BMI Publisher Agreement
Broadcast Music Inc. is a music-licensing organization for songwriters and music publishers. The agency collects royalties for music publishers and songwriters for public performances, including music performed or broadcast in bars and nightclubs and on radio and TV. The two other major licensing agencies are the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the Society of European Stage Authors & Composers.
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Music Publisher Membership Requirements
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The only requirement to join BMI as a music publisher affiliate is completing, signing, dating and submitting a copy of the BMI Publisher Agreement, which is available online at the BMI website. BMI-affiliated music publishers must agree not to join any other music-licensing organization during the term of the agreement.
Clearance Sheets
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Music publishers affiliated with BMI must agree to submit a "clearance sheet" for each song the publisher wishes to register with BMI. The clearance sheet contains the names and contact information of the songwriters and publisher(s) and the song's title and date of publication.
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Major Contract Terms and Conditions
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Music publishers must agree not to charge a songwriter in return for publishing songs written by the songwriter. Publishers agree to obtain a copyright for each song registered with BMI and must warrant that all songs submitted do not violate copyright laws. BMI agrees to collect fees on behalf of the publisher and pay royalties, minus BMI's administrative fee.
Royalty Statements and Rates
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Royalty rates for performances and broadcasts that are collected by BMI for publishers vary based on several factors, such as the size of the radio station. Royalties are calculated and paid to music publishers on a periodic basis. Current rates can be found at bmi.com/rib.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit music image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
