FAQ

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 $1,000. You also might be able to work something out with a local recording studio, which are often in need of business since the home recording revolution took hold.

UPC codes are used to track inventory as well as to track distribution and retail sales; SoundScan is unable to track your sales without a UPC Code. You can get a UPC Code from several sources:

1) You can register directly with the Uniform Code Council. To find out more about UCC membership, visit their website at http://www.uc-council.org

2) Ask your record label or CD manufacturer

3) Companies like CD Baby and DiscMakers offer UPC barcodes for a lower fee or for free. To find out more about this service, visit their website at http://www.cdbaby.net

Again, your song is copyrighted as soon as you finish writing it but it’s a good idea to register that copyright with the government (see “How do I copyright my songs?). Registering a song with a PRO will allow you to receive performance royalties if that song gets radio play; it does not give you protection under copyright law.

As a songwriter, you inherently own the publishing rights to your music and you retain creative control.

There is no set formula. It is up to you and your publisher to negotiate the terms of a publishing deal.

The Musician’s Atlas and the Music Registry are just two examples, but there are lots of directories on the market. Google can help you find them and most are available via Amazon.com.

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?”)

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.

Agents are all about finding gigs/shows for bands, but they can also help set up sponsorship opportunities for tours and help with logistics in general.

You can set up your own publishing company by filling out an application at your local performing rights organization.