and keep track of it before I see any mailbox money.

May just end up going fly fishing and the "H e double hockey sticks" with it all. After 35 years in this business i need a rest. (that ain't Koolaid-its a pitcher of martinis)

[dix]

It's a mysterious business and one of the harder things for a novice and even some 'career' writers to understand.

You said it! The "system" seems to be more voodoo than logic. I did one of those sound logos that blink by at the end of TV shows. I noticed hundreds of them showing up as entries in my catalogue this month. I called BMI to see if they could give me an idea of what things like that pay. The guy had no idea. He said there was "no way to calculate it"! Couldn't even give me a hint. Ten dollars? Ten thousand dollars? No clue. …although i'm sure it's closer to the former.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I called BMI to see if they could give me an idea of what things like that pay. The guy had no idea. He said there was "no way to calculate it"! Couldn't even give me a hint. Ten dollars? Ten thousand dollars? No clue. …although i'm sure it's closer to the former.

FWIW, Public TV pays terrible - something like 1 penny per minute of bgr music. Featured and themes probably pay better but not much and only pay at the "stinger" rate as they are usually not rated in minutes but seconds.

Cable is a little better but every cable station in the country counts as ONE station. So you might see about $400-600 per half-hour of bgr with the other types of cues paying at a higher rate but (as mentioned above) but rated in seconds, not minutes.

Network is where the bucks are in the USA for sure with rates not only higher, but each station affiliate counts as a separate entity, thereby multiplying the income nicely.

Foreign depends on the territory with northern european countries seeming to pay at the highest rates. Of course, it depends on which specific territories and countries you're talking about, the honesty of the broadcaster, government, sub-publishers (grrrrr) and the like.

At least that's my understanding of how BMI does it. ASCAP has a pool of some sort that distributes to members based on their "points" and perhaps that evens things out a little more than the BMI model. I suspect that could be good for the guys and gals starting out without lots of airplay but I really don't know. I prefer the BMI model as it seems fair in terms of people who actually had the broadcasts get paid for those broadcasts and don't get lumped into the entire distribution. Then again, that might be more lucrative. Again, I just do not know.

<---- Blood. <---- Sweat. ---> Tears.

[HCMarkus]

I'm BMI. My wife is ASCAP. Next show, I'm gonna split the writing credits with her and see how things pan out. She owns half of it all anyway.