FAQ

Technically, your song is copyrighted as soon as you finish writing it. However, you’re going to want to register that copyright to protect yourself in case someone tries to use your song without your permission. You can download copyright registration forms from the Copyright Office at http://www.copyright.gov/forms, or you can call the Forms Hotline at 202-707-9100, or write to the Copyright Office, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20559-6000. The cost to file Form PA is $30.

You don’t need to have a publishing company to register a song with a performing rights organization.

Obviously, the best arrangement is for the person who writes the songs to have it clearly stated that they wrote the songs. Consult an attorney. You need to get a clear agreement as to who owns what.

Home recording is so inexpensive to do that it shouldn’t be an obstacle for anyone. A nice home studio can be set up for under $500. Or you might be able to work something out with a local recording studio, which are hurting since the home recording revolution took hold.

Simply click on your name in the top-right corner to change your password. 

For your convenience, you can click the link below:

http://www.songwriter101.com/forums/profile/edit_userpass/

First and foremost you should consult an entertainment attorney before signing any contract, as there is no such thing as an “industry standard” contract.

Go to your profile page by clicking on your name in the upper right.

The button to log out is labeled “Logout”.

Each performing rights organization has its own fees for setting up a publishing company and many impose an annual charge or collect annual dues. BMI, for example, charges a one-time fee of $150 for individually owned publishing companies and $250 for partnerships, corporations (including sole stockholder corporations) and limited liability companies.

If you’re serious about your band, then it is worth the expense of paying an entertainment attorney to draw up a legal agreement so you can set the parameters of your partnership in place right from the start. Otherwise, you’re setting landmines for yourself in any future dealings between bandmates. If you’re all professionals, approaching the band about this shouldn’t be difficult. If someone balks, you’ll know right away that this isn’t someone you should be partnering with to form a long-term business venture.

MusicPro, the industry’s most respected—and affordable—instrument and equipment insurance carrier, is able to offer economical rates thanks to the combined buying power of thousands of music industry professionals. MusicPro also offers health and life insurance. Contact: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)