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.
computermusicresource.com
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
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