By binger0
Sat Sep 04, 2004 8:39 pm
Mathes Institute of Recording Arts & Sciences
Nashville, Tennessee
LESSON GROUP SEVEN
There are royalty payments for many uses of copyrighted and patented rights. Since this course concerns the music industry, our discussion will present information only about those types of royalties.
Remember, all royalties are contracted for, whether they be on behalf of the writer(s) or artist, or producer, or publisher. They do not all have the same rate of payment because they are not all under the compulsory license provision fixed by the copyright law. But they remain royalties that must be paid.
If you recall, the statutory royalty rate is provided to protect the writer(s) interest in the composition, except for the first authorized recording, (which can be negotiated for a higher or lower amount without violating the statute), so far as sales of recordings are concerned.
All other writer(s) royalties are negotiated through the publisher, except for performing rights payments which are set by the society and paid to the publisher and writer(s) directly. All artist and producer royalties are negotiated through the record companies, neither of which has any effect on the writer(s) or publisher.
In regards to performing rights organizations, ASCAP pays according to a ratio dependent upon surveyed or logged performances to the amount of money available for distribution after overhead expenses. BMI makes their distribution based upon the amount set forth on their payment schedule (which by the way is updated from time to time) for the performances, multiplied by the number of performances logged through their complicated rating system. The payment schedule lists the minimum amounts to be paid, but bonuses are also paid for major accomplishments. SESAC computes their royalties on a song's position in the national trade charts (such as Billboard, R&R, Gavin Report, etc.) as a flat fee payment.
If you are a recording artist, the record company will sign an agreement stating that they will pay royalties to you, based on the number of sales of products with your performance on them as reported by the record distributors, at a percentage agreed to by both you and the label.
The royalties are usually calculated using the retail price, but some companies use the wholesale figure. Artists should be aware that the royalty rate should be doubled if the wholesale sales price is used to calculate royalties.
Royalties are paid on all sales, less a return percentage, supposedly for breakage. But, you won't be paid for promotional copies furnished DJ's and distributors for promotional purposes. Those recordings must be marked Promotional copies - Not for sale or Radio Promotion Only. Also, some companies limit the royalty percentage for RECORD CLUB, MILITARY PX sales, and foreign distribution as well.
Returns attributed to breakage IS NOT the problem of years ago when the vinyl was hard and easily broken during shipment. So, artists are advised to ask for royalties on 100 percent od product sold and paid for. There are FEW problems with defective goods as well because of today's higher quality materials, and manufacturing equipment.
The royalties are calculated by varying percentages, depending upon the type of product. Vinyl records, cassettes and CD's all have different payment rates due to different deductions for packaging, record club sales, military sales, and reserves against returns. A lot of companies still use the figure of 100% of products sold and paid for, minus 10% (for breakage) deduction to begin computing royalties, and won't negotiate.
A record producer, (not on salary at the record company) is usually paid a production fee and/or a combination fee and royalties.
There is no set standard, although a 2% to 5% royalty rate is common. For those who get their negotiated fee up front, no royalties are paid for production. Those fees range from $50 per side (song) to $1,500 per side depending on the succcess of the producer.
An example of a combination fee-royalty producer might be:
$500-$1,500 up front for each side recorded, plus a 1-3% royalty from sales over 10,000 copies. There are many different arrangements that are negotiable.
I can tell you this, once you get to Lesson Group Eleven and understand the magnitude of work that goes into a professional record production, a producer is not overpaid for the time spent on the project.
I did not say that everyone who advertises to produce sessions is worth the price they charge! But, one with credentials might be a real bargain for you at their price. It takes great skill to produce quality recordings. And it takes hours and hours of time before and after the actual session. There is pre-production meetings, budget preparation, contract negotiations, listening to hundreds, maybe a thousand demos to find the right song material, booking studio time, musicians, vocalists, arrangers, filing union contracts, handling the recording, overdub and mixdown sessions, and mastering the recordings for manufacturing.
These royalties are collected by the publisher through a license with the record companies for sales of product. The only difference is, these royalties are for the right to record a published work. As you already know from previous discussions, these royalties are set by an Act of Congress.
The publisher contracts with the writer(s), promising to pay royalties from all monies received from the companies for the sales of recordings. The publisher divides the money received equally between the publisher and the writer.
