How To Register Songs with BMI and Get Your Royalties! PRO Walkthrough

[@tyniacoats]

Wow I used to work for BMI & I must say that you are pretty impressive at explaining this process just being an affiliate! I always tried my best to educate musicians about the business because I believe a musician should be educated not just in music, but also in their music business. There were so many musicians who I'd see missing out on so much $$ due to them not knowing the business, glad there are people other than me trying to educate them & give you guys your power back!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thanks so much, I like your channel too! It seems like we are trying to do the same thing. Let me know when you're ready and we should connect and create some content together.

[@tyniacoats]

@@IndieMusicAcademy Yeah I'm just starting out, but I'd definitely love to collab in the future! Still getting use to this KZbin thing lol. I think we can create something extremely useful for musicians with your knowledge/perspective as an artist (& label/publisher??) & mine from working in the industry!

[@sharmainemorris-vsblogs6371]

Am really new at this, i need a publisher and need to register my songs. Can you provide me some info?

[@writtenbyrharrison]

Hey Tynia my name is Raymond Harrison. I write/compose my own Gospel songs. Would you mind when I've got questions about the business side of music in relation to BMI could I learn from you? For example when I upload my work do I upload the sheet music chart or the video version or the audio version of my work? I am now registered as the Composer/Songwriter with BMI and I have my registration number as the Artist. But now I wish to learn how to register as the Publisher, cause I choose to self publish my songs.

[@tyniacoats]

@@sharmainemorris-vsblogs6371 To register your songs, you are definitely on the right video! He really did an amazing job walking you through the registration process. I have some other tips related to registering on my channel, but he truly covered all the basics here! You do not need a publisher though; you can be self-published or create your own publishing company & create a publisher account with BMI.

[@StassiPryce]

These are very valid questions in the comment section, whoever is running this page should take the time to answer them.

[@BenHarrismusic]

Thanks!! I'm actually a writer with ascap but I just realized you can be a publisher with all PROs, this was very helpful!!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Here is an extra bonus I want to give to you since I've been getting a lot of requests to comment on how to get royalties for beats. (I might turn this into a video, comment if you want me to go more in depth in a future video.) If you are a producer, you usually don't need to register your beats with ASCAP or BMI. There is one exception: If the beat, as-is, without any alterations or vocals, is going to be played on the radio, streamed on Spotify, or synced to television, etc. In that case, you should register your beat. Otherwise, you don't need to register the beat because the beat without becoming a song won't generate any royalties. ASCAP or BMI doesn't protect or copyright your beats in any way, and since they are not a publisher, they can't detect when your beats are used by artists in a mixtape or on an album. Instead, sell your beats and services directly to artists via a work for hire agreement which you can download and use here: bit.ly/free-contracts If you produce a beat that eventually turns into a song that is publicly released and distributed on Spotify, iTunes, Radio, etc, AND you have previously agreed to split the writing credit INSTEAD of conducting a work for hire, then you should register on ASCAP or BMI. When registering, it is very important that you register using the new song title and the performer information on the new work (not the original beat) to collect on your portion of the writers share of the newly created song using your beat. Keep a record of the splits you agree upon using this document here: bit.ly/free-contracts If your beats are being licensed as-is to TV and Film as instrumentals, there is a completely different process. Usually, you will be asked to fill out a cue sheet by a music supervisor. The cue sheet documents how what tracks are used in the film and how many times. If the film is lower budget and doesn't have a music supervisor, you can download this cue sheet and give it to the director: bit.ly/free-contracts Hope this helps!

[@Therealsamso]

Lion Bold when signing up for BMI . Com as a D A W beatmaker do i register as a song writer or a publisher the goal is to gmail beats to artist who post music on Spotify and Apple Music and hope they record a song to my beat and post it a fellow producer told me he did a session with a rapper he said all he needed was his BMI so for me getting my BMI which u can’t change for two years and technically I’m not writing anything I’m creating beats am i a songwriter or publisher when the goal is placements

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

You register as a songwriter only AFTER the beat has become a song.

[@Therealsamso]

Lion Bold confusing please make a video so do i still sign up as a song writer then i wait to register till an artist actually record to my track and puts it out on Apple Music ?

[@Therealsamso]

Lion Bold are you sure it’s after ?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

You can create your account with BMI any time, even if you don't have any songs to register yet. Yes, only register a song when it's in its final form. A beat by itself is not a song in it's final form.

