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<h1>Important Member Documents</h1>
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Copyright forms:    <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/forms/">http://www.copyright.gov/forms/</a>

Electronic Copyright filing;    <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/eco/">http://www.copyright.gov/eco/</a>

ASCAP     <a href="http://www.ascap.com/join">http://www.ascap.com/join</a>

BMI      <a href="http://www.bmi.com/creators/#join">http://www.bmi.com/creators/#join</a>

Sound Exchange   <a href="http://www.soundexchange.com">http://www.soundexchange.com</a>

USA Radio Royalties   <a href="http://www.bmi.com/creators/royalty/us_radio_royalties">http://www.bmi.com/creators/royalty/us_radio_royalties</a>

Log onto ASCAP, BMI or Sound Exchange's websites above to find out more about performing rights organizations and your royalties.  If you have work that has already been published join "Sound Exchange" too.
<h1>U.S. Radio Royalties</h1>
<h2>U.S. Radio Feature Performances</h2>
BMI considers a radio feature performance of a popular song to be one that lasts 60 seconds or more and is the sole sound broadcast at the time of the performance.

BMI makes separate payment for three categories of radio feature performances, based upon a sampling of stations licensed by BMI.
<ul>
	<li>COMMERCIAL RADIO</li>
	<li>CLASSICAL RADIO</li>
	<li>COLLEGE RADIO</li>
</ul>
<h2>Commercial Radio</h2>
BMI uses performance monitoring data, continuously collected on a large percentage of all licensed commercial radio stations, to determine payable performances. This census information is factored to create a statistically reliable and highly accurate representation of feature performances on all commercial music format radio stations throughout the country.

Royalties for performances of works in the BMI repertoire that occur on United States commercial radio stations will be paid according to the following rules:

Royalty payments will be based upon the license fees that BMI collected from each individual station that performed a work. As a result, royalty payment rates will vary from quarter to quarter depending upon the amount of the license fees collected from stations that aired each work during that quarter. In addition, the rates may fluctuate from quarter to quarter depending upon the total dollar amount available for each quarter’s commercial radio distribution.

In furtherance of BMI’s tradition of serving writers and publishers of all types of music, BMI’s long-standing goal — to support all affiliates with distribution methodologies that fairly value their creative efforts — has not changed. Accordingly, supplemental criteria may be used to establish an increased valuation for certain works performed on U.S. commercial radio stations. A small additional allocation from the amount available for distribution each quarter, which will include funds received by BMI from General Licensing and other income sources, may be used for this purpose. Such allocations will appear in the Hit Song Bonus column of the BMI royalty statement.

Under the BMI radio payment system, each feature work, including those written for films and the theater, can become eligible for up to three distinct royalty payment components each quarter. They are called the CURRENT ACTIVITY PAYMENT, the HIT SONG BONUS and the STANDARDS BONUS.
<h1>Support The Songwriter Equity Act. ASCAP</h1>
<strong>Songwriters, composers and music publishers earn royalty income through two separate rights:</strong> the right to publicly perform their music works, and the right to make reproductions of those works and distribute those reproductions.
<h2>Write Your Rep</h2>
<a class="bluebtnHor" href="http://www.ascap.com/about/legislation/songwriter-equity-act?vvsrc=%2fcampaigns%2f35072%2frespond"><span class="icon">✒</span></a><a href="http://www.ascap.com/about/legislation/songwriter-equity-act?vvsrc=%2fcampaigns%2f35072%2frespond"> Urge Congress to act</a>

<strong>However, two outdated portions of the Copyright Act, Section 114(i) and Section 115, prevent songwriters and composers from receiving royalty rates that reflect fair market value</strong> for the use of their intellectual property. This has created inequity in the marketplace that harms America’s songwriters, composers and music publishers in the digital age. Now is the time to fix it.
<h2>Get the Facts</h2>
<a class="bluebtnHor" href="http://www.ascap.com/about/legislation/songwriter-equity-act?vvsrc=%2fcampaigns%2f35072%2frespond" target="_blank"><span class="icon">✒</span> Download fact sheet (PDF)</a>