For sales from foreign distributors, only one-half of the U.S. rate will be paid because that's all a publisher gets. Therefore. if a record company sold 1,000,000 copies in the United States, it provides the publisher an income of 8 cents per copy (assuming for this example there were no deductions) or $80,000. The writer(s) would be paid one-half of that amount, or $40,000.
To find the amount of writer royalties, simply multiply $.08 times the number of sales, subtract one-half of that answer, and divide that answer by the number of writers.
A song publicly performed on radio, television, the Internet, wired music services (MUSAK), juke boxes, airlines, concerts, clubs, colleges, and universities, earn performance royalties.
You'll remember that a complicated system of calculations has been devised by the performing rights societies, which purports to be authentic. At any rate, royalties are paid to BOTH the publisher and writer(s) directly. YOU DO NOT GET PAID AGAIN BY THE PUBLISHER FOR THOSE ROYALTIES!
The publisher and the writer(s) can be licensed by different P.R.O. in which the song is cataloged. A writer can only belong to ONE performing rights organization, although a publisher might have divisions serving all of the P.R.O.'s so they can contract songs from any writer.
Each P.R.O. has their own method of determining royalty rates to be paid for performances. Writers with national hits also get bonuses that a small writer does not get. The Copyright Law specifically excludes collecting fees for songs performed in church services.
Although as we mentioned in the Mechanical section, the Copyright Law exempts church services from performance fees, a new firm came on the scene in 1993 that does license songs that are placed in Hymnals and other printed song books for use in ecumenical Protestant churches in the United States and Canada.
LICENŠING (a partnership based in St Paul, Minnesota) will log the uses of the licensor's compositions by their contracted churches, and pay a prorated share amounting to 60% of the collections of the churches usage of the songs.
The idea seems fair enough, since there is a large number of hymnbooks being used by churches and not all were attempting to find the exact copyright owners of the songs and pay royalties like the other print manufacturers are required to do. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRINT MANUFACTURER DESCRIBED IN THE NEXT SECTION, AND A CHURCH THAT COMPILES A BOOK OF SONGS except the later DOESN'T KNOW THAT IN DOING SO THEY MUST PAY ROYALTIES ON THE NUMBER OF COPIES PRINTED. No exemption exists under the Law in this case.
There is no fee for the publishers to obtain the license from LICENŠING. Of course, a publisher would be obligated to divide the income with the writer(s) in accordance to their writer/publisher agreement.
As with many of the other royalties, this one is collected by the publisher on behalf of the writer(s) compositions. The royalty is paid on sales of sheet music, folios, fakebooks, band-orchestra-choral arrangements, and other printed editions of the song.
With folios, fakebooks, songbooks, and arrangements, the royalty is prorated. That is, if there are 20 songs in the book, and the book sells at wholesale for $3.00 and the royalty rate was 10%, then a publisher would receive $.02 for each song represented by their catalog for each book sold.
Some publishers have a set payment rate to writers for these print royalties. Although I always believed that there should not be any difference in the division of royalties from one category to another, I followed the industry for several years. The earlier contracts from my publishing companies had a paragraph pertaining to all sorts of percentages for different uses.
Several years ago, I changed those contracts to simply read that a writer would receive a fifty/fifty split of ALL INCOME RECEIVED FROM ALL SOURCES. A copy of the contract and explanation of each paragraph of that contract was included in Lesson Group Two.
Since then, several other publishers have joined in that theory, and now even some music attorney's now advocate that a writer should try to get that policy included in their songwriter agreements because IT IS FAIR! It also makes accounting much simpler too.
So, in the example for books above, a publisher would divide their income with the writer. ONE CENT EACH. If that doesn't sound like much, remember that song folios with popular songs in it, i.e.; TOP TWENTY SONGS of 1994, might sell 500,000 copies, or more.
These royalties come from sales of all other products which pertains to the use of a copyright.
Some prime examples are:
1. Lyrics used on posters
2. Greeting cards
3. Games
4. Beverages
5. Books
The royalty rates are contracted by and between the publisher and the user. Naturally the same split is made between the publisher and the writer as in all of the other types.
Again, you need to read the agreement to be sure what the policy is on any royalty issue.
This royalty is paid to a copyright owner (publisher) for the right to transmit over cable television the recording of the copyrighted work. This fee is negotiated by and between the cable company and the publisher.
