More Things To Do Before Releasing A Song (ASCAP, BMI, SoundScan, BDS, MediaBase)

Summary

This video script serves as a comprehensive guide for independent musicians on the necessary steps to take after completing a song. It emphasizes the importance of registering with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP or BMI to collect royalties from radio plays and sync licensing. The script also covers the process of copyrighting music with the U.S. Copyright Office, obtaining UPC and ISRC codes, and registering with digital distributors and chart tracking services like SoundScan. Additionally, it highlights the value of registering with radio tracking services like BDS and Mediabase, which can be crucial for artists seeking label attention. The video aims to ensure musicians are not only promoting their music but also setting themselves up for financial success.

Takeaways

• 🎵 After finishing a song, it's crucial to register it with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to collect royalties for radio plays and sync licensing.
• 💼 As an independent artist, consider creating a business entity like an LLC or S Corp to separate personal and business finances and to handle publishing.
• 📄 Register your music with the copyright office on copyright.gov to protect your work legally, which includes applying for both lyrics/melody and sound recording copyrights.
• 🔢 Work with a digital distributor to obtain UPCs (Universal Product Codes) and ISRCs (International Standard Recording Codes), which are essential for tracking sales and distribution.
• 📊 Submit your music to SoundScan to track sales and chart positions, which is important for visibility and industry recognition.
• 📡 Register your tracks with radio tracking services like BDS and Mediabase to monitor airplay and demonstrate your song's popularity to labels and other industry players.
• 💼 Ensure all administrative tasks are completed before reaching out to licensing companies or seeking radio promotion to streamline the process and maximize opportunities.
• 🔗 Having your backend paperwork in order, including PRO registration and copyright, is essential before engaging in music licensing or radio promotion.
• 🌐 Research and utilize various music licensing companies to explore opportunities for placing your music in TV, apps, games, and other media.
• 🎧 Engage with services like PlayMPE for radio promotion to increase your song's exposure and potentially gain more spins on the airwaves.

Q & A

What is the first step an independent artist should take after finishing a song before publishing?

The first step an independent artist should take is to register their song with their performing rights organization (PRO) such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to handle radio royalties and sync licensing royalties.

Why is it important to sign up as both a writer and a publisher with a PRO?

Signing up as both a writer and a publisher ensures that the artist receives full royalties for their songs, as the writer receives royalties for the composition and the publisher receives royalties for the use of the composition.

What is the role of a publisher in the context of music royalties?

A publisher collects and distributes royalties for the use of the composition, such as in radio plays, TV shows, or other media. If an artist does not have an official publisher, they can act as their own publisher.

What is an LLC or S Corp, and why might an independent artist consider starting one?

An LLC (Limited Liability Company) or S Corp (S Corporation) is a type of business entity that can provide legal and financial benefits such as limited liability and tax advantages. An artist might start one to separate their business and personal finances and to formalize their music business.

Why should an artist register their music with the copyright office?

Registering music with the copyright office provides legal protection for the artist's work, making it easier to enforce their rights and collect royalties for uses of their music, such as in TV shows, movies, or other media.

What are UPCs and ISRCs, and how do they relate to music distribution?

UPCs (Universal Product Codes) and ISRCs (International Standard Recording Codes) are unique identifiers for albums and individual tracks, respectively. They are necessary for digital distribution and help track sales and plays for royalty payments.

How does registering with SoundScan benefit an artist?

Registering with SoundScan allows an artist's music sales and plays to be tracked and potentially charted, which can increase visibility and credibility in the industry.

What are BDS and Mediabase, and why are they important for an artist's promotion?

BDS (Broadcast Data Systems) and Mediabase are services that track radio airplays. They provide valuable data on where and how often an artist's music is played, which can be used for promotional purposes, such as targeting cities for tours or pitching to labels.

What additional steps can an artist take after completing the administrative work to promote their music?

After completing the administrative work, an artist can reach out to licensing companies for placements in TV, apps, or games, or explore radio promotion services like PlayMPE to increase airplay.

