Publishing Royalties for Your Shows and Performances

I don’t know about you but I’M READY to get out the house and back to shows. Going to hip hop shows every week has been one of my favorite things to do over the past 10 years. I think that people in general love live performances and when everything goes back to “normal” (whatever that means) there will be a rush of shows, tours, and fans ready to throw their wallet at you to see live music again. 

Like everything else with the pandemic, I believe that the people who are using this as a repositioning opportunity to be ready for the green light the pandemic ends, they will be the ones who come out on top versus their peers/competition. One of those things that will help you prepare is knowing how to register your live shows and performances with your Performing Rights Organization (PRO ie ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN, etc.) and get paid royalties.

One of the coolest things that happened to me as a producer is the first, and one of the few, time that I got paid out of nowhere for a show that the artist did with the song I produced for him. NGL it wasn’t a lot of money but that he thought of registering the song in the first place and included me was a feel good moment and definitely one of respect for him being on his business. 

Every year venues (including bars and restaurants) that play music play the PROs a licensing fee based on a few factors to make it fair based on size/capacity etc. Some of that money contributes to the publishing royalties that artists can receive for performing their songs. 

In order to receive performance royalties from concerts you play, you need to submit the list of songs you performed (your setlist) at any given concert, gig, or live performance. You also need to make sure those songs are registered with your PRO.

Here’s how you can register your performances with your PRO and start getting paid for performances.

ASCAP

SESAC

SESAC pays out affiliate songwriters and publishers through their Live Performance Notification System. This is located online in “Affiliate Services” on http://www.sesac.com. From there, you need to fill out the “Live Performance Notification Log”. The same process applies to shows you’ve played outside the US.

To assure that you are getting paid as soon as possible, you should report your performance before the end of the calendar quarter in which the show took place. This way you will be up to date with SESAC’s distribution cycle.

SOCAN

To register your setlist to SOCAN, you need to login to your SOCAN account http://www.socan.com/  and check the Unidentified Concert List. To find the list login and go to “Performances and Repertoire”. If you find a concert you have played but there is no setlist, then follow the instructions to submit your setlist. If you played a show that does not show up on the Unidentified Concert List, then fill out and submit a “Notification of Live Performance Form” along with proof of the concert (eg. ticket stub, newspaper clipping, program book, contract, or letter/email from the presenter).

You have up to one year following your performance to report your setlist. The Unidentified Concert List covers concerts up to three years old.

International Performance:
Generally, you will not have to inform SOCAN of an international performance. However, it is ideal to have the necessary information at hand in order to confirm that payment is received, or to submit a claim with the relevant society if the payment has not been received. This information includes a “Notification of Live Performance Form” a link to or copy of the show contract, a setlist, and the country/territory of use. For classical performances, a programme for the concert will replace the need for an NLPF and setlist.

PRS

You can click here, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select, “Report a Live Performance”. PRS also offers an app called “PRS for Music” that allows you to report live performances.

As a PRS writer, the submission deadline varies depending on where your performance took place:
Gigs & Clubs: No more than a year following the date of your performance
International Performance: No more than two years following the date of your performance
UK Concert: No more than seven years following the date of your performance

Hopefully that helps as you’re working on your post-quarrantine strategy on how to monetize and hit your music goals.

PEACE

SO IAM