Remember back in Lesson Group Two, a copy of an arrangement was included that I did in 1971 when I was producing The Four Guys. Since they were Grand Ole Opry members, The Nashville Network, years later, requested a license to use this song from their album on a tv special. Because of the enormous viewing audience of TNN, I agreed to a fee of $500 each time the song was used.
The writer's royalty was divided according to the agreement between the writer and publisher. In this case, that was easy since the copyright owner (publisher) and writer was me. Yes, I sign the same contract that all of our other writers do.
In the past couple of years, there has been an influx of NEW Congressional Acts approved for the recording industry that needs to be addressed here.
One is the Audio Home Recording of 1992. The electronics industry is required to pay royalty on each sale of blank recording tape, cassettes and CD's. These royalties are paid into a fund at the U.S. Copyright Office.
Another push is underway by the record manufacturers for a bill, Digital Transmissions Performing Rights (H.R. 2376) to provide them royalties for all digital, electronic home delivery of music. The publishing industry is fighting this one since it DOES NOT provide for any royalty payments to the copyright owner. UPDATE: Internet Fee Passed.. Negotiable $30-$50 for 1-year.
Everybody is getting in on the bandwagon for more and more royalties. What is ironic to me, is, many of these new bills are creating immediate wealth for people who never had to endure seventy years of royalties for songwriter's of ONE CENT per song per record sold and paid, and a lot less for printed music.
The manufacturers during that time was (and is) making the bulk of the money by continually raising the price of their products while having absolutely no concern for the writers.
THE WHOLE ROYALTY SITUATION EXPLAINED:
First, let me explain, there are many royalty fees in the recording industry. You may not use all of them, but you need to know what they are, and what their for.
Custom Mechanical License
To record a song onto a CD, Cassette, etc., Project is made and distributed
by either the record company, or the individual or group. The Statutory Rate as revised by the Library of Congress. The current rate is $.08 Per Copy, Per Song. Effective January 1, 2002.
One Time Bulletin Print License
Song (words only) reprinted in a Church Bulletin or songsheet only once. Gratis for one song.
One Year Bulletin License
Song (words Only) reprinted in a Church Bulletin or songsheet on a recurring basis for one year. $01.-$.10 Per copy, per song, or $10.00 Per song, whichever is greater.
Congregational Songbook Print License
Song (words Only or Words & Melody) reprinted in a permanent local congregation songbook. $.01 - $.10 per copy. per song or $10.00 per song, whichever is greater.
Photocopy License
To photocopy a song from a publication (songbook, choral book, etc). $.75-$80 per photocopy.
Slide Projection/Overhead Transparency
To place the words of a song on a permanent slide or transparency. $15.00 per song.
Non-Commercial Videogram Syncronization License
To use a song in a video. Song can be actual ""on-screen"" performance by an artist or group, or serve as background music. $.10 per video copy (minimum fee $20.00). If original artist recording is used, please contact Record Label for Master Use Permission. See Master Use License.
TV Syncronization License (Local Cable Broadcast & Nationwide Broadcast)
To broadcast a song on local or regional television more than once. License term is usually one (1) year. If a sing is only broadcast once, fee is not requited as long as station has a license with ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.
Non-Commercial Master Recording License
To use an original artist recording on a CD, Cassette, Video, etc. contact record label.
Commercial Mechanical License
To record a song onto a CD, Cassette, etc. Project is made, distributed and promoted at the expense of a major record label. $.08 (first 3 minutes) plus $.0155 cents each additional minute, per song, per recording. Budget-line rates negotiated with Publisher. Royalties must be paid Quarterly.
Commercial Print License
Songs reprinted in a commercially distributed product (songbook, choral arrangement, orchestration, etc). Ten percent (10%) to Twelve and one-half (12 ½½%) of the products retail selling price, divided by the number of copyrighted songs. Royalties paid Quarterly.
Accompaniment Track Tapes
To record a song onto a CD or Cassette, etc, for the purposes of singing the song ""live."" Lyrics are placed on the CD sleeve or Cassette J-Card. Usually product is made and distributed. Both Mechanical and Print licenses are required. Statutory Rate X the number of uses. Print is $.10-$.12 per copy, per song. Royalties paid Quarterly.