[@IMHIMZEL]

THIS WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL! Really Appreciate The Vid Broski! (KEEP GRINDIN')

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

J.P. Taylor you’re welcome! Thanks a ton!

[@DocCU890]

Thanks Ryan! :) Definitely helpful as I begin putting my music on BMI. The Publishing vs Writing thing is definitely confusing for newbies (me) haha

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

My pleasure!

[@LaKimLaJefa]

How do I register a song with a featured artist?

[@nellytgm]

I guess the featuring asrtis would be registered as one of the artists in the song just like the main artist.

[@yaowism8450]

Ok you typed words into a box, how does BMI associate the words with your actual recording? Do you upload the song???

[@liamkingrecords]

Same question

[@stinsonpedrovalleryofficia3941]

I’m lost what about the songs and lyrics ? Where do I upload them ? I have 2 videos I see the same thing ? Any help please?

[@g-fanum9811]

This was extremely helpful thank you

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

You're very welcome thank you!

[@RyottMuzic]

@@IndieMusicAcademy what should i do when it says no application available ????

[@iam.girisha]

I didn't understand last part of 3rd STEP : is there any Artists ? .. plz clarify me those 3 options

[@israelcole7747]

Thanks my man, that was simple but well explained; now we can move forward with the dream !!!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

That's what I like to hear!

[@SLUGGENTMUSIC]

What if your getting distrubution by TuneCore??? All my albums on TuneCore

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Awesome, not sure what your question is though.

[@badh0mbr342]

Question...As a hip hop producer I use my samples from Splice and their fine print states that there samples are royalty free. That being said, I can select yes and be okay?

[@gingermane]

did you get an answer to that?

[@badh0mbr342]

@@gingermane nope.

[@jonnydoobs]

@@badh0mbr342 royalty free is royalty free. it's why you pay the fee to have access to all of those samples.

[@ShamStalin]

How to register Film Music work? and if the composer doesn't have publishing company?

[@Kreace0net]

Do I register each song individually or the album. How do they know the song names of the album? So confusing.

[@DynastyVisualsTV]

My man is dropping gems 💎 I love it! Just set mine up. This is awesome stuff. Respect ✊🏽

[@lukescapee1234]

How would you add a producer or any other position to the credits so they can get a %? Do only writers get credit? Or would you just consider them a composer/author?

[@K8swayo]

Same question i got

[@YvngTrillOfficial]

Same here bro I'm confused because the exclusive license to the beat I got says I get 50% & the other 2 get 25% each but I dont know whether to fill them in as composer or author because I wrote the entire song myself

[@riannasamone894]

the producer is considered the writer when registering with BMI. They look at it as if the producer wrote the notes for the beat.

[@masstv9052]

@@YvngTrillOfficial have you tried googling or going to their official website? just curious I had the same question and figured I'd ask before I go searching

[@DavidMichaelRobinson]

Super helpful Ryan! Thanks for the great content!

[@TMFRD]

My question is, how can a song be completely registered without attaching the mp3 or lyrics of it ? How can BMI collect the royalties of a song they only know the name ?

[@AwallArtist]

this is a great question, please answer this INDIE MUSIC ACADEMY!

[@Metalpazallteway]

It can't you have to register it online first. Best bet, copyright it first then hand it over to BMI or whomever is in distribution of it

[@ytnelson]

Its simple. That's the reason why they ask you for your publisher's details. It's all connected.

[@T.Rose_official]

This is why I going to ascap

[@kymafaux]

If someone else purchases a beat from me and then registers their song through Bmi/Ascap do they need my CAE/IPI # to register it?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Send this video to someone who needs to get their act together and register their music!!!

[@A3CoTownSmoke]

I may need your help

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

@@A3CoTownSmoke How can I help?

[@btw2217]

@@IndieMusicAcademy so if i my music is distributed through distrokid and they collect my money through streaming sites specifically would I still need to register?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

@@btw2217 Yes, yes, yes, and YES!!!!! Distrokid does not pay you all your royalties. To get a better grasp of how the money flows, check out our guide called Music Royalties Explained: www.lionbold.com/blog/music-royalties-explained

[@MrBuckshot18]

Are you Defensive because I sent the link? I'm just trying to understand it all myself. I sent that because what you said and what he said are not the same. I'm not looking to start anything just trying to understand. If you did happen to take a look at it I'm sure you noticed it was different from what you said. I know 88 beats has more followers and many more views and all thumbs up so it cant all be not true.

