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Music Licensing, Copyrights & Publishing

A collection of articles from the Disc Makers blog that relate to music licensing, copyrights, and publishing.

case with money depicting the music industry's royalty distribution issue

The MLC’s $424 million royalty distribution conundrum

March 23, 2022March 23, 2022 Tony van Veen

The music industry has long had a royalty distribution problem, AKA the infamous “black box,” which represents hundreds of millions in mechanical royalties collected on behalf of publishers and songwriters who have not been paid because they cannot be tracked down. Read the post.

studio recordings

How to make more money from your studio recordings

August 3, 2021August 31, 2021 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

In part three of our series on making money with your songwriting and recording, we explore ideas to restructure how you record music so you can make more money from the recording process. Read the post.

song split sheet

Creating song split sheets in 10 easy steps

June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 Bobby Borg

Musician, author, educator, and music industry consultant Bobby Borg lays out the process of creating a simple, functional song split sheet. Read the post.

monetize your music

How to monetize your music on YouTube

March 5, 2021March 5, 2021 Tony van Veen

In my fourth video about YouTube and your music, I explain how to monetize your music on YouTube, because I know way too many artists are missing out on this revenue. Read the post.

Mechanical Licensing Collective

New music royalties: The Mechanical Licensing Collective and what it means for you

March 2, 2021March 3, 2021 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

The new Mechanical Licensing Collective collects digital audio mechanical royalties from download and streaming services. Learn about the collective and see if you qualify to sign up so you can receive these new music royalties. Read the post.

publishing split

When should a producer get a publishing split?

November 30, 2020March 10, 2022 Tony van Veen

While a producer may get points on your sound recording, is he or she entitled to a share of the composition (songwriting) royalties? It depends on how they’ve contributed. Read the post.

holiday songs

Licensing holiday songs — don’t assume it’s in the public domain

November 17, 2020December 7, 2021 Andre Calilhanna

Recording your own iconic versions of familiar Christmas carols or holiday songs might be the perfect way to catch the attention of new fans or thank your existing fan base with a free download or limited-edition CD. But don’t assume your choice is in the public domain. Read the post.

music licensing

Make your music easy to license for TV, ads, and film

October 20, 2020October 21, 2020 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

To license your music, you need to understand the role of the music supervisor as well as how to prep your music. Follow these steps to increase your chances of getting your music licensed. Read the post.

music royalties

How to turn music royalties into a cash advance

September 11, 2020October 20, 2020 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

If you’ve established a proven stream of royalties, you can turn it into a lump sum of money that you can get today by using royalty auction services. Read the post.

sync licensing

How does sync licensing work?

September 4, 2020September 25, 2020 Tony van Veen

In video number seven in our ongoing series on rights and royalties, Tony van Veen digs into sync licenses. How does an indie musician get in on the action, and how do sync licenses work? Read the post.

copyright questions

Your copyright and royalty questions answered

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020 Tony van Veen

On the heels of his YouTube series addressing copyrights and royalties, Tony van Veen solicited questions from you, our viewers and readers — and you responded. Here are answers to some of the copyright questions that are on your mind. Read the post.

Neighboring Rights

Neighboring rights and SoundExchange

July 22, 2020September 25, 2020 Tony van Veen

In our sixth video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen discusses neighboring rights and SoundExchange, the organization that tracks and pays those royalties. Read the post.

performance royalties

Performance royalties and PROs

July 7, 2020September 25, 2020 Tony van Veen

In our fifth video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen discusses performance royalties, the PROs (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) who collect them, and why you’re probably not getting all you deserve. Read the post.

mechanical royalties

What are mechanical royalties (and how do I get mine)?

June 23, 2020September 17, 2020 Tony van Veen

In our fourth video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen discusses mechanical royalties — the money that gets paid to the songwriter or publisher for the “reproduction of your song.” Read the post.

sound recording

I own the sound recording of my song… how do I make money?

June 11, 2020September 25, 2020 Tony van Veen

In our third video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen discusses what royalties and payments you are entitled to if you own and exploit the sound recording of your song. Read the post.

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