Breaking Through The Confusion Of Stock Music Libraries - Part 2
In my previous blog, I started talking about stock music libraries, the differences between exclusive and non-exclusive, and reasons why you'd want to go with one or the other. This week, I'd like to give you a bit of information about PRO's or Performance Rights Organisations and why it might be a good idea to join one... or not.
WHAT IS A PRO?
A Performance Rights Organisation, when signed up with, will collect royalties on your behalf if any of your produced music is used in a radio or tv broadcast, and performed or played in public, eg. on a shopping centre's tannoy or at a live gig.
This is useful for stock music library musicians because that share split with the production library I mentioned last week can mean we don't get enough money from the initial sale. By making sure we're signed up to receive royalties, depending on where it's being used, over time we'll earn more money to make up for that small sale. Royalties are how a lot of pop artists make most of their living. For example, Mariah Carey makes anywhere between $600,000 and $1 million in royalties each Christmas for her hit 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'.
Big PROs include ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC in America, SOCAN in Canada but here in the UK, you'll want to know about the Performing Right Society or PRS for short. Most countries have their own and it's a good idea to sign up with the one in your own country, to begin with at least.
ARE THERE ANY NEGATIVES TO JOINING A PRO?
Well, for the average stock music producer, perhaps only one or two. The first is that some production libraries (usually royalty-free or performance-free) will have in their contract that they don't accept PRO-registered music, so if you've already uploaded music to one of those libraries, take it off before you sign up to a PRO. Equally, though, some of the more elite production libraries don't accept music unless it is PRO-registered.
The second is that by uploading your produced music to a royalty-free stock music library, you are essentially agreeing to waive the possibility of getting royalties for your composed music. I say 'potentially' because some royalty-free stock music libraries do allow you to show that you are registered with a PRO, giving the client the option of adding your music to a cue sheet (a cue sheet is what the client writes all the information on about what your music is being used in. This is then sent off to the PRO so that they can find where your music is being used and give you your royalties). This can also depend on what the composed music is being used for. If it's simply for private purposes then no cue sheet would need to be filled out anyway so no royalties. If the music was bought to put it in a hit new TV series then, yes, usually it would need to be put on a cue sheet and sent to the PRO. Your music being on a 'royalty-free' stock music library though, means this is now optional not compulsory.
Having said that though, don't suddenly take your produced music off all of these royalty-free stock music libraries. Some clients still look through these particular production libraries with the sole intention of buying PRO-registered music for which you will end up getting royalties. A lot of the bigger clients with big projects might have to purposely buy PRO-registered music and look at those music libraries because they are often cheaper. By being registered with a PRO, you look like a music producer who takes his work seriously.
WHAT ABOUT MECHANICAL RIGHTS?
As stock music producers, you should also be aware of your mechanical rights, as well as your performance rights. These include physical sales of copied CDs and DVDs, and streams and downloads, which include stock music libraries. Mechanical rights are dealt with separately so don't be surprised to fork out more money to join another organisation. Luckily for UK-based music producers, the MCPS (Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society) is part of the PRS (though still behind a paywall of £100).
Again, some stock music libraries require that you are also a member of a mechanical rights organisation before being allowed to sell your music on them. The PRS even has a long list of all the production libraries they are associated with that only allow MCPS music. A very useful list of contacts, none of which, however, are royalty-free and all require you to be exclusive. Still, with the guarantee of royalties, why not take a look?
IN THE NEXT BLOG...
I'll be talking about my personal experience as a stock music producer, naming some specific production libraries, and how I've gotten on with them.
P.S. I have 1000+ royalty-free stock music production tracks available to buy and am available for hire for original music compositions. Feel free to get in touch!