Why is it beneficial for an independent artist to have their backend paperwork in order before publishing a song?

Having backend paperwork in order ensures that an artist is prepared to collect all potential royalties and protect their rights, making it easier to capitalize on opportunities for music placements and licensing.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Preparing for Music Publishing: Legal and Administrative Steps

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of administrative and legal preparations before publishing a song. It explains that simply recording a song is not enough; independent artists must register their work with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to ensure they receive royalties for radio plays and sync licensing. The speaker recommends signing up as both a writer and a publisher to receive full royalties. They also discuss the process of registering a song with the copyright office, explaining the difference between copyrighting the lyrics and melody versus the sound recording. Additionally, the paragraph covers the necessity of setting up a song or album with a digital distributor to obtain UPC and ISRC codes, which are crucial for tracking sales and distribution. The speaker also advises updating the PRO account with this information to ensure proper royalty collection.

05:01

📈 Maximizing Music Exposure: Chart Registration and Radio Tracking

The second paragraph focuses on the final steps to maximize a song's exposure and chart potential. It discusses the importance of registering songs with SoundScan, which works with Billboard to track song plays and chart positions. The speaker provides guidance on how to register a single versus an album with SoundScan, emphasizing the simplicity of the process. Additionally, the paragraph highlights the value of registering songs with Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) and Mediabase, which track radio plays and provide valuable data for artists, especially for those seeking label attention. The speaker encourages artists to take advantage of these free services to gain insights into their song's radio performance and to use this data for touring and promotional purposes. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that with all the administrative work completed, artists can now focus on exploring further opportunities such as music licensing and radio promotion.

Keywords

💡Publishing

Publishing in the context of the video refers to the process of making a song available for public distribution. The video emphasizes that merely recording a song is not enough; one must go through several administrative steps to ensure they are properly credited and compensated for their work. Publishing is a crucial step in the music industry that allows artists to earn royalties and protect their intellectual property.

💡Performing Rights Organization (PRO)

A Performing Rights Organization such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC is a collective rights management body that ensures songwriters and composers are compensated for the public performances of their works. In the video, the narrator highlights the importance of registering a song with a PRO to collect royalties from radio plays, TV shows, and other public performances, which is a key aspect of monetizing music beyond live shows.

💡Radio Royalties

Radio Royalties are payments made to songwriters and copyright holders when their music is played on the radio. The video script mentions that PROs collect these royalties, which are an important source of income for musicians and composers. This is a key concept in the discussion of how artists can earn from their music beyond live performances.

💡Sync Licensing Royalties

Sync Licensing Royalties are earned when a song is synchronized with visual media, such as in a TV show, movie, or video game. The video explains that PROs also handle these royalties, which can be a significant source of income for musicians. Sync licensing is an example of how music can be used in various media to generate revenue for the artist.

💡Writers and Publishers Account

In the video, the narrator recommends signing up for both a writer's and publisher's account with a PRO to ensure full royalties for songs. This account setup is essential for independent artists to manage their rights and earnings effectively. The distinction between writers and publishers is important as it relates to the different types of royalties one can earn from their music.

💡LLC or S Corp

The video suggests starting an LLC (Limited Liability Company) or an S Corp as a business entity for musicians. This is a strategic move to separate personal finances from business finances and to establish a professional presence in the industry. The narrator advises creating a business entity to manage the financial aspects of music publishing.

💡Copyright Office

The Copyright Office, specifically copyright.gov mentioned in the video, is the U.S. government body that handles copyright registrations. Registering a song with the Copyright Office provides legal protection for the original work, including the lyrics and melody, as well as the sound recording. This step is crucial for protecting an artist's intellectual property rights.

💡UPC and ISRC

UPC (Universal Product Code) and ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) are unique identifiers for music products and recordings, respectively. The video explains that these codes are necessary for distribution and royalty tracking. UPCs are used for albums, while ISRCs are used for individual tracks, and they are required for registering with organizations like ASCAP and for SoundScan reporting.

