Publishing and Royalties 101 continued:
The Nuts and Bolts of Songwriting Income
PART TWO:
PERFORMANCE RIGHTS SOCIETIES: ASCAP OR BMI?
By Darcie-Nicole Wicknick
Special to MusicBizAdvice.com
WHAT DOES SESAC OFFER THEIR MEMBERS,
AND OTHER FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE MAKING YOUR CHOICE
SESAC is primarily known for its roster of European and Gospel composers and recently
began more aggressively marketing itself to mainstream songwriters. Therefore,
ASCAP and BMI are more well-known.Also, SESAC’s
application process is more selective. Some writers like this because they feel it brings
a cache to their work, while others find the process exclusionary or even intimidating.
SESAC’s relative lack of popularity (compared to BMI and ASCAP) makes it difficult get enough information from songwriters
to provide a clear picture of the pros and cons of SESAC affiliation. But
we're working on it.
REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN SESAC
SESAC’s website provides only the following information about their
membership selection process:
Unlike the other performing rights organizations, SESAC has a selective
process by which to affiliate songwriters and publishers, resulting in
affiliates who have personal relationships with the SESAC staff. The
company’s creative staff works with songwriters to develop and perfect their
talents. SESAC takes pride in a roster based on quality rather than
quantity. Submissions are reviewed by SESAC's Writer/Publisher Relations
staff.
CONTACT
Diana Akin, Coordinator, Nashville -
dakin@sesac.com
Yasmin de Soiza, Coordinator, Los Angeles -
ydesoiza@sesac.com
Peniece Le Gall, Coordinator, Atlanta -
plegall@sesac.comTara McDermott,
Coordinator, New York -
tmcdermott@sesac.com
MBADC is doing outreach to SESAC at this time so we
can learn more from them directly about what would qualify a songwriter or
publisher to become a SESAC affiliate. We will update this page as soon as
we have received that information from the appropriate SESAC representative.
SESAC MEMBER BENEFITS
- Affiliated with SXSW and CMJ Festivals
- Country Music Association
membership discount
- Direct Deposit
- Discounted subscriptions to Billboard,
Hollywood Reporter, American Songwriter, Music Connection, and
Performing Songwriter magazines
- Discounts on MasterWriter, MusicPro
Insurance, Get it Guru merchandising, SongU.com, WhosLooking.com,
and Discmakers
- Link/Profile (with photo) on the site
- Lists member tour dates and
performances in SESAC on the Road section
- Offers formal recognition via SESAC
awards
- Online access to earnings statements
and live performances
- Online works registration
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SESAC
FROM A MEMBERS’ STANDPOINT
From SESAC’s website: When a songwriter or publisher affiliates with
SESAC, SESAC then represents the right for that music to be played in
public. As the technological leader among the nation’s performing rights
organizations, SESAC was the first P.R.O. to employ state-of-the-art
Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) performance detection. SESAC utilizes BDS in
conjunction with other cutting edge performance detection technology,
providing SESAC’s writer and publisher affiliates with the fastest, most
accurate royalty payment available anywhere. The system required to compute
compensation is based on many factors, including music trade publication
chart activity, computer database information, and state-of-the-art
monitoring.
Non-US Residents
If you live in a country other than the United States, I recommend you call your federal
copyright protection office (the one comparable to the Library of Congress in the U.S.)
for information about organizations in your country that provide performance rights
services. You may also obtain this information at a municipal office, or in the section on
music business law in your local library. You may also ask a music attorney, copyright
attorney, or intellectual property attorney in your country.
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