The Music Business - Copyrights - Mechanical License - Performing Rights - Blanket license

Advice from Manuel Seal Jr - Multi-Platinum, Grammy Nominated Producer - Songwriter Seal & Dupri "It's good to get all of this knowledge, and all of the things that are being mentioned, and then some, so that we're forever learning. You also have to think about the economics in the music business. Most of us don't understand this, but it is, Music Business! So you have to find out how everything works. If you look at rebates; most companies are banking on you not to fill that rebate out, to get your money back! They are banking on you not to know what's going on or how it works. You always pay for what you don't know!"   Copyright A Copyright is the exclusive right, granted by law for a stated period, usually until 70 years after the death of the surviving author of the work, to make, dispose of, and otherwise control copies of literary, musical, dramatic, pictorial and other copyrightable works. The exclusive right is set forth in the 1976 Copyright Act Section 106. Performing Rights Organization A “PRO” Performing Rights Organization is an organization that licenses the public performance of musical works on behalf of the copyright owners.  There is ASCAP - American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers; BMI - Broadcast Music Incorporated, and SESAC, Inc. These performing rights organizations issue licenses to users of publicly performed, non-dramatic music for a fee, and then pay performing rights royalties to the publishers and songwriters of the performed works. These businesses basically represent songwriters and publishers and their right to be compensated for having their music performed. Blanket license A yearly fee, radio and television stations, public broadcasters, cable stations, universities, restaurants, programmed music services, etc. can obtain from a performing rights organization like BMI, ASCAP or SESAC. This license gives them the right to perform the music in the particular collection as often as they wish during the term of the license. Music Publisher A person or company that publishes and exploits songs, scores, or compositions, usually acquired from the author via an assignment of copyright. Songwriter Publisher Audit Clause This is a vital clause in a contract between a songwriter and publisher, or any business agent, that allows the songwriter the right to have access to the publisher's books and records (usually once a year), so that the songwriter can find out the accuracy of the publisher's accounting.