Best Way To Word Ability To Publish/license?

[Imagination]

Hi, I am new here. Thank you for the opportunity to join songstuff and ask a question of experienced people. My question:

I'm a musician and composer with experience producing music, who is moving into music publishing with an eye specifically to film and tv. I've set up a website featuring much of my music, samples, whole songs, etc. I have a specific section intended for film and TV, for music supervisors, producers, indie filmmakers and so on... this section (obviously) features music available. Of course I have contact info as well.

I have recently registered as a writer and publisher with a PRS, as well as set up my own publishing company. Once my works are registered with my PRS, I believe I have done what I need to in order to be able to license works for use in film and tv, is this correct?

My question is, since I'm inexperienced, if I want to communicate to a visitor at my site that I'm set up in this way, with a publishing company, what would be the best way to express it? My music is good, but the site might just look like some kid set up a website with his music... I want to communicate that I'm set up to license and publish works. Can you help me word this in a way that will speak to such people? Or do you feel it's unnecessary?

Thank you in advance for any help!

[john]

Hey

I'll need to check exactly who but I think you need to register with PPL. Film and TV are governed by synchronisation rights and PPL and VPL administer them. Where I am not sure is that you register with professional bodies and colloection societies in two different capacities: artist, publisher.

PRS is for performance rights. They have expanded collection activities but I still think you need to be registerd with PPL/VPL.

You can find links to PPL and other societies in the UK here:

UK collection agencies and music rights organiszations

Cheers

John

[john]

Hey

On the wording... it depends. Is it a gateway to the publishing aspect of the business? for example is someone visiting the publisher's website to see what is available in their catalog? Are they visiting the artist's site to see what songs they have written?

If it is an artist/writer site then I think it best that you mention that material is published by *blah blah publishing* with details on contacting them (even though it is you).

Other than that I don't think the publisher info needs to be highly prominent, except perhaps next to each track in the track info you should say who published it and if a record label owns the mechanical rights, the details of the record label too.

There's no need to explain your personal set up, just the fact that these entities exist and that they lay claim to certain materials like the song, the recording of the song etc, like you see on music sleeves.

Cheers

John

[Imagination]

Hey

On the wording... it depends. Is it a gateway to the publishing aspect of the business? for example is someone visiting the publisher's website to see what is available in their catalog? Are they visiting the artist's site to see what songs they have written?

If it is an artist/writer site then I think it best that you mention that material is published by *blah blah publishing* with details on contacting them (even though it is you).

Other than that I don't think the publisher info needs to be highly prominent, except perhaps next to each track in the track info you should say who published it and if a record label owns the mechanical rights, the details of the record label too.

There's no need to explain your personal set up, just the fact that these entities exist and that they lay claim to certain materials like the song, the recording of the song etc, like you see on music sleeves.

Cheers

John

Hi John. Thanks so much for the thoughtful, detailed responses. All you said makes sense. I should have mentioned, by the way, that I'm in the US. I believe registering as a writer and publisher with ASCAP and/or BMI is sufficient. I could be mistaken but i believe so.

Okay, so I state that the music is published by Imagination Publishing (pseudonym), and that should accomplish what I'm trying to accomplish. Question though, once I register my works with ASCAP, then my work is "Published", correct? I don't believe there is another step after that...

[typo]

i think your work is registered, so it's protected, but it's not actually published until it is "available". i could be talking crap tho. it's just the way i've always understood it.