TV Synchronization License (Syndicated Broadcast)
To broadcast a song more than once at the national or global level (ABC, CBS, NBC, CBN, ESPN, etc.) One Time negotiable fee from Publisher
Commercial Videogram Synchronization License
To use a song in a video. Song can be actual ""on-screen"" performance by an artist or group, or serve as background music. $.08-$.10 per video copy. If original recording is used, contact record label for Master Use permission. Royalties paid Quarterly.
Motion Picture Synchronization License
To use an original artist recording on a CD, Cassettes, etc. To use a song in a feature film as a theme, or as a background music. Contact film company for a one-time negotiable fee.
MIDI License
To use a song in a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) product, usually a 3.5 diskette containing digital information which can be altered. $.25 per song, per disk copy.
Electrical Transcription License
To use a song in a tape intended for public broadcast (i.e. theme music for a radio program.) $30.00-$50.00 for a one year license term.
Live Stage Performance License
To use a song as part of a public live stage performance (a drama or a musical) where admission is charged. $25.00 per week for amateur productions. $250.00 per week for first class legitimate productions.
On-Line Lyric Display License
To display the lyrics of a song on an internet web page. $10.00-$30.00 per song for a one year license term.
CD-ROM Synchronization License
To use a song together with visual images contained on a CD-ROM disk. $.10 per song, per disk copy. Master Use License Required Separately.
Internet Performance License.
To play a song (or part of a song) on a web site for promotional purposes only (i.e. web site designed to promote the activities of a church, civic group, etc). $30.00-$50.00 per song, for a one year license term. If song is intended for other purposes (i.e. internet radio) you must secure a BMI, ASCAP, SESAC license. Master Use License required separately.
Performance License
License granted by performance rights Organizations, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, that allows radio & TV stations, concert halls and restaurants to perform works in their repertoire. Contact ASCAP, BMI & SESAC for more information.
CCLI License (Church Copyright License)
License issued by CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing Internation) to churches and religious organizations which allows them limited access to songs (i.e. bulletins, custom songbooks, overhead projection transparencies, customized songbooks, where no published version is available, etc. Contact CCLI for more Information. Fees are based on the size of the Church or religious organization.
Nashville, Tennessee
LESSON GROUP SEVEN
There are royalty payments for many uses of copyrighted and patented rights. Since this course concerns the music industry, our discussion will present information only about those types of royalties.
Remember, all royalties are contracted for, whether they be on behalf of the writer(s) or artist, or producer, or publisher. They do not all have the same rate of payment because they are not all under the compulsory license provision fixed by the copyright law. But they remain royalties that must be paid.
If you recall, the statutory royalty rate is provided to protect the writer(s) interest in the composition, except for the first authorized recording, (which can be negotiated for a higher or lower amount without violating the statute), so far as sales of recordings are concerned.
All other writer(s) royalties are negotiated through the publisher, except for performing rights payments which are set by the society and paid to the publisher and writer(s) directly. All artist and producer royalties are negotiated through the record companies, neither of which has any effect on the writer(s) or publisher.
In regards to performing rights organizations, ASCAP pays according to a ratio dependent upon surveyed or logged performances to the amount of money available for distribution after overhead expenses. BMI makes their distribution based upon the amount set forth on their payment schedule (which by the way is updated from time to time) for the performances, multiplied by the number of performances logged through their complicated rating system. The payment schedule lists the minimum amounts to be paid, but bonuses are also paid for major accomplishments. SESAC computes their royalties on a song's position in the national trade charts (such as Billboard, R&R, Gavin Report, etc.) as a flat fee payment.
If you are a recording artist, the record company will sign an agreement stating that they will pay royalties to you, based on the number of sales of products with your performance on them as reported by the record distributors, at a percentage agreed to by both you and the label.
The royalties are usually calculated using the retail price, but some companies use the wholesale figure. Artists should be aware that the royalty rate should be doubled if the wholesale sales price is used to calculate royalties.
Royalties are paid on all sales, less a return percentage, supposedly for breakage. But, you won't be paid for promotional copies furnished DJ's and distributors for promotional purposes. Those recordings must be marked Promotional copies - Not for sale or Radio Promotion Only. Also, some companies limit the royalty percentage for RECORD CLUB, MILITARY PX sales, and foreign distribution as well.
