Greetings good friends! I have really been enjoying bringing education to the nation about becoming a Real player in this Music Game. I know a lot of people just simply don’t have the tools or the ability to gain the knowledge on whats required in the Music Business, but once again, have no fear! On The Rise Mag is here to help you… because we care.
I’ve been ranting on and on for a few weeks now about how important it is to get that music registered to get paid for your spins. That’s for singers, songwriters, and producers. Everyone who is involved in the creation of a music project must register themselves accordingly. To receive royalties for your song, you need to provide a split sheet. Split Sheets are the documents necessary that include the Composer, Artist, and Writer of a musical piece. These are necessary to dilly out the percentages owed to each contributing party to a musical piece.
I got a chance to speak with Marche’ Butler BMI, and she helped to clear up some things for these brilliant minds. For BMI, split sheets are called Writer’s Registration Forms. Split sheets / Writer’s Registration Forms are one of the most important factors to receiving royalties. This is something that many artists fail to do just because of lack of knowledge. Marche’ also stresses that artists must also register each individual song with a P.R.O. to receive royalties, registering the title of an album is not going to secure royalties of each song on the album. She also said that music that is not registered with a P.R.O., but happens to blow up on the airways, can receive royalties for up to six months prior to the actual registration date. This is helpful to know! So if you have music that is playing on the radio already, you can get paid still, just hurry up and register with one of the P.R.O.s!
Now, I have been telling you all about royalties. To get a little deeper, there is more to do to own your music… probably most importantly, actually! You have to get your music copyrighted at www.copyright.gov. This process along with registration with a P.R.O. sets you on to the right track for getting your music legitimized.
I would sincerely suggest you picking up an extra job to support a team to keep you in the know. You will need a publicist, in which you will pay a monthly retainer, to keep your affairs in order Attica Lundy Cooper is by far the most proficient publicist that I know. I’m not saying that just because she’s my mentor, but seriously, if you are going to hire a publicist, please choose someone who will put the time and effort it takes to make your career official. Management is a plus! A team that cares about the foundation of your career is very needed! Please do some research and find out who will be the best for you, but personally, I’ve seen my partner Donnell Chandler over at BDE work his arse off for his clients; check him out! You will also need a promotional team. Your manager or publicist will normally subcontract a promo team to run your social media and to help give you exposure with models, product distribution, and a general marketing campaign. That’s what I love to do. I promote. You can always contact me for a consult. I’m taking a few new clients right now… but you MUST be willing to get OFFICIAL (meaning get your music legitimized and follow procedures to handle the business behind the music)! In this industry, a legal team is next to none. I don’t have a specific suggestion there, but you know I’ll do the research and find out who’s working.
Now that you know all the goodies about BMI, make sure you do your part and work towards becoming official!
I look forward to telling you more about the other P.R.O.s in the weeks to come!
Thanks for reading!
~Signing Off
Photo Credits:
Cadence’s Performance in Friday Night