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Somebody wants to buy the right to perform my song - now what"?

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Jul 18, 2010
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This may help
by: Anonymous

What to do:
Make sure you set an account through ASCAP, BMI, Or SESAC. Once you set up an account you will want to set up a publishing company, and register your songs. Also make sure you have filed copyrights on all of youe songs. DO NOT sell your copyright. Always try to negotiate to collect royalties. Which ever organzation you decide to go with can assist in answering questions on what you need to register your songs properly to ensure you are paid.

If you can get free advice from a lawyer it may help. You can luck up and find a lawyer that will advise you without a retainer. I did...

If this is your first placement, they (industry) will try to take advantage of you. They'll try to talk circles around you and tell you what know is right, is wrong. In this case you have to make a desision. If you are not able to negotiate were you are happy with the deal and you don't want to to pay the fees... a) let it go, and wait for the next opprotunity. b)hire a lawyer for your protection and lack of knowledge.
What ever you decide don't sell your copyright, and I would advise having a lawyer look over any contracts or agreements before signing. No matter what is said. Good luck and congrads!

Aug 12, 2009
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ASCAP
by: Doc Haley

You can be an ASCAP member and control your ownership of music and retain your copyright ownership and never have a problem.

First, never, ever give up any copyright ownership. Never. If you are the songwriter, why would you give up part of your ownership? If you can't answer this, you would be a fool to ever do it.

Most of the time you'll get a fixed fee for every CD sold with your tune on it. You get to negotiate that amount. Don't think it's only worth 10 cents. It's not. Most CD's sell for $15 to $20 each. 10 cents is chump change IMHO.

10 cents is the approximate amount you get every time it is played, and by every radio station or out let that plays it. A song can be played in the USA a million times in a year with ease if it is merely in the top 40. That's $100k for radio play for one tune for one year, not bad IMHO.

I had a song played ONE TIME and it was heard on 152 markets. That's $15.20 for playing one of my songs ONE TIME here in the USA.

An entertainment lawyer is a great idea but you'll spend most of your income from your first tune paying for their time.

There is a 3 year sundown clause you can use.

Allow the artist to play your tune live all they want, they can sell your tune on their CD at a rate you feel is fair, and allow radio play as well. But be a member of some organization and have your copyright set in stone before anything else happens.

Do not allow ANY COMMERCIAL use of your tune without your personal approval, signature and additional funds negotiated.

You may write a tune that's worth $100k a year in playtime to MacDonalds, Steak and Ale or ??? and getting radio play income for it would be insane.

Remember to allow them to place your tune on their CD means ONE CD RELEASE ONLY. They are not allowed to have your tune on two or three or more released CD's, just ONE. If the tune becomes a number one hit, you'll want this control later over your tune. It'll cost them more to put it on a second "Greatest Hit's" CD or something like that.

The 3 year sundown clause tells them that after 3 years, you have the right to release the tune to another artist if you desire.

This may happen if you get a group that actually has a flop in their career and they break up. In 3 years you have the ability to allow another artist to release the tune again.

CYa, sorry to be long winded.
Doc

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Comments for Somebody wants to buy the right to perform my song - now what"?

Comments for
Somebody wants to buy the right to perform my song - now what"?