<strong>Thankfully, Congressman Doug Collins (R-GA), has introduced a bill, the Songwriter Equity Act (SEA), H.R. 4079,</strong> that will allow a "rate court" to consider other royalty rates as evidence when establishing digital performance rates for songwriters and composers, and it would adapt a fair rate standard for reproduction (mechanical licenses). <b>The companion Bill, S. 2321, was recently introduced in the Senate by Senator. Lamar Alexander (R-TN).</b>
<h2>Tweet Your Support</h2>
<a class="bluebtnHor" href="https://twitter.com/share?url=http://www.ascap.com/playback/2014/02/action/songwriter-equity-act.aspx&amp;count=none&amp;text=I support the %23SongwriterEquityAct and fair pay for music creators! Get the facts %2B Retweet: http://t.co/Vvj5JP5lLv" target="_blank"><span class="icon">✒</span> Tweet #SongwriterEquityAct</a>

The bill has received public support from the NMPA, BMI, The Recording Academy and SESAC.

<strong>Now we need the help of all songwriters, composers and music publishers to urge Congress to take an important first step toward modernizing the music licensing system by amending these outdated provisions.</strong>

<a href="http://www.ascap.com/about/legislation/modernize-music.aspx">Add your voice</a> of support to the Songwriter Equity Act. And join ASCAP's effort to build a stronger future for music. <a href="http://www.ascap.com/about/legislation/modernize-music.aspx">Sign up</a> for the latest news and information about how you can help ASCAP's music advocacy initiatives.
<h2>Get Involved</h2>
<a class="bluebtnHor" href="http://www.ascap.com/about/legislation/modernize-music.aspx"><span class="icon">✒</span> Sign up for more info</a>
<div class="letter">

<strong>About Sections 114(i) and 115 of the Copyright Act and What The Songwriter Equity Act of 2014 (SEA) Will Do to Fix Them</strong>
<strong>Section 114(i) of The Copyright Act</strong> forbids federal courts from considering sound recording royalty rates as a relevant benchmark when setting performance royalty rates for songwriters and composers. In fact, the performing rights organizations (PROs) that collectively license on behalf of songwriters and publishers to music users including satellite radio, digital music services, restaurants, television and more, are not allowed to present this evidence to the courts at all. The result is an uneven playing field where songwriters and composers receive substantially less than sound recordings for a performance or “stream,” of the same song.

<strong>Section 115 of the Copyright Act</strong> has regulated musical compositions since 1909, before recorded music existed. Section 115 allows anyone to seek a compulsory license to reproduce a song in exchange for paying a statutory rate. The initial rate set by Congress in 1909 was 2 cents per song. Today, that rate is 9.1 cents per song. This minimal increase is due to current law, which directs the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) – the government body responsible for setting the rate – to apply a standard that does not reflect market value.

<strong>Specifically, the Songwriter Equity Act would:</strong>

<strong>Allow a “rate court” to consider other royalty rates as evidence when establishing digital performance rates |</strong> Amend Section 114(i) of the Copyright Act and allow a rate court to consider all relevant evidence when determining songwriter compensation, an ability that is currently prohibited by law. The specifics of how the rate court will apply the evidence are left to the rate court’s discretion.

<strong>Adopt a fair rate standard for reproduction (mechanical) licenses</strong> | Replace the current substandard rate used by the CRB to determine mechanical royalties with a rate that reflects free market conditions.

</div>
<strong>The Songwriter Equity Act is an important step toward modernizing the music licensing system and leveling the playing field to ensure that songwriters, composers and publishers are appropriately compensated for the use of their intellectual property.</strong>

<a class="bluebtnHor" href="http://www.ascap.com/about/legislation/modernize-music"><span class="icon">✒</span> Sign up for more info</a>

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