Which to join?

I've been an ASCAP member since the early 70's...Always have felt I've been paid properly...Depending on the usage of your music a lot will depend on how your publishing company pays attention to all the details involved...

BTW, ASCAP, BMI, & SESAC are not "recording artist organizations"...They are songwriter/publishing company groups that monitor airplay and other usage of original music...

ORIGINAL: Dave King

I signed up with BMI several years ago. Last year, I had one of my songs played on national radio. I contacted BMI to find out if I might be eligible for royalties and never heard back from them. I tried contacting them 2 or 3 times and never received a response. I'm probably too "small potatos" for them to spend any time on. But it would have been nice to at least receive some kind of response from them.

Might be more likely to get money from SoundClick, I think they will do licensing for you if you have the full service. You can set a price for one use and another price for exclusive use... not sure how it works just yet.

Larry, I'm glad you chipped in with that. I knew you used BMI and had considered using them too. Now I consider myself forewarned

mmm...lawsuit? just for fun i mean - to see if you could win.

Bookmarking / Subscribing to this thread!

.

to the poster two posts above...

the reality is, that for 99% of the thousands and thousands of myspace musicians to even come within a galatic mile of a record deal, or of creating an in-depth compostition to be eyed by an industry publisher...(many talented composers out there... but say an aritst completes once such project, records it in the relatively necesssary appealing manner, then have another happenstance upon it, randomly ingesting the melody, remembering it!, to later copy it; or perhaps put it together in another arrangement, that sprouting a unique and rare limb, then later the new song ending up getting rerecorded AND noticed; finally, this new artist making huge sums of money whereas the original person has the wherewithall to recognize the core of this new onion... creating the need for litigation....) oh mercy

so how about shifting that $30 copyright fee to a new microphone, a new DVD, that ice cream I mentioned, a dinner with your lady....
maybe Washington needs more money... why not just send the Copyright Office your whole paycheck...


someone else recently made an outstanding post on this issue, he's a vetran musician and producer and has a far more credibility over many of us on this issue

it went along the lines of... "If one ever gets to that incredible highly-unlikely yet unique place of having their songs played to the masses, then the actual professional recording acts as plenty legal proof they they were the original artist" not to mention that there is lots of time during said session to have a staffer complete the necessary documents with the Copyright Office, or at this point the artist would be highly aware of the need for "protection" during above stated "orgy"

-JD

and Dave

yes, Beagle is completely right on!

you deserve those royalties as much if not more than say a rock band such as Aerosmith..

and that exactly is BMI's job!! to get you those royalties, that's why they collect all those fees! the lawyers are getting well paid believe me

I have heard back from ASCAP several times over copyright issues
keep trying amigo, all I can say is ASCAP will return contacts attempts

BMI should too

fight the good fight

-JD

Update:

I spoke with a very cooperative person at BMI this morning.

I explained that I had a song which had been played on national radio back in October of 2007. I also explained that I had contacted them, but had received no response. She asked who I had sent my letter to. I simply sent it to BMI - not a specific person. This may be why I did not receive a response.

Anyway, she looked up my information and said that everything was properly registered (including the song that received airplay). She said I should receive a royalty and that the payout would be in June. I guess they pay out on a quarterly basis and operate 3 quarters behind. As for how much it might be, I have no idea.

Anyway, I feel better about it now. I'll just have to wait and see what happens in June.

As for BMI, I guess as with so many other things, the "squeaky wheel gets greased."

well done Dave

-JD

EOL -

Yes, I'm sure I read the contract when I signed up. But that was a few years ago. And to be honest, the thought of actually receiving money from them was just a pipe dream at the time. When I signed up, I did it as a "just in case" kind of thing.

Glad I did....!

ORIGINAL: contact@jondunn.org

to the poster two posts above...

the reality is, that for 99% of the thousands and thousands of myspace musicians to even come within a galatic mile of a record deal, or of creating an in-depth compostition to be eyed by an industry publisher...(many talented composers out there... but say an aritst completes once such project, records it in the relatively necesssary appealing manner, then have another happenstance upon it, randomly ingesting the melody, remembering it!, to later copy it; or perhaps put it together in another arrangement, that sprouting a unique and rare limb, then later the new song ending up getting rerecorded AND noticed; finally, this new artist making huge sums of money whereas the original person has the wherewithall to recognize the core of this new onion... creating the need for litigation....) oh mercy

so how about shifting that $30 copyright fee to a new microphone, a new DVD, that ice cream I mentioned, a dinner with your lady....
maybe Washington needs more money... why not just send the Copyright Office your whole paycheck...


someone else recently made an outstanding post on this issue, he's a vetran musician and producer and has a far more credibility over many of us on this issue

it went along the lines of... "If one ever gets to that incredible highly-unlikely yet unique place of having their songs played to the masses, then the actual professional recording acts as plenty legal proof they they were the original artist" not to mention that there is lots of time during said session to have a staffer complete the necessary documents with the Copyright Office, or at this point the artist would be highly aware of the need for "protection" during above stated "orgy"

-JD

You so wrong !! ..... It's up to $45 now !! of course there is a continuation form which allows you to add titles to the number of songs in a compilation which would allow you to take care of dozens of songs per $45 !! Then it's very economical if you look at it in the context of per song. And those few dollars per song don't get spent on fattening ice cream cones which ruin your health.

Hows that for non-cynical!!


yours truly,

copyright office employee , ( no conflict of interest accusations please!)

Washington , DC

so it seems yes, correct?

Yes, that's correct.