SoundExchange is the organization that collects and distributes digital royalties to musicians and record labels. Just last month, SoundExchange released a list of over 50,000 recording artist and record label names who are owed tens of millions of dollars in unclaimed digital performance royalty payments. [Registration with SoundExchange is required in order to collect these unpaid and ongoing digital royalties]. The list released by SoundExchange also includes more than $31 million in royalties that are three or more years old.
**AN IMPORTANT NOTE** Any unclaimed royalties that are over three years old may be forfeited (and lost) if the artists and labels who are entitled to the $$$ do not register with SoundExchange by OCTOBER 15, 2012.
If you think that you, or someone you know may have digital royalties waiting to be collected from SoundExchange CHECK with SoundExchange. You can check this out by searching through the database of unpaid artists and labels on the SoundExchange website… or you can email SoundExchange at: connect@soundexchange.com.
Just a note about searching the on-line database, try searching by your full name and also by each part of your name individually. For some quirky reason, I have found that this can change the search results. For example, on a whim I decided to search for the Native American Artist, Floyd Red Crow Westerman…. and searching “Westerman” didn’t return any results; however, searching for “Red Crow” found: FLOYD RED CROW WESTERMAN. (I sent an email to the contact on Mr. Westerman’s website… hopefully they will reach out to SoundExchange asap!)
See also: http://www.soundexchange.com/2012/08/15/soundexchange-releases-list-of-recording-artists-and-record-labels-with-unclaimed-digital-performance-royalties/, http://www.soundexchange.com/2012/08/17/royalties-waiting-find-out-in-our-new-database/, http://www.soundexchange.com/performer-owner/does-sx-have-money-for-you and www.kasterlegal.com
BY: Vanessa Kaster, Esq., LL.M.
For more personalized legal services contact me at vk@kasterlegal.com
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