[@jaikumarsivalingam]

Thank you! May I know at what point something like this would appear below youtube videos? Eg: Music in this video Song Licensed to KZbin by UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA - UBEM, UMPG Publishing, Sony ATV Publishing, LatinAutorPerf, BMI - Broadcast Music Inc., LatinAutor - SonyATV, LatinAutor - UMPG, and 1 music rights societies

[@ronicsonicx8168]

Question: Would a beat maker/composer or producer who sells an instrumental to an artist with royalties in the agreement need to do the “works registration” as well? Or does the artist who purchased the track do the works registration and simply adds the composer/producers BMI info and the producer gets paid once the artists puts their music out there? Thank you for your time and the awesome vid!

[@oliverislost]

I need this answered!

[@Fr3EzE]

I need this answer too ngl

[@rosebeats09]

x

[@oompaloompa3188]

3yrs and surprisingly, noone ever answered this. Incredible!

[@HARRYCARTERMUSIC]

Yes you do

[@carolinealmonte]

Hi, what does it mean when the status says "reconciled" ?

[@thesamuels6650]

Very informative don't know if you did already but I Would love to know more about publishing rights and the roll of a publisher and the process to register one. Thank you

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Hi Yes! I made this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGqciWN9ba6bapo Hopefully that helps!

[@RikkiValentina]

what if you make a song and one instrument is playing a melody from a song in the public domain, but you recorded your own file? or the song have a sample from an old movie in the public domain?

[@jowyjozef]

How long does it take for your song to be accepted once submitted? And what happens next after you submit it?

[@Czon]

Where’s the answer to this question at b!?!

[@JosephHickeyMusic]

Do you have a video of how to submit cover songs?

[@jeff-mq5sk]

Are you supposed to register your song after you publicly release it on streaming platforms or are you supposed to do it before the release?

[@JesusGutierrez-vf1gp]

before

[@ussoccerrisingstars317]

but should I also put 200% in writer share if I am self published? thank you so much for the video.

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Yes, 200% in the writers share is the ONLY way to collect your publishing royalties if you are self-published. The only exception is if you created a separate publishing entity-which would not make you self-published anymore, even though you write the songs and you own the publishing company. Self-published assumes that you are going about your music career solo without a publishing company involved.

[@ussoccerrisingstars317]

@@IndieMusicAcademy thank you so much

[@Goldskin93]

@@IndieMusicAcademy Hi. I signed up with songtrust, should I put them as a "publisher" when registering my songs with BMI ? Thank you.

[@marvinmusiic]

6:35 what exactly does "Publisher" mean? For example is distrokid a Publisher? I don't know if Publisher and Distributor is the same thing lol.. and how would the split work then? - 100% distrokid and 100% for myself?? Thank you!!

[@cristiancasarrubias1222]

MorpheuZmusic I’m stuck at this point as well. I’d like to get a response on this question.

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Hey guys, I made this guide because this is a really common question, but also really long to explain. Please read the third answer: www.lionbold.com/blog/music-industry-myths-that-cost-you-money

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

DO NOT GIVE DISTROKID OWNERSHIP OF YOUR SONGS

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Give yourself 200% in the songwriting

[@AquariZx]

How do you register your work with BMI when you licensed a beat from a producer, but YOU wrote the lyrics /recorded/mixed/mastered by yourself? I can't seem to find clarification on this.

[@mattgoff2722]

what if you're a co-writer on a work that was already registered by the other writer via ASCAP? Do I still have to register the work to BMI, with my info matching the info in the submission to ASCAP by the other writer?

[@allymacky4039]

Did you find out?

[@b_nice800]

When you get to step number 3 of creating a work/works, if you are using TuneCore as your distributor, and you are also using them as your publishing administrator, do you have to check yes stating that there are publishers on this work?

[@apriljenkins5673]

Hey Ryan! Your video and answers to people's questions are extremely helpful. Thank you very much!!! However, there is still a couple of things that isn't completely clear to me. 1) I wrote and composed the lyrics to the song. But where do I list the producer of the music? Is it under Composer/Author too? --- 2) Until now, I've been an independent artist. I recently accepted an offer to come under a record label. Does that mean that I list them as the publisher? At 100%? Or 50%? And where does that come in with the first question??? Do I list the label at 50% the producer at 50% and myself at 100% to equal the 200%? --- I wrote the lyrics and I am the artist performing it, except for the actual music part... Your answer will be soooooo helpful, because this is kinda holding me back on some levels. Thank you, in advance!!!!

