If you are thinking about getting into the songwriting/music production business one of your most important concerns for you is going to involve the collection your earnings and protection for yourself from copy-write infringers. With these and other issues, it is important for one to become affiliated with a performing rights organization, more particularly American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (commonly known as ASCAP).
ASCAP, is a membership association of more than 410,000 US composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers of every kind. ASCAP protects the rights of its members by licensing and distributing royalties for the public performances of their copyrighted works. ASCAP's licensees encompass all who want to perform copyrighted music publicly included but not limited to: soundtrack performances, radio airplay ect. . ASCAP makes giving and obtaining permission to perform music simple for both creators and users of music. It is the only U.S. performing rights organization created and controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers, with a Board of Directors elected by and from the membership. One of the primary benefits of ASCAP and other performing rights organizations is in that they are extremely knowledgeable about music and all the technicalities that come along with music licensing and will be an invaluable source to your career. This is important to the music industry in that one always has a concrete source or guide to gain a plethora valuable knowledge regarding important music licensing decisions.
Another benefit of ASCAP is that the association does all the leg work involved in issuing license to the users on ones music and in turns makes sure you, the song writer/composer, gets paid. All one has to do is become a registered member, which includes paying your yearly fee’s. Once registered as a member you are able to submit musical works to be protected by the association. Its pretty much out of your hands from there. This is important to the music industry because a musicians life is already busy, with having an association of such, it offers much support for the songwriter/composer in this area of their career.
Other benefits associated with being a member of ASACP includes :
- Discount on membership to the Songwriter Hall of Fame
- Membership in the U.S Alliance Federal Credit Union.
- Discounts on health, dental instrument and life insurance via its MusicPro program
- Discount on ASCAP Web Tools, a set of internet-based marketing and sales tools developed by Nimbit Inc for ASCAP members
- Discounts on music-related retail products and services
- Hotel and rental car discounts
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