Returns attributed to breakage IS NOT the problem of years ago when the vinyl was hard and easily broken during shipment. So, artists are advised to ask for royalties on 100 percent od product sold and paid for. There are FEW problems with defective goods as well because of today's higher quality materials, and manufacturing equipment.
The royalties are calculated by varying percentages, depending upon the type of product. Vinyl records, cassettes and CD's all have different payment rates due to different deductions for packaging, record club sales, military sales, and reserves against returns. A lot of companies still use the figure of 100% of products sold and paid for, minus 10% (for breakage) deduction to begin computing royalties, and won't negotiate.
A record producer, (not on salary at the record company) is usually paid a production fee and/or a combination fee and royalties.
There is no set standard, although a 2% to 5% royalty rate is common. For those who get their negotiated fee up front, no royalties are paid for production. Those fees range from $50 per side (song) to $1,500 per side depending on the succcess of the producer.
An example of a combination fee-royalty producer might be:
$500-$1,500 up front for each side recorded, plus a 1-3% royalty from sales over 10,000 copies. There are many different arrangements that are negotiable.
I can tell you this, once you get to Lesson Group Eleven and understand the magnitude of work that goes into a professional record production, a producer is not overpaid for the time spent on the project.
I did not say that everyone who advertises to produce sessions is worth the price they charge! But, one with credentials might be a real bargain for you at their price. It takes great skill to produce quality recordings. And it takes hours and hours of time before and after the actual session. There is pre-production meetings, budget preparation, contract negotiations, listening to hundreds, maybe a thousand demos to find the right song material, booking studio time, musicians, vocalists, arrangers, filing union contracts, handling the recording, overdub and mixdown sessions, and mastering the recordings for manufacturing.
These royalties are collected by the publisher through a license with the record companies for sales of product. The only difference is, these royalties are for the right to record a published work. As you already know from previous discussions, these royalties are set by an Act of Congress.
The publisher contracts with the writer(s), promising to pay royalties from all monies received from the companies for the sales of recordings. The publisher divides the money received equally between the publisher and the writer.
For sales from foreign distributors, only one-half of the U.S. rate will be paid because that's all a publisher gets. Therefore. if a record company sold 1,000,000 copies in the United States, it provides the publisher an income of 8 cents per copy (assuming for this example there were no deductions) or $80,000. The writer(s) would be paid one-half of that amount, or $40,000.
To find the amount of writer royalties, simply multiply $.08 times the number of sales, subtract one-half of that answer, and divide that answer by the number of writers.
A song publicly performed on radio, television, the Internet, wired music services (MUSAK), juke boxes, airlines, concerts, clubs, colleges, and universities, earn performance royalties.
You'll remember that a complicated system of calculations has been devised by the performing rights societies, which purports to be authentic. At any rate, royalties are paid to BOTH the publisher and writer(s) directly. YOU DO NOT GET PAID AGAIN BY THE PUBLISHER FOR THOSE ROYALTIES!
The publisher and the writer(s) can be licensed by different P.R.O. in which the song is cataloged. A writer can only belong to ONE performing rights organization, although a publisher might have divisions serving all of the P.R.O.'s so they can contract songs from any writer.
Each P.R.O. has their own method of determining royalty rates to be paid for performances. Writers with national hits also get bonuses that a small writer does not get. The Copyright Law specifically excludes collecting fees for songs performed in church services.
Although as we mentioned in the Mechanical section, the Copyright Law exempts church services from performance fees, a new firm came on the scene in 1993 that does license songs that are placed in Hymnals and other printed song books for use in ecumenical Protestant churches in the United States and Canada.
LICENŠING (a partnership based in St Paul, Minnesota) will log the uses of the licensor's compositions by their contracted churches, and pay a prorated share amounting to 60% of the collections of the churches usage of the songs.
The idea seems fair enough, since there is a large number of hymnbooks being used by churches and not all were attempting to find the exact copyright owners of the songs and pay royalties like the other print manufacturers are required to do. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRINT MANUFACTURER DESCRIBED IN THE NEXT SECTION, AND A CHURCH THAT COMPILES A BOOK OF SONGS except the later DOESN'T KNOW THAT IN DOING SO THEY MUST PAY ROYALTIES ON THE NUMBER OF COPIES PRINTED. No exemption exists under the Law in this case.