[@Nottz4Lyf18]

Did you ever get an answer to this i have a smiliar dilemma

[@apriljenkins5673]

@@Nottz4Lyf18 Hi. No I didn't get a response to my question. However, Tony (from Disc Makers) was good about replying directly to a question that I asked him, and I'm moving forward. So, try reaching out to him. His info is usually posted with all of his videos on KZbin.

[@Nottz4Lyf18]

@@apriljenkins5673 thanking you i’ll go hunting for thag

[@officiallp8055]

Do you have to select recording on the registration form to receive your royalties?

[@skydog4393]

Great information, Ryan. Helps out a lot, but do you have any videos on how to be able to publish your own material ? I am looking into creating my own label to release original material and any information from you would be a big help to me. I'm a songwriter, but have never ventured into this area. Thanks and keep the great videos coming. I've subscribed.

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Hey Mantunes, I don't have any videos like that yet but I'll work on some! Thanks for putting that request out there!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Hey, I am not sure if you saw, but I released a video on registering music as a Publisher on BMI. I hope this is along the lines of what you needed: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGqciWN9ba6bapo

[@frankilovemusic]

Hi, I'm trying to register a cover song on BMI - can you please give any tips on this in the writers section ? thanks!

[@mc2musiic]

Appreciate the informative video man. How would you go about registering an entire album? would you register the songs individually or register the album as a one body of work?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

You technically do each song one at a time, but if you are registering an album, the very last step of song registration asks if you want to copy the data you just inputted for the next song submission. So in essence, all you would have to do is change the track title and then resubmit when doing an album.

[@mc2musiic]

@@IndieMusicAcademy thanks a lot 🙏🏾

[@Soundaze]

@@IndieMusicAcademy I'd like to jump in here and piggyback on this guy's question too please- so I understand that we have to register each song one at a time, but there's a section that asks you if the work is either an album, ep, or single -so my question is: if the song is from an ep or album, do you just put ep or album, or would you list it as a single (even though it was released as a track on an album or ep) ?

[@modofobia5626]

Can I join BMI if I already use Distro Kid?

[@nellytgm]

Yup, I guess. But you need to only register works of yours which performance rights are not being collected by distrokid.

[@fibranijevidra]

That is strange. I was expecting uploading an audio file itself. I see no connection between music piece and registered song name except duration.

[@leo6659]

hmm true

[@onajeofficialmusic]

Thanks, I was unsure about who my Publisher was but you cleared that up. Thanks!👏

[@SF-ve3rc]

Thanks, this was really informative

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thank you!

[@artistoolive1253]

Hey thanks this was very helpful and carefully explained appreciate the walk through Ryan Waczek...

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thanks for the comment, you're very welcome!

[@Swprice93]

When submitting a song on BMI should I use my actual name or artist pseudonym under writer name?

[@apriljenkins5673]

It's my understanding that you should use your real name, then select add another artist and use that to input your stage name

[@wodenoftheangles3339]

@@apriljenkins5673 I believe this is incorrect. Your real name is already aligned to your BMI log-in profile account. Your artist name should accompany the song entry.

[@erasolaris]

it will ask for your AKA

[@UB.S]

Amazingly explained! Do you have to put your legal name when as a writer or the artist name works?

[@copernicus99]

Very helpful video, thanks! Quick question: How do you submit an actual recording of your music (or sheet music) to BMI? In other words, how can BMI determine if your song is being played or used by another entity if BMI doesn't have the recording of your song or some other documentation which can be used to identify it? Thanks!

[@ItsThias]

Exactly, nobody seems to wanna answer this question on yt

[@justmeonthebeach]

I read from another video that you would only need the ISWC number for the song...

[@hkkendall7150]

BEST Tutorial I’ve found so far explaining Song Registration with BMI...THANKS!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

It's an honor, thank you. New content coming soon!

[@hkkendall7150]

Yeah...so, after viewing your tutorial, I went to my BMI account (created over 3 years ago) & filled out my very 1ST Song Registration form. 1 DOWN...137 to GO! :) If you happen to revisit this same tutorial topic...I’d be interested in having you explain a little more in detail the section in the registration where it asks...”Was this work created for Film, TV, Theater or Music Library?” In particular, I’m interested in what’s meant by “Music Library.” Are they refering to commercial Song Listing Services? Or perhaps having a Song Catalog with a service? Just wondering...Thanks again for a GREAT tutorial! I’ve SUBSCRIBED to your channel.

