General Music Chat

The PROs will pay you for playing your own songs live, btw.

You have to do the paperwork, but check out BMI Live for more details. I forget what ASCAP calls their version of it.

The PROs will pay you for playing your own songs live, btw.

You have to do the paperwork, but check out BMI Live for more details. I forget what ASCAP calls their version of it.

Yeah, that's what I indicated - I know I had one college radio station appearance with 4 songs and a local tv show with only 1 of my BMI-registered songs. No idea what the sliding scale is - if the radio and tv is worth a lot more - but if I figured I played 25 of my songs in 2013 besides that, the royalties are pretty good and I've got to get out and play more of them (and remember to add them to the database at BMI!)

I joined BMI before I released my first album because I it was free for songwriters. I noticed every CD had BMi or ASCAP caredits on it, so it could only make mine look more 'professional' (HA!)
Never expected to see any royalty money - afterall, everyone knows that only 10% of the songwriters every see any real money from their songs being played.
Anyway ... in the mail last week comes a tax form from BMI - looks like they paid me a total of $68 last year (for song plays in 2013), so its worth it to enter all your original song plays on thier web site afterall!

6 or 7 years ago The Orchard mailed me a notice I would no longer receive royalty checks by U.S. Mail and demanded I sign up "electronically".. I refuse to be dictated to, and now they collect on my behalf, but I see not a cent.. I have made nearly 68 bucks in tips in one outing playing guitar solo.. at a swap meet

ALL THAT SAID...
I haven't earned a dime from them because my music doesn't earn anything, so what the heck do I know?

Well, if you dont' play your music live and dont' get any radio/tv play, you won't see playing royalties, simple fact. ASCAP costs money to join, BMI doesn't (for songwriters/performers).

I joined BMI before I released my first album because I it was free for songwriters. I noticed every CD had BMi or ASCAP caredits on it, so it could only make mine look more 'professional' (HA!)
Never expected to see any royalty money - afterall, everyone knows that only 10% of the songwriters every see any real money from their songs being played.
Anyway ... in the mail last week comes a tax form from BMI - looks like they paid me a total of $68 last year (for song plays in 2013), so its worth it to enter all your original song plays on thier web site afterall!

6 or 7 years ago The Orchard mailed me a notice I would no longer receive royalty checks by U.S. Mail and demanded I sign up "electronically".. I refuse to be dictated to, and now they collect on my behalf, but I see not a cent.. I have made nearly 68 bucks in tips in one outing playing guitar solo.. at a swap meet

No one wants to write checks any more, except when doing stuff locally. E-deposits are a fact of life. Royalty payments are just a little something 'extra' besides your regular gig payments and tips.

ASCAP. Why? Because they are the original, and SESAC is mostly for anywhere other than the U.S. And...

BMI is just SONY,

I think you mean BMG


Totally different company and purpose