Cue Sheets – The Key to Your Royalty Payments

I recently received a frantic phone call from a composer, concerned about his BMI royalties last quarter.  He wanted to know why he hadn’t received his check, since he knew his project had aired on television and he had been eagerly awaiting that royalty check.

A quick call to BMI member services revealed the problem.  The PRO had not received the cue sheet for the project.  I contacted the production company, which eventually sent me a copy of the cue sheet, which revealed even more.  The cue sheet was in correct, missing much of the required information, including cue titles and publishing information.  So even if the paperwork had been submitted, the PRO would not have been able to pay based upon the information received.

Bottom line, in order for any PRO (ASCAP, BMI or SESAC) to distribute royalties for a television or film project, they must receive a cue sheet and that cue sheet must be properly filled out. Without properly prepared cue sheets, it would be nearly impossible for composers and publishers to be compensated for their work.

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A cue sheet lists the music that is contained in a project; the way the music was used, the duration of each piece of music and who should be paid.

The PRO’s have noted that newer, independent producers are not as meticulous or consistent in the filing of accurate cue sheets. These newcomers are sometimes unaware of the legal and professional responsibilities involved in using music in their productions and how important it is to ensure that composers and publishers are paid properly.

The aforementioned composer was working with an independent company when he encountered issues with his royalty payments.  It is recommended that composers and publishers request copies of cue sheets sent directly to them, so that they can be sure that the paperwork is submitted in a timely fashion.  Checking to make sure that the cue sheets have been prepared and filed is good insurance for receiving accurate compensation for your music.

For more info contact your performing rights organization

http://www.ascap.com/music-career/articles-advice/cue-sheets

http://www.bmi.com/creators/detail/what_is_a_cue_sheet

http://www.sesac.com/WritersPublishers/HowWePay/CueSheet.aspx

Music Business Strategy Step #2 – Look Before You Leap

Last time, we discussed the necessity and importance of musicians and songwriters developing a business plan.  As I researched that offering, I was intrigued by the insights of Peter Spellman of Berklee College.  He is as passionate about business as he is about music. “I like to think of one's business plan as a ‘vision/mission,’" he says in a recent post to his blog, Music Business Solutions.  “It starts with vision. Before your first gig you envisioned yourself playing it. Remember? Vision precedes mission and fuels it with the necessary energy to go the distance. Mission implements vision and provides the vehicle that moves you towards your goal. Together they're unstoppable!”

Photo courtesy of: Emyscollection.com

Well it turns out that Mr. Spellman is right in step with the new direction that successful corporate leaders are taking.  Fortune 500 companies have embraced both Vision and Mission Statements as the inspirational words chosen by successful leaders to clearly convey the direction of their organizations. Both allow a person to powerfully communicate his intentions and motivate others to share a common vision. 

As a music entrepreneur, having the necessary tools to convey your vision for your music, and proclaim the mission of your musical enterprise is essential to the success of both.   And as Mr. Spellman, so aptly put it, a business plan is the most efficient tool for the job.  And why is that?  Because the process of developing a business plan forces you to think creatively, pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of your strategies and ideas, identify any problems, find opportunities you may have missed, evaluate and set your priorities, get realistic about your budget and make necessary changes in your game plan before making critical mistakes that can derail the whole project.

Ultimately, slowing down to create a definitive business plan will only accelerate your success by making you look at things with a more discerning eye, while creating a document that will make potential investors look at you with similar discernment. 

On a personal note, I realized that I needed to practice what I’ve been preaching, so I have been developing my own business plan for my burgeoning music enterprise.  And as Mr. Spellman predicted, I discovered holes in my budget, forcing me to find those opportunities that I had overlooked and create a more realistic financial strategy. 

Bottom line, a business plan forces you to look before you leap.