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

@@hkkendall7150 Thanks for the kind words. Yeah, a lot of people get confused by the music library part because they don't use music libraries on a day-to-day basis. Basically, if you have signed a contract with a music library company and you are registering a song that is going to be used by that library under that contract, then you would check this box. Otherwise, any other song that is commercially released on iTunes and Spotify would leave that box unchecked (even if it finds its way into a library eventually). Weird question I know, basically they are just wondering the intended purpose of the music.

[@mr.getthepartylive4731]

Thank you man I needed this

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

You got it bro.

[@pauliestorm]

Can anyone tell me about the recording question in section 3. Question 2 asks if there is a recording, Ryan says no My song have already been recorded and mastered by me..so I would check yes?

[@apriljenkins5673]

It seems to me that your answer is YES. I could be wrong, tho. Ryan chose no, for HIS situation.

[@Dramatello]

Thank you for the video. One question - how do I actually collect the roylaties? I mean, is it on the Royalty Statment thingy on the left? If so, and that section says "there are no royalty statements" - does this mean that I'm broke? (like, have no money from my music yet?)

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Excellent question. So, of course, it IS possible that you are broke, but let's assume you made one million dollars of performance royalties on BMI: It can take around 6 months (or more) to get paid. For example, royalty statements for the money you made in December will appear in your account in June of next year. You actually collect your money through Direct Deposit, so make sure you complete you BMI profile and put your checking account info in there so that BMI can drop that cash in your bank. Hope that helps!

[@stoneywillis]

I have a question. I produced a song for an artist, and the song has been out for years, and i wasn't given credit or wasn't included in the splits. I messaged the artist, and they told me to register the song. So my question is. Is there a way to collect the royalties of that song as well the royalties for the years its been out?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

For BMI, no. I believe SoundExchange holds onto your back-royalties for a little while (maybe about a year or so) but for the most part, past royalties are in the past. Push forward with new music :/

[@CarlyMcClain]

Hi Ryan! Love all your tips. I recently posted a live performance of an original song to KZbin, but I do not have an actual recording officially released to streaming platforms. Should I still register my song with BMI or wait until there is a recording? Also for the step that asks "Is there a recording" do they mean a studio version or any version, like my KZbin video?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Hey Carly McClain! Yes I would register every song you intend to show publicly. And no it doesn’t have to be a studio recording. It can be any recording even a home recording. Hope that helps!

[@Hansbakpopguitar]

Was this song created for Film, Tv, Theater and Music Library. What this really means. If I want my song to film tv should I choose yes. How this affects to anything further?

[@nellytgm]

There are platfoms and corporations which have producers compose tracks dedicated and specifically made for TV and sync libraries. If you work with none, then click NO. It has nothing to do with pitching your work to TV and stuff. :)

[@jzrl_official]

So i don’t need any payment for releasing my song on BMI so basically it’s free??? Is it free??

[@jzrl_official]

Jack Omari okay but they will license my song?. Like at the end of my description they will put “KZbin Licensed” like that?

[@nataliyahbravomusic]

@@jzrl_official no, BMI is only for royalties

[@soamsosah]

@2:26 what if you only composed the lyrics but someone else has made the instrumental. But still have a license to the Instrumental

[@nellytgm]

Depending on your contract and negotioations with the music producers, you may give them some share of the Performance rights. If you've paid them to give the full license to you, and you have the rights to use the instrumental in commercial use, you can register their name and give them %0. Or if you wish to contribute some share to them, you can give them some percentages of that %200. :)

[@princegrwl]

Thanks Ryan for such a crystal clear explanation and video. If I am using Kontakt libraries that i have bought, should i fill Yes or No in "Does this work contains samples/medleys"? Your help is really appreciated.

[@hshx1n]

The answer is no right?

[@Jaydiante]

When registering an album do u have to do song by songs or just album its self

[@TheLuckyNumber4]

I got a question, what if you didn’t produce the song how would I go about adding the person who produced it?

[@CoolGreen]

Question about samples. What if the sample is from a movie or TV and a part of the track but not the song? What if another artist's verse lyrics were used to make hook but performed and the recorded sample was not used?