💡Digital Distributor

A digital distributor in the context of the video is a service that makes music available on various digital platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes. The video emphasizes the importance of setting up a song or album with a digital distributor to obtain necessary codes like UPCs and ISRCs, which are vital for proper royalty collection and music tracking.

💡SoundScan

SoundScan is a system that tracks music sales and chart positions in cooperation with Billboard. The video script explains that registering with SoundScan is important for artists who want their music to be considered for charts. This registration involves providing album or single information, including UPCs and ISRCs, to ensure accurate tracking of sales and plays.

💡BDS and MediaBase

BDS (Broadcast Data Systems) and MediaBase are services that track radio airplay for songs. The video highlights the importance of registering with these services to monitor radio spins, which can be valuable data for artists, especially when seeking label deals or planning tours. These services provide insights into where an artist's music is popular, which can inform strategic decisions.

Highlights

Publishing a song involves more than just recording; it requires proper paperwork and registrations to ensure you get paid.

Register your song with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC for royalty collection.

Consider signing up as both a writer and a publisher with a PRO to receive full royalties.

There is a one-time application fee to register with a PRO, and no recurring fees afterward.

Register your song as a new work with your PRO, including writer and publisher information.

If you don't have an official publisher, you can act as your own by creating a business entity.

Visit the copyright office at copyright.gov to protect your music with copyright.

There are two types of copyright applications: one for lyrics and melody, and another for the sound recording.

Set up your song or album with a digital distributor to obtain UPC and ISRC numbers.

Use the UPC and ISRC numbers in your PRO account to ensure accurate royalty tracking.

Register your song and album information with SoundScan for chart tracking and industry recognition.

Register with BDS and Mediabase to track radio plays and gain valuable data for promotion and potential label interest.

Having your backend paperwork in order is crucial for music licensing opportunities and radio promotion.

Explore additional royalty tracking services once you have the basics covered.

Ensure all administrative work is completed before publishing to maximize revenue and opportunities.

