ASCAP Teams Up with MP3.Com with Licensing Deal

by Shelley Jacobson

I just finished reading some exciting news about ASCAP teaming up with MP3.COM!

I'd better describe ASCAP just in case there are some readers that aren't familiar with their services. ASCAP is the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers which is a Performing Rights Organization. (P.R.O.)

ASCAP'S main job is to protect it's members by licensing and distributing royalties from the public performances of their copyrighted works. What that means is this: ASCAP pays it's members royalties owing to them from any public performance. Example: If you write a song and record it onto CD, you will probably belong to a performing rights society such as ASCAP, BMI, SOCAN (a Canadian P.R.O. that I belong to).

If you expect to cash in on royalties you must belong to one of these organizations otherwise you loose out if your project receives rotation (air play) from radio stations or royalties on public performances when you perform your material. This also covers television, concerts, shopping malls, and now .... (I'm so excited!!!) And NOW it is starting to cover web sites!!

ASCAP which is one of the world's largest performing rights organizations has teamed up with MP3.COM. MP3.COM has agreed to take a comprehensive ASCAP music performance license which allows unlimited interactive performances on the MP3.COM site. What that means is protection for us - the writers and creators of the works played on MP3.COM, can now expect to see royalties from our material that is played on the MP3 station and material that is down loaded!

An interactive ASCAP "radio channel" will be available shortly at the MP3 site. It will be programmed by ASCAP and will feature the musical works of ASCAP writers and artist/writers.

ASCAP and MP3.com will also be co-hosting music showcases and educational workshops on line and off line. They hope to make talent development skills available to a large audience.

I belong to a Canadian Performance Rights Organization called SOCAN. I was wondering if I would also be covered with these changes, or if I would have to switch on over to ASCAP in order to benefit from the licensing changes.

I was advised that any changes made with BMI or ASCAP in reference to licensing, would carry over to the other P.R.O groups since some of the P.R.O groups cover each other. Example: In Canada SOCAN collects royalties on my behalf, but in the states, BMI collects for me.

From my view point after speaking with my artist representative at SOCAN, the P.R.O groups seem to follow in step with one another. I guess I'll find out shortly .... I'll let you know if I run into any snags!

This is an amazing step forward to those of us who choose to use the MP3.com site as a marketing tool to distribute our material. We can now expect to see money distributed for Internet music performances. Hats off to ASCAP and MP3.com for achieving such a ground breaking development. Cheers guys!