[@arabian9428]

I think you deserve more Subs bro

[@jairrobalino]

What is the reason for creating a publishing account on BMI ? Is it better for independent artists to just do a songwriting account ? And use the self published option which I believe there is

[@nellytgm]

I guess it's okay to just select no-publisher. Then you'll be considered as a self-publishing artist and the royalties regarding the publishing, goes straight to you. Still, I have doubts it BMI collects them. I guess some organizations like SONGTRUST do collect them for you. they charge you a one time fee, then you register your works there and they collect the royalties.

[@LucidCiC]

So if I am working with a producer and he made the beat and i wrote the song we each get 100 for writers

[@MadeleineLadore]

If I understand well, as an indie composer/musician, you get all Performance royalties from BMI, and you're not missing the publisher's part, right? So, no need for Songtrust or CDbaby Pro to get them? Thanks a lot for this video!

[@akramviirgo]

helped us alot! thank youuuu!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

You are very welcome!

[@feli_gatz]

I have a song I bought the exclusive rights for the beat . When I click on my music video it says a different song and artist as description . Does that mean hes profiting off my song/beat ? And how can i fix this

[@LOVPage]

Thanks for the info!

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

You are very welcome! Thanks for being a subscriber!!!

[@streetlogic]

Was about to ask if I can register a song after I already have it on spotify but watching full video you covered everything thank you

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Awesome man! I appreciate the comment. Here is a post I just released yesterday that covers even more tricks and questions about BMI. Check it out! www.lionbold.com/blog/music-industry-myths-that-cost-you-money

[@83von94]

What if ur song is not out yet but u want to release it soon do u still click no on “are there any artist” and “are there any recordings” because I still want to release my song but idk if BMIs gonna track it since I clicked no

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Since BMI collects and pays out Performance Royalties which could be generated with or without a recorded song (for example, playing your song live in a bar will still get you a performance royalty) the fact that you checked the box no doesn't really matter because BMI doesn't use the recorded audio to track down your royalties. BMI looks for the reported usage of your song which is reported by venues, radio-stations, television productions, and other performers. In short, don't worry about it. If you're registered, then you're all set. Now focus on getting opportunities for your music to be used.

[@MrBuckshot18]

@@IndieMusicAcademy what if I'm registering my beat only? Let's say I name a beat "life" and the artist records a song and published lyrics and names the song "money" how does that publishing payout workout? Who gets paid?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

RT Production you don’t register beats on BMI. You need to have either used a work for hire agreement (link in description) to get paid for the best, or negotiated a songwriting split for use of the beat to get songwriting royalties on the SONG. Beats aren’t songs because they aren’t finished. Songwriting splits sheet also linked for you in bio.

[@MrBuckshot18]

@@IndieMusicAcademy dam I registered my beats already. What would I do to fix that now?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

RT Production just leave it. It won’t earn any royalties but what’s done is done and it doesn’t “hurt” anything. What you need to do is make sure that your proper splits are reflected in the finished song with the vocals. Track down the artist and see what’s up with those splits. If he paid you money, you might not be entitled to any splits. It all depends on your work for hire agreement. If you don’t have one, download the free contract in the bio so you can get your clients squared away

[@yllikumemusic]

Hi. Question: Tunecore (my publisher) in agreement says that they keep 20% and the writer has 80% loyalties. If i own everything in the song why i need to put 100 ownership to a publisher and 100 writer share to me, while they say clear its 20% loyalties for them? Does ownership means the Copyrights of the song? if it is, then why 100 split? Tunecore didnt help to create the song they are just publishing it. I don't own tunecore and i dont have a publishing company at all. So what i do? 20 ownership and 20 colletion, then 180% writer share?

[@DarthNader]

If I'm a producer and release my tracks through a distributor like Distrokid, do I need to register my songs with BMI? Distrokid already sends me royalties for Spotify plays, so is there a need for BMI in my situation?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Hi, I get this question a lot and the short answer is that YES you need BMI. There are multiple types of royalties out there and Distrokid is not enough. More info explaining this can be found here: www.lionbold.com/blog/music-industry-myths-that-cost-you-money

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

HALSYON Distrokid is NOT a publisher. You need to check out my article where I explain the difference: www.lionbold.com/blog/music-industry-myths-that-cost-you-money

[@WestsideJames914]

what if I purchased beat online & they receive a 50% publishing rights

[@guitaro5000]

IMA: Do NOT use samples! Every 80s rapper who made it big: Are we a joke to you?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Lol 😂

[@godostudio]

why can't i register my work in broadcast music inc? An error occurs after the first point "Sorry! A problem occurred while processing your request."

