If a copyright owner of a musical work is a songwriter or a sound recording owner, their information must be documented using the Songwriters & Sound Recording Owners screens. Songwriter and sound recording owner information should be added before adding any of the copyright owner’s associated musical works to the Song Catalog.
Independent songwriters frequently own both the copyright to the musical work and the sound recording. If the songwriter is also the owner of the sound recording you need only enter that individual’s information once!
Songwriters & Sound Recording Owners are accessed from the drop-down list in the Copyright Owners module. Here you can Edit, View, or Add New records to the database. To add a new songwriter, click on Add new.
This will display a screen that allows you to add pertinent information for the songwriter. Type in the songwriter’s information and press the Save button to add the record.
Data Entry Tips
Most of the fields on the screen are self explanatory. Following are tips and notes on several fields whose meaning may not be as clear.
Status - the default is “active”.
“Active” songwriters appear first in List View. In cases where you are no longer working with a songwriter, you may set their Status to “Inactive” so that it moves them to the bottom of the list.
Performing Rights Organization - select from drop-down list
If the PRO is not available in the drop-down list, it must first be added to the Performing Rights Organizations list.
Songwriter’s Publishing Company - name of songwriters publishing entity
If the songwriter has established their own publishing company entity with their PRO, list that name here.
After the songwriter information is added, the songwriter can easily be associated with a musical work in the Song Catalog by selecting their name from the drop-down list when adding the writer royalty splits.
Similarly, after Sound Recording Owner information is added, the sound recording owner can easily be associated with a musical work in the Song Catalog by selecting their name from the drop-down list if adding the Master Licensing Royalty Splits information.