Neighboring rights and SoundExchange
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.
Music Licensing, Copyrights & Publishing
A collection of articles from the Disc Makers blog that relate to music licensing, copyrights, and publishing.
Performance royalties and PROs
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.
What are mechanical royalties (and how do I get mine)?
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.
I own the sound recording of my song… how do I make money?
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.
Should you “officially” copyright your music?
In our second video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen talks about registering your song for copyright. Should you do it? Read the post.
Understanding music rights and royalties
Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen has started a new video series aimed at answering your questions about copyrights, how you’re paid for them, and what you need to do to collect your royalties. Read the post.
What can you learn from Taylor Swift’s master rights predicament?
Taylor Swift’s latest industry tussle raises lots of questions for music artists. Who’s right, who’s wrong, and most importantly, what can you learn so you can avoid having to fight for your master rights? Read the post.
How Much Does Streaming Pay?
When you analyze the money you can earn from streaming, you’ll find it’s difficult (at best) to earn enough to support yourself as an artist. But streaming is still valuable: it can be a gateway to discovery and other means of monetizing your fan base. Read the post.
Maximize your royalties by submitting cue sheets
Music licensing for film, TV, movie trailers, video, and advertising generates lucrative sync licenses and even boosts your performance royalties — but only if you submit cue sheets. Read the post.
Should I copyright my song?
Per the Copyright Act of 1976, as soon as your song is in a fixed form, you own the copyright. So usually what people are talking about is registering the copyright when they ask, “Should I copyright my song?” Read the post.
3 steps to get your songs in music libraries
For indie musicians and songwriters who don’t yet have connections in publishing and licensing, music libraries are one way you can seek music licensing opportunities. Read the post.
5 things you should do before you seek a music licensing deal
These five steps might not be fun or glamorous, but they’re necessary if you’re serious about seeking a music licensing deal. Read More.
How cue sheets help you get paid for TV and film placements
A cue sheet is a written synopsis of the music used in a production and is one way to ensure all the stakeholders in a song are compensated adequately. Read More.
Copyright termination: McCartney, Duran Duran, and the YMCA.
Copyright termination is giving music artists the opportunity to reclaim the rights to their songs. The stories of Duran Duran, Paul McCartney and The Village People’s Victor Willis tell the tale. Read More.
Performing Rights Organizations – a history and overview
Performing Rights Organizations aggregate the performing rights of writers and publishers and then negotiate licenses with all the users of music, collect the income from those licenses, and distribute that income. Read More.