[@hughbram]

Do we put the whole artist name JUST in the Last/Band Name box??

[@Kyduh]

How do you register a song as a producer if the label never told you the artists bmi info? Can you just register with only your info ?

[@tracksbybonz]

how do you upload as a publisher ??

[@dj_aljnmusic]

Can I use both SoundExchange and BMI at the same time? Should I use publisher or songwriter when registering if I own everything on the song?

[@KazzFlow]

quick question bro... Lets say i do have the song recorded (me as the writer, artist performing and producer) but its coming out next year (January 2020) what do i do under the release date?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Release date is not incredibly important. You can choose to leave it blank since it isn’t released at the time of registration.

[@bluffgawd]

im having a little trouble, im a producer trying to claim a couple of songs and i get stuck at the publisher section. anyway i can get a 1 on 1?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Absolutely, send me a message: www.lionbold.com/contact and we'll get something set up.

[@PsiloSage]

What if i do not have a publisher, but the artist featured on my song does have a publisher and is splitting it 50/50 with me

[@DrewJarrod]

Do I put in my "Record Label" if I'm an indie self-published singer/songwriter and just made up a fake record label name for my artwork on my album but I just released everything myself? If I don't put something in there, does BMI just give my record label share to me or keep that to give to a record label that I never entered?

[@JAYKOLI]

Good video mate. You showed it in a very simple way.

[@Liquidthoughts72]

do i add the producer of the track publishing company

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Actually no, you should not do that. Check out this guide to how it should be registered for independent artists: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKfYnmprepZngM0

[@TheOriginalCasualT]

THANKS FOR THIS IMFORMATION THIS WAS VERY HELPFUL, AS A SONGWRITER WITH BMI AS MY P.R.O.

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thanks Troy! So glad you are getting your original music registered. Well done!

[@lilmdbby]

What should you do if the producers or other artists have no PRO ????????? how can they get paid when the song gets played ???

[@johnsilvers622]

This was absolutely excellent. Thank you so much for this.

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

Thanks John! I'm so glad it helped you in the process of registration!

[@Tateshi-Starwalker]

Do the publishers include distribution services like Distrokid?

[@EMNLTOMMY]

So hey how do we do it if we use TuneCore

[@ybncam2282]

how’d you get your login information cause i cant find mine or do i got to wait to get it

[@6TYG3]

What if the producer dosent have a publishing account? Does that mean I cant register my song ?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

If the producer also wrote a part or section of the song, you can register using your BMI songwriter's account.

[@6TYG3]

@@IndieMusicAcademy the producer only makes the beats for me. I'm asking what if the producer gave me permission to use the beats but they dosent have a BMI or Ascap etc. account ? Will that stop me from registering my song ?

[@ussoccerrisingstars317]

I had 1 more question. I am not experienced at all so I wanted to know what if I had a cue or music liscensing oportunity in movie, and I had my publishing company registered with let say BMI. I anderstand that BMI would pay me my performing royalties in months from that moment. But how about my publishing $$? Will it get paid to me right on the spot or will it get paid to me in months at the same time as my royalties?

[@IndieMusicAcademy]

That's a really great question. I'd assume that the delay through their system would be equal regardless of the type of royalty. I don't know for a fact that to be true.

[@ussoccerrisingstars317]

@@IndieMusicAcademy thank you so much

[@kristikrause]

QUESTION: I am not on a label or anything but I have agreed with my producer that he gets 25% of net sales on my next single. How do I go about making sure he gets his payment? Is this through CD baby or TuneCore?

[@reid.mp3]

so you make an account, wait for it to get approved, then put in your direct deposit info, and then you get royalties for your music/works that you registered?

[@zennotesmusic]

Hey man do i need to create a company with an LLC before becoming a member with BMI?

[@12gatesnetwork56]

No

[@jathanblake]

Do you go directly to BMI to do this or go to distrokid/CD baby first or are they all intertwined with each other?

[@LavenderFieldsForever]

Where would I put in the ISCR code for the songs when registering them with BMI?

[@HesleyCapey]

Can I register as EU citizen? I have made music all my life and 500 tracks in 5 years. Can I register those (and add the ID if in stock music site) or just new music?

[@AlexanderHalfacre]

Does distro kid count as a publisher deal?