Will I receive what I’m owed?
It’s sometimes easy to presume that money will make it back to the right people in the music industry automatically. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In this guide – we’ll be unpacking how to make sure you get paid – and how to register your material so the money finds its way to the right people.
What things do I have to consider when I release my music?
Until you’ve got a substantial following, and seeing tangible amounts of traction with your music, the chances are that you’ll be doing everything. You’re the artist, the publisher, the manager and the publicist. You’ll be the creative centre of the project, writing, performing and producing. You’ll be in charge of growing the fanbase – creating content, collaborating and running social media. You’ll be managing each release – coordinating the distribution, marketing and all live activity. And, the part we’re focusing on today – the business side. Understanding platforms, fundings – and the part that creatives all shy away from – revenues; making sure the project actually brings something in.
So, imagining you’ve not got a manager or publisher, and you’ve got to do it all yourself – let’s unpack how you get paid.
How can I make sure I get paid for my music?
For the purposes of this article, understand that your music – and your brand – are your product. That’s what you have to work with – and that is what will be bringing you your revenue – so you need to protect it. What you have, your brand, your ideas, your songs and your act are your intellectual property – and in the UK, they are automatically covered by copyright. There is no central body where you register your rights to what you create. When you create something, it is automatically owned by you. How you prove that in court is another topic – but for this purpose, just know that you automatically own the rights to your music – so it is up to you to protect it – when it’s out in the world. So that there’s no confusion as to who owns what, and for example, the wrong ‘John Smith’ doesn’t get your money, it’s now time to ensure all the details are correct and the business side of your music is water-tight. There’s a great website called https://getpaidguide.co.uk/ and this goes into far greater detail, but for now, know that there are 5 important codes for your music – and it’s up to you to get these sorted, and check everything is in order.
What codes do I need for my music, and how do I get them?
Firstly, let’s get your data right. The data is a mixture of codes and information about the music – and everyone involved with creating it – so that the right people get paid.
Firstly, register with PRS on their website:
When you upload tracks to aggregators (Tunecore, Emubands, CDbaby etc) they’ll allocate a free ISRC code for each new recording you upload. Alternatively, you can claim your own ISRC codes from PPL. This doesn’t cost anything and is normally very quick. It doesn’t matter where your ISRC code is from, but create a spreadsheet somewhere safe where all these codes are written down – in case you move platforms etc. I like the numbers to be in sequential order, rather than randomly from the aggregator, so I got my prefix code from PPL, and then simply added consecutive numbers at the end of their allocated prefix, to create my own ISRCs.
Creator Identifier codes don’t refer to the music itself – but to the creators. They refer to who wrote the music and or the lyrics. They are referred to as IPI and CAE codes. Most people use IPI codes – which identifies you globally as the writer. (CAE is the same number). These codes are allocated by PRS.
More information on the PRS website: https://www.prsformusic.com/
ISWC and ISRC codes both identify the song, but not the creator. It identities the composition but not the recording of the track. The ISWC helps you get paid for online use. You get this code when everything is filled in correctly on the PRS website. If someone covers your song, this will still be the number associated with it. ISRC identifies sound recordings. Each new recording or version of a song will get a new ISRC – (the ISWC will remain the same). There’s more detailed information on the PRS created website https://getpaidguide.co.uk/ so check this out too.
Your ISWC and Tunecode will be given to you when everything is completed correctly – within approximately 48 hours.
Get registering!
As you dive deeper into the industry, it becomes evident why many artists get signed – so all of this is taken care of by management. When you get signed however, it’s even more important to understand what’s happening with your music, and who is getting what percentages from it.
When you come to record with us, you’ll own the rights to all your music. As you are the coordinator of your project, and presumably coordinating the payment also – then, under UK law everything created belongs to you. So it’s ultra-important as soon as you can, to begin the process of registering your music so all revenue streams point back to you.
We love supporting creators – and this guide ensures that everyone who records with us gets every penny from the music that they create.
Crown Lane, where you Sound Better.
For more details about copyright – check out: Music Copyright Explained: https://musiccopyrightexplained.com/
| Getting Paid Workshops We run regular workshops here at the studio – on this same topic. The topic is broken into 4 practical areas, and is all covered in a 2 hour presentation. Either book us for your event; we can host a workshop here for up to 30 people or benefit from the flexibility of a one-to-one. Get in touch info@crownlanestudio.co.uk |