Transcripts

so your song's finished you're ready to

publish it but here are some things that

you got to get done first let's get to

work jimmy jimmy make music make music

music

so many people think that once you're

done recording a song you just throw it

onto a digital distributor and

everything's gravy everything's done

that's all you got to do but that's not

it man if you're doing this stuff for

yourself as an independent you got some

paperwork to do there are other means to

get paid off your music other than doing

live shows of course there's a million

ways you can promote your stuff but you

got to get your paperwork right

otherwise you're promoting your songs

and you're not going to get paid one of

the first things you want to do is get

your song registered with your pro or

your performing rights organization

these are organizations like ascap bmi

or csac that take care of your radio

royalties and your sync licensing

royalties so if you get placements

anywhere on a tv show an app a game

anything like that they'll collect

royalties for you the one i personally

use is ascap or the american society of

composers authors and publishers but

feel free to research these

organizations there's two major ones in

the united states that's ascap or bmi

they all have their plus and minuses but

all essentially do the same thing if you

don't have an account already i

definitely recommend signing up as a

writer and a publisher so that you get

full royalties for your songs there is a

one-time application fee for whatever

type of account you're signing up for

the writers and publishers account is

100 bucks and you're done there's no

recurring fees they just pay you now

or collect money for you anyway super

simple off the bat you're going to

register a new work i'm not going to go

in depth with this

but you will put all the writers names

and their ascap information or bmi

information in these sections here

along with their publishers now if you

don't necessarily have

a publisher

you are the publisher if you don't have

an official publisher it's not a big

deal

make one up for yourself i recommend

starting an llc

or

an s corp or whatever type of business

you want to start

at the very least you want a doing

business as

company name simply so you can set up a

business bank account to get your stuff

separated from your personal bank

account so you got your song registered

with your pro the next thing you want to

do is hit the copyright office right on

copyright.gov you're going to make an

account it's called an eco account or

echo account i think they call it and

it's all very simple on this site there

are a lot of tutorials on this site to

help you get through the system and

learn what applications you need and

music copyright there are two different

types of applications one's for the

lyrics and the melody and one's for the

actual sound recording usually the sound

recording copyright will be suffice

enough for you but if you want that

extra protection for your lyrics and

your melody of the song you're going to

want to get that second copyright too

the next thing you're going to want to

do is set up your song or album with

your digital distributor because they're

going to give you the numbers that you

need to plug into some other sites like

your upc's and your isrcs let me show

you what i mean here's the back office

of my distributor let's look at this

instrumental album that i put out and

you'll see

my upc for the album is here

and the isrc

for the songs are here

for each song they'll have their own

identifying number once you have the upc

numbers and the isrc numbers you're

going to be good to go so now i'm going

to take these numbers and go back to my

ascap

account and go to the song so apart

inside the information of the song

there's all kinds of data you can put in

the most important are identifying

numbers like upcs and isrcs you go into

the performers another info tab

and you will plug this information in

you can always change this information

so say hypothetically i just got my

upc numbers or my src numbers

i can plug them in here see how this

number will match

this number

good to go i can add performers any

other information pertaining to the

track you can add to a lot of this is

just covering all the bases you're not

going to use a lot of this information

the most important things are the

writers the publishers and any kind of

isrc or upc code that they need once i

add or edit anything

i'm just going to save it or submit it

now all your performing rights

organization info is good to go and in

sync with your digital distributor the

next thing you want to do is give your

song and or album information to

soundscan now soundscan really works in

conjunction with billboard if you want

your song on the charts or any type of

chart

this will keep track of it for you all

the links to these websites will be down

in the description so you can just come

back to this video and use it as a

reference now when you're registering

with soundscan there are two different

options one is for a single and one is

for your album if you're just putting

out a single then it's really no big

deal just make sure the top of the page

that you're on says isrc registration

this is for a single and you're just

going to put in the appropriate

information and then verify and submit

now the sound scan for your album will

look very similar

on the top it'll say title registration

and it will want your album information

you're going to want to plug in all the

information that they need the upc

or the european code the ean whichever

your distributor uses it's really that

simple verify and submit and you're good

to go with soundscan the last thing

that's often overlooked these days is

registering your song with bds and

mediabase these are companies that will

detect

when your song is played on the radio

now don't just write off terrestrial

radio like it doesn't exist anymore

because this is what a lot of labels

that are looking for artists

look at this this type of data of who's

getting spins where and it's free for

you to upload to these websites so you

might as well do it making an account is

free and uploading is super simple you

literally just put in the title and the

artist upload the song it gets encoded

into their system and every time it's

played on the radio it's detected it's

valuable information for you as an

independent because you can set up an

account with bds to track your spins

what you do with that information can be

all kinds of different stuff you can see

what city is playing your song more and

then go tour there if you're trying to

get signed you can reach out with that

data to different labels and say look i

got these spins here i'm making moves

let's work something out a service very

similar to bds is media base

media base is the same type of principle

it's going to track your spins for you

on terrestrial radio regular radio if

i'm not mistaken mediabase is still a

clear channel or an iheart radio company

which is the biggest radio company in

the world so you want to definitely get

them your track information it's all

very simple

you put in all the appropriate

information upload your song and submit

it it's simple as that now that's most

of your admin work done i'm sure there's

a ton of other things that you could try

to look into i'm sure there's other

companies that will track royalties for

you from different services but these

are the basic services you want to get

familiar with before you start exploring

those other options now you have your

upc's your isrcs you're registered with

your pro now you can really start making

moves with the track and maybe reach out

to some licensing companies and get on

tv get on apps get on games if you get

into music licensing simply just google

music licensing companies and you'll see

all these different types of music

licensing opportunities whether it's

stock music or background music or

working with a company exclusively for

different placements you have all your

backend paperwork ready to go now you're

even ready for some radio promotion if

you look into something like play mpe

maybe they can help you out getting more

of a radio push if you're gonna work

with any of these companies it's good to

have all your back-end

admin work ready to go well i hope this

video helped you out if it did leave me

a like comment below on ways that you

get your back office straight before you

publish a song until the next one guys

peace jimmy jimmy make music music music