Dave Purcell wrote:
>
> I seem to remember reading that it's hard to get into ASCAP
> unless you're a little more established, whereas BMI takes anyone.
I don't think that is true. They both take anybody with the dough to
sign up. The history of the two is this:
ASCAP was the original New York group, Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, etc. In
the old days (40s) they had become snooty and Establishment. This is no
longer in any sense true, and they now actively recruit all comers.
BMI arose as a response to this elitism, formed by the Nashville and
rock & roll cadre, who found working with ASCAP a pain because they were
looked down upon. As I recall, perhaps wrongly, BMI was also the first
rights org. to collect radio airplay royalties.
SESAC I know nothing about.
Each of them will tell you they pay the best, most promptly, etc, but as
far as I can tell there is very little, if any, difference between them, results-wise.
(BTW, none of this has anything whatsoever to do with publishing. Bug
Music is a publisher. BMI and ASCAP are "performing rights societies"
which serve as collection agencies for performance royalties only, send
them to the publishers and writers, and deduct 1% of your royalties to
pay their overhead. In order to collect "mechanical royalties", or money
from record sales, you either have to have a publisher, be your own
publisher, or at least register yourself with the Harry Fox Agency (they
have a website) in order to collect your mechanicals.)
--
Joe Gracey
President-For-Life, Jackalope Records
http://www.kimmierhodes.com
