Tracks dropped from libraries,publishing and going forward

[Jay]

I have had a couple/three tracks dropped from a nonexclusive library after getting some placements with those tracks in the past.I set up my own publishing company and now get both ends on these songs.Anyone else run into this? is this common?

If they dropped the track and it’s been sitting on a music supervisors computer and THEN gets used..I’m assuming this is OK and ethical..this is what I think happened the first time..the other 2 are dropped tracks I think?

anyway..I’m seeing more of this and wondering if anyone else is dealing with the same situation…Jay

[Michael Nickolas]

Jay, the non-exclusive library no doubt re-titled the tracks. As long as you are not using the same title as they did you’re good. Their contract probably covered this. There is usually a clause that reads something about not registering the track with a PRO using the title they have assigned.

[Advice]

As Michael said, any placements using the re-title that library gave your track should have publishing royalties still go to the library, even though they dropped it. That title means it was placed through their efforts and their contract undoubtedly covers that they still get their share. The fact that they dropped it from their library is irrelevant.

What’s funny is this has happened to me occasionally. A library drops a track of mine that they’ve actually placed. Don’t quite get ‘why’ other than that with so many tracks and so many placements for a given library, maybe they, themselves don’t know what’s happened with various tracks in blanket deals. Or…. they DO know it was placed but still they don’t feel like it will get much traction going forward.

[Jay]

What’s funny is this has happened to me occasionally. A library drops a track of mine that they’ve actually placed. Don’t quite get ‘why’ other than that with so many tracks and so many placements for a given library, maybe they, themselves don’t know what’s happened with various tracks in blanket deals. Or…. they DO know it was placed but still they don’t feel like it will get much traction going forward.

Thanks guys..I figured this had happened before to others here…I think sometimes a track could be set aside by a MS and then used months or even years down the road..this makes me wonder if maybe the MS went back to the library for it and found it was no longer there and then searched by artist name @ PRO for proper cue sheet info..I know these people are busy and maybe not…but how it got on the show with the proper title and not the retitle has me scratching my head…I have one track with a bunch of placements that just showed up in my publishing account..I can’t help but wonder if I’ll get both ends on that one going forward…I rarely get upfront fees and though I’m not really complaining I feel I’m entitled to “something” more at times..especially when a track gets near 20 placements on a blanket deal with no upfront fee attached…I like to think I did something right if it gets that much activity…Jay

[Advice]

I had one of my cues show up on a cue sheet under its original title with my own publishing company even though it was not in any library under the exact original title. I narrowed it down to a library that just added a tag to the original title. I think when ASCAP was matching what they saw on the cue sheet to my cues, they just made an error because the names were so similar. Or, maybe the cue sheet filed with ASCAP accidentally left off the tag. I contacted the library and had it straightened out. Didn’t want them to lose out on money that was rightfully theirs for making the placement.

[Jay]

The one track I had was definitely dropped from the library when the one placement was made but the other one is still active..(or I think it is) the publishing royalties were pennies so I’m not going to bother notifying until it adds up to something worth mentioning..it’s good to know it’s just not me having wacky experiences like this 🙂

[Jay]

The one track I had was definitely dropped from the library when the one placement was made but the other one is still active..(or I think it is) the publishing royalties were pennies so I’m not going to bother notifying until it adds up to something worth mentioning..it’s good to know it’s just not me having wacky experiences like this 🙂

As I try and figure this out I have found that the first track that I (thought) was dropped from this library (and I’m now getting publishing royalties on) was actually rejected BUT a bumper from the song was kept and got a decent amount of placements…which makes me scratch my head about this even more..I doubt a library would have a rejected song in their database..they never registered it with my PRO but did register the bumper..so that asks the question – did the MS download the song from me directly (I allow free downloads) or somehow get it from the library?

I know no one has the actual answer to this…just trying to get some insight on how things work in situations like this..Jay

the second song I’m getting backend on was a typo on the cue sheet (I’m sure of that) and I have to straighten that out so the $ goes where it should…looks like a lot of little mistakes get made when filing cue sheets and paying royalties..Jay

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