There is no fee for the publishers to obtain the license from LICENŠING. Of course, a publisher would be obligated to divide the income with the writer(s) in accordance to their writer/publisher agreement.
As with many of the other royalties, this one is collected by the publisher on behalf of the writer(s) compositions. The royalty is paid on sales of sheet music, folios, fakebooks, band-orchestra-choral arrangements, and other printed editions of the song.
With folios, fakebooks, songbooks, and arrangements, the royalty is prorated. That is, if there are 20 songs in the book, and the book sells at wholesale for $3.00 and the royalty rate was 10%, then a publisher would receive $.02 for each song represented by their catalog for each book sold.
Some publishers have a set payment rate to writers for these print royalties. Although I always believed that there should not be any difference in the division of royalties from one category to another, I followed the industry for several years. The earlier contracts from my publishing companies had a paragraph pertaining to all sorts of percentages for different uses.
Several years ago, I changed those contracts to simply read that a writer would receive a fifty/fifty split of ALL INCOME RECEIVED FROM ALL SOURCES. A copy of the contract and explanation of each paragraph of that contract was included in Lesson Group Two.
Since then, several other publishers have joined in that theory, and now even some music attorney's now advocate that a writer should try to get that policy included in their songwriter agreements because IT IS FAIR! It also makes accounting much simpler too.
So, in the example for books above, a publisher would divide their income with the writer. ONE CENT EACH. If that doesn't sound like much, remember that song folios with popular songs in it, i.e.; TOP TWENTY SONGS of 1994, might sell 500,000 copies, or more.
These royalties come from sales of all other products which pertains to the use of a copyright.
Some prime examples are:
1. Lyrics used on posters
2. Greeting cards
3. Games
4. Beverages
5. Books
The royalty rates are contracted by and between the publisher and the user. Naturally the same split is made between the publisher and the writer as in all of the other types.
Again, you need to read the agreement to be sure what the policy is on any royalty issue.
This royalty is paid to a copyright owner (publisher) for the right to transmit over cable television the recording of the copyrighted work. This fee is negotiated by and between the cable company and the publisher.
Remember back in Lesson Group Two, a copy of an arrangement was included that I did in 1971 when I was producing The Four Guys. Since they were Grand Ole Opry members, The Nashville Network, years later, requested a license to use this song from their album on a tv special. Because of the enormous viewing audience of TNN, I agreed to a fee of $500 each time the song was used.
The writer's royalty was divided according to the agreement between the writer and publisher. In this case, that was easy since the copyright owner (publisher) and writer was me. Yes, I sign the same contract that all of our other writers do.
In the past couple of years, there has been an influx of NEW Congressional Acts approved for the recording industry that needs to be addressed here.
One is the Audio Home Recording of 1992. The electronics industry is required to pay royalty on each sale of blank recording tape, cassettes and CD's. These royalties are paid into a fund at the U.S. Copyright Office.
Another push is underway by the record manufacturers for a bill, Digital Transmissions Performing Rights (H.R. 2376) to provide them royalties for all digital, electronic home delivery of music. The publishing industry is fighting this one since it DOES NOT provide for any royalty payments to the copyright owner. UPDATE: Internet Fee Passed.. Negotiable $30-$50 for 1-year.
Everybody is getting in on the bandwagon for more and more royalties. What is ironic to me, is, many of these new bills are creating immediate wealth for people who never had to endure seventy years of royalties for songwriter's of ONE CENT per song per record sold and paid, and a lot less for printed music.
The manufacturers during that time was (and is) making the bulk of the money by continually raising the price of their products while having absolutely no concern for the writers.
THE WHOLE ROYALTY SITUATION EXPLAINED:
First, let me explain, there are many royalty fees in the recording industry. You may not use all of them, but you need to know what they are, and what their for.
Custom Mechanical License
To record a song onto a CD, Cassette, etc., Project is made and distributed
by either the record company, or the individual or group. The Statutory Rate as revised by the Library of Congress. The current rate is $.08 Per Copy, Per Song. Effective January 1, 2002.
One Time Bulletin Print License
Song (words only) reprinted in a Church Bulletin or songsheet only once. Gratis for one song.
