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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.

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.

copyright music

Should you “officially” copyright your music?

June 1, 2020May 23, 2022 Tony van Veen

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

Understanding music rights and royalties

May 18, 2020September 25, 2020 Tony van Veen

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.

Taylor Swift master rights

What can you learn from Taylor Swift’s master rights predicament?

December 11, 2019September 29, 2020 Scott McCormick

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.

Tonys music streaming Graph

How Much Does Streaming Pay?

August 22, 2019June 21, 2022 Tony van Veen

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.

cue sheets

Maximize your royalties by submitting cue sheets

May 28, 2019June 14, 2019 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

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.

copyright my song

Should I copyright my song?

April 24, 2019March 24, 2020 Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter

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.

music libraries

3 steps to get your songs in music libraries

October 12, 2017December 28, 2021 Dave Kusek

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.

Music Licensing Deal

5 things you should do before you seek a music licensing deal

September 12, 2017June 1, 2020 Dave Kusek

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.

cue sheets

How cue sheets help you get paid for TV and film placements

August 7, 2017August 14, 2017 Music Opps

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

Copyright termination: McCartney, Duran Duran, and the YMCA.

June 12, 2017December 18, 2017 Keith Hatschek

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

Performing Rights Organizations – a history and overview

June 16, 2016June 14, 2016 Michael Eames

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.

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