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Question About BMI

TnyjMuzic	Date: May 17, 2008 @ 9:56 AM Is anyone here signed with a Preforming Rights Socitey like BMI, ASCAP, etc? I was on the web getting ready to sign with BMI as a writer and wanted to know if i should. They were asking for all sorts of information like Mother's maiden name, Social Securtiy Number, etc.
GeneHilbert	Date: May 17, 2008 @ 11:02 AM Unless you are getting national radio, television, or you are receiving monies for licensed use of you musical works. It is useless to sign up, or you would be rejected. I am an ASCAP member - and have been so for years...... They don't do shit for you - unless you are receiving licensed royalties. Even then I have heard horror stories about them being slow to pay and/or being totality delinquent.
GeneHilbert	Date: May 17, 2008 @ 11:08 AM Also let me add, they have a practice strong arming, essentially extorting monies from club owners who offer live cover music. A highly questionable and counter productive practice for preforming musicians.
TnyjMuzic	Date: May 17, 2008 @ 12:27 PM Gene what about if your getting Internet Radio airplay?
GeneHilbert	Date: May 17, 2008 @ 9:14 PM The internet is still the new frontier and the same set of standards don't apply - at least not yet. Even tracking and attempting to enforce such a thing would prove to be monumental. Hell to my knowledge there is still a debate going on about terrestrial vs satellite radio. I have heard of no definitive answer either way. But I suspect that if you follow the money, those are the players with all of the aces. Bet with them.....
leflaw	Date: May 17, 2008 @ 9:20 PM The real issue, imho, is whether to join sound exchange
zedsalt	Date: May 18, 2008 @ 3:23 AM The Bowel Movement Index is a formula which provides a rough idea of how well your body is metabolizing foodstuffs by taking into account... Ooops. Sorry. Wrong BMI.
ShadowMom	Date: May 18, 2008 @ 6:35 AM Not if you consider sound exchange as the toilet.
Rodrica	Date: May 18, 2008 @ 7:24 AM To be honest...if you want to go down the route of making money from songs via radio, TV etc, you are probably better off trying to get yourself a deal with a publisher who will take care of all that stuff. Sure, publishers take a cut, but then having been in situations where I've had to handle a load of publicity or financial negotiations, I'd say it's money worth sharing - the hassle and time alone can put you under huge stress - and publishers have all the experience you need. Publishers have better contacts and a better set up in order to protect your rights...and of course it's in their interests to make maximum money for you (and themselves). If you have a publishing deal, then they ensure money is collected on your behalf and you don't necessarily have to be a member of BMI, ASCAP or whatever yourself.
GeneHilbert	Date: May 18, 2008 @ 9:14 AM That's good advice Rodz...
TnyjMuzic	Date: May 18, 2008 @ 10:11 AM What exactly in Sound Exchange? I had heard of them and from my understanding they do the exactly what BMI and ASCAP does. from what i read here i don't think it would be worth it for me to sign to BMI as a writer since i thought i could possibly earn royalities from Internet Radio play.
GeneHilbert	Date: May 18, 2008 @ 10:35 AM If that were true a lot of use here would be a very wealthy people.... Sorry Dude.... I have to research sound exchange. I have no idea what they do.
Distilled1	Date: May 18, 2008 @ 1:33 PM I thought Sound exchange was the one that counted units sold? or is that sound ____.
ShadowMom	Date: May 18, 2008 @ 2:11 PM According to Wikipedia, "SoundExchange is a non-profit performance rights organization that collects royalties on the behalf of sound recording copyright owners (SRCOs) and featured artists for non-interactive digital transmissions, including satellite and internet radio." Disbursing the moneys is another thing entirely.
zedsalt	Date: May 19, 2008 @ 3:35 AM The only times I've heard anything that contradicts what Rodrica said, I was listening to people who didn't properly check out the publisher. What I've been told is to apply many of the same standards I would to finding a good auto mechanic and make darn good and sure that the publisher meets those standards. Oh, and Dis'- Soundscan are the folks who track every recording with a UPC code.
zedsalt	Date: May 19, 2008 @ 3:46 AM Interesting fact: RIAA releases are (or at least, were at one time) logged as sales when they're "transported from the point of manufacture", even when that means just going to a warehouse. And they're still tanking compared to Indie releases.
ShadowMom	Date: May 19, 2008 @ 5:01 AM One would suspect that their warehouses must be full.
Distilled1	Date: May 19, 2008 @ 5:51 AM tha it soundscan!
southwing	Date: May 24, 2008 @ 6:45 PM Well, for about three years I've been an ASCAP member. I get a quarterly report revealing $0 dollars paid to (insert my name here), cause we never did anything with our music.. I paid nothing for this account, just signed up with ASCAP (and got a membership #). For a long time I thought, What do I need this for? Now, we have a CD on the 'AMI Entertainment Internet Jukebox'. The member # is the only way we can get paid the royalties due us for each time a KNIGHTMOODS song is played on the jukebox. It pays really poor, pays a mere fraction of the dollar you have to spend to hear it in a bar, but shit, mere, is better than nothing. & Besides, we stream out stuff for free on the net...but you don't get the 'net' in a BAR! so why not get something for hitting the jukebox and telling the locals..... Hey Tim, Thats US!