One Year Bulletin License
Song (words Only) reprinted in a Church Bulletin or songsheet on a recurring basis for one year. $01.-$.10 Per copy, per song, or $10.00 Per song, whichever is greater.
Congregational Songbook Print License
Song (words Only or Words & Melody) reprinted in a permanent local congregation songbook. $.01 - $.10 per copy. per song or $10.00 per song, whichever is greater.
Photocopy License
To photocopy a song from a publication (songbook, choral book, etc). $.75-$80 per photocopy.
Slide Projection/Overhead Transparency
To place the words of a song on a permanent slide or transparency. $15.00 per song.
Non-Commercial Videogram Syncronization License
To use a song in a video. Song can be actual ""on-screen"" performance by an artist or group, or serve as background music. $.10 per video copy (minimum fee $20.00). If original artist recording is used, please contact Record Label for Master Use Permission. See Master Use License.
TV Syncronization License (Local Cable Broadcast & Nationwide Broadcast)
To broadcast a song on local or regional television more than once. License term is usually one (1) year. If a sing is only broadcast once, fee is not requited as long as station has a license with ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.
Non-Commercial Master Recording License
To use an original artist recording on a CD, Cassette, Video, etc. contact record label.
Commercial Mechanical License
To record a song onto a CD, Cassette, etc. Project is made, distributed and promoted at the expense of a major record label. $.08 (first 3 minutes) plus $.0155 cents each additional minute, per song, per recording. Budget-line rates negotiated with Publisher. Royalties must be paid Quarterly.
Commercial Print License
Songs reprinted in a commercially distributed product (songbook, choral arrangement, orchestration, etc). Ten percent (10%) to Twelve and one-half (12 ½½%) of the products retail selling price, divided by the number of copyrighted songs. Royalties paid Quarterly.
Accompaniment Track Tapes
To record a song onto a CD or Cassette, etc, for the purposes of singing the song ""live."" Lyrics are placed on the CD sleeve or Cassette J-Card. Usually product is made and distributed. Both Mechanical and Print licenses are required. Statutory Rate X the number of uses. Print is $.10-$.12 per copy, per song. Royalties paid Quarterly.
TV Synchronization License (Syndicated Broadcast)
To broadcast a song more than once at the national or global level (ABC, CBS, NBC, CBN, ESPN, etc.) One Time negotiable fee from Publisher
Commercial Videogram Synchronization License
To use a song in a video. Song can be actual ""on-screen"" performance by an artist or group, or serve as background music. $.08-$.10 per video copy. If original recording is used, contact record label for Master Use permission. Royalties paid Quarterly.
Motion Picture Synchronization License
To use an original artist recording on a CD, Cassettes, etc. To use a song in a feature film as a theme, or as a background music. Contact film company for a one-time negotiable fee.
MIDI License
To use a song in a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) product, usually a 3.5 diskette containing digital information which can be altered. $.25 per song, per disk copy.
Electrical Transcription License
To use a song in a tape intended for public broadcast (i.e. theme music for a radio program.) $30.00-$50.00 for a one year license term.
Live Stage Performance License
To use a song as part of a public live stage performance (a drama or a musical) where admission is charged. $25.00 per week for amateur productions. $250.00 per week for first class legitimate productions.
On-Line Lyric Display License
To display the lyrics of a song on an internet web page. $10.00-$30.00 per song for a one year license term.
CD-ROM Synchronization License
To use a song together with visual images contained on a CD-ROM disk. $.10 per song, per disk copy. Master Use License Required Separately.
Internet Performance License.
To play a song (or part of a song) on a web site for promotional purposes only (i.e. web site designed to promote the activities of a church, civic group, etc). $30.00-$50.00 per song, for a one year license term. If song is intended for other purposes (i.e. internet radio) you must secure a BMI, ASCAP, SESAC license. Master Use License required separately.
Performance License
License granted by performance rights Organizations, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, that allows radio & TV stations, concert halls and restaurants to perform works in their repertoire. Contact ASCAP, BMI & SESAC for more information.
CCLI License (Church Copyright License)
License issued by CCLI (Christian Copyright Licensing Internation) to churches and religious organizations which allows them limited access to songs (i.e. bulletins, custom songbooks, overhead projection transparencies, customized songbooks, where no published version is available, etc. Contact CCLI for more Information. Fees are based on the size of the Church or religious organization.
