[Tbone]

This is what I think many of us expected to happen at some point, and it will be hugely important for us. I’ll be following it closely.

[Tbone]

I haven’t had any detections on TuneSat for I think a couple months. I used to get them quite often before that.

[Tbone]

“Hmm, I’m not too familiar with the rate card myself. I found it here: https://www.prsformusic.com/-/media/files/prs-for-music/licensing/production-music/2023-rate-cards/production-music-rate-card-2023.pdf but it doesn’t seem to say.

I will say that I have had a lot of UK TV placements and most of them have paid extremely little… maybe some kind of blanket deal but I don’t know for sure how it works.”

[Tbone]

That’s good to hear. I don’t think you are techincally a member of both, but you can have a payment account at multiple PROs within the US, but that’s not the same as being a member.

Hopefully SESAC pays you any previously unpaid royalties from prior years! If there are any..

[Tbone]

According to the second link in your post:

“For new works (i.e. works registered after April 1, 2016): SESAC will make payments directly to you.
For existing works (i.e. works registered before April 1, 2016): SESAC will make payments directly to you, unless these performances are subject to an ASCAP “license-in-effect” (see question 9 below).”

Also I see this stated:

“Q: Is there anything I need to do to effectuate this change?

A: No, all necessary payment information will be given to SESAC so that they can account to you directly.”

So apparently SESAC should pay you royalties for the tracks in question. There is a SESAC contact listed on that page too. I would write to that contact and any other SESAC email you may have, include a link to that page and say you are requesting this issue be resolved and payment made to you at their earliest convenience… Also I would cc the Universal contact email listed on the second link you posted too.

I’m not a lawyer etc, but this is what I would try to do.

[Tbone]

On question 6, are you asking if a bank account in the UK is needed? I’ve definitely heard of people using accounts outside the country of the PRO if so.

[Tbone]

It’s sad that PRS hasn’t answered you. Some of the questions seem complicated so it might be to do with that. Do you know anyone who has a personal contact with PRS so you could ask that person directly? In my experience PRS hasn’t been helpful unless I’ve managed to talk to someone directly.

[Tbone]

In fact, while we’re on this, does anyone know if there is a list of which countries do and don’t pay out for music used in TV commercials?!

[Tbone]

On your statement is there a way to tell if it was sent by direct deposit or check? On mine I just realized I see “check number” on the first page, so I’m wondering if they mailed a check (no idea why). Seems strange for it to say that if it was meant to be sent via direct deposit.

[Tbone]

Thanks. Wow, that is worrying!

[Tbone]

Thanks for the info. In one way sad to hear it’s a reduced rate, but I’m also relieved to feel like I don’t need to chase this one down.

[Tbone]

Absolutely disgusting. Feels like a sign of the times, but maybe that’s just naive and shows my age.
Is it legal to not have filed the 990? As in the description of the video.

[Tbone]

Universal pay up front and you also retain a % of sync fees and licensing. I’ve heard that with Premium Beat, after the up front payment you don’t get any percent of the sync fees (zero). That second deal sounds very bad, especially for a library which seems to be mostly focused on youtube placements anyway, where you won’t see any PRO payouts.

[Tbone]

Hi Orca,

I had a really good conversation with my SESAC representative today and will go ahead with joining SESAC for the USA only.

What he told me is that publishers will continue to register my tracks in the same way with my PRS CAE/IPI, and that it will automatically come up that I am with SESAC in the USA. He said I probably don’t even really need to tell my publishers about it. He said that I keep my same CAE/IPI that I currently use from PRS too. Basically it’s one of the few global systems /databases that actually works.

Looks promising so I’m hoping it works out well.

The only thing was that if I want to move my old, already released tracks which are at either ASCAP or BMI currently, over to SESAC, I would have to ask my publishers to do this for me. But if I choose not to, ASCAP or BMI will continue to send payments for these old tracks to PRS for me.

[Tbone]

Hey Orca,

I actually have an update to my situation and it sounds like I might be able to do something like you, except in my case with SESAC instead of BMI.

I can join SESAC for the USA only by asking for a release from PRS for the USA.

I have a question about where you said you notified your music libraries going forward that you are now a member of BMI for the USA: Do you mean that you have to tell them something like this:

– I am with BMI for the USA only, with CAE: XYZ
– I am with PRS for the rest of the world with CAE: ABC

How do they register the tracks then? Does the sub publisher in the USA register your tracks with BMI under your BMI CAE and details? And then for the rest of the world they register the tracks with PRS?

Please do let me know when you can!

Thank you.

[Author]

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