FAQ

You should register your songs as soon as you have officially registered as a songwriter. Again, most offer online works registration or you can call your local office for the paperwork.

Yes, a new version of an old song, also called a derivative work, should be copyrighted, noting the ways it’s been altered from the previous version.

No. This is a common misconception. PROs collect royalties for songwriters, composers and music publishers from radio, television, the Internet, restaurants and thousands of other businesses that use music. In effect, a PRO acts as a representative so writers can get on with the business of creating new music while their royalties are collected for them. There are three in the US: BMI, ASCAP and SESAC, and one in almost every country you can think of. (See “What does a publisher do?”)

Both independent and major labels offer career development and artist promotion. Determining which is right for your career is a personal decision.

Most offer online registration. For example, you can affiliate with BMI by logging on at http://bmi.com/join You can call your local office to get the paperwork by mail, if you prefer.

No, that’s part of the PRO’s function. If your songs are registered with a performing rights organization and you are receiving radio play, then the PRO will get that information automatically.

It is usually the job of a publisher to pair your songs up with artists. This is one of the creative functions a publisher provides.

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.

You can perform any song you want- but, if you record a song and then sell the CD, you’ll need a mechanical license.

Faculty Comments:

“You are free to perform songs that are in general release without permission of the writer or publisher. If you choose to record the song and sell the music, then you would be required to obtain a mechanical license from the publisher or the publishers representative.”

- J.W. Johnson, Artist Relations Executive & Songwriter101 Faculty Member

Mechanical royalties are per-unit payments collected by record companies for the manufacture and distribution of songs on CDs and tapes, usually based on the current statutory rate as fixed by the Copyright Act. In 2004, the rate is 8.5 cents per song or 1.65 cents per minute, whichever is greater.