Embed quality metadata on your CDs and music tracks to get paid digital music royalties

Embedding quality metadata on your music tracks and double checking that your digital distributor is doing the same is an important step in being paid the digital music royalties that you earn. SoundExchange reports that millions of dollars of unpaid digital royalty payments are due to inadequate metadata embedded on music files and CDs.  Without embedding quality metadata on your tracks…  non identifying, generic information like:  “Track 1 by Unknown Artist” is submitted in royalty payment reports.  When this happens, it’s almost impossible for the royalty payments earned by that play to ever make it to you.

Metadata embedded on your tracks should include:  1) the artist or group name, 2) the copyright holder (you or label name), 3) the track title, 4) the album titles and 5) ISRC number, if available.  Embedding this data on your tracks ensures that you are identified as the person to whom royalty payments are owed for digital plays of your music.

Additionally you MUST REGISTER with SoundExchange (the agency that distributes digital royalties) to be paid the digital royalties that you earn from satellite or internet radio streaming of your music.

Do both!  Register with SoundExchange and double check that the metadata embedded on your tracks is accurate, clear and detailed.  Don’t miss out on getting paid your digital royalties.

–> Register with SoundExchange:  http://soundexchange.com/performer-owner/performer-srco-home/

 

BY: Vanessa Kaster, Esq., LL.M.

For more personalized legal services contact me at vk@kasterlegal.com

Get your $$ – Over 5,839 musicians have Digital Music Royalties waiting to be collected

Just the other day I counted over 5,839 names of music performers who have MONEY WAITING for them from royalties earned by digital streams of their music.  Are you on the list?  Click here to find out:

http://soundexchange.com/performer-owner/does-sx-have-money-for-you/  This link lists artists who earned money from digital streams of their music between 1996 and 2000.  Anything released more recently isn’t listed… but there could still be royalties waiting to be collected.

Personally, having music available digitally online via Pandora, Sirius radio et all… is great, but getting the money owed to performers is equally, if not MORE important.  Take a minute to look up yourself and your friends on this list.  And if you’re not on the list and think that you may be owed money from digital royalties… then reach out to the collection agency, SoundExchage, via email(account_services@soundexchange.com) AND register on their website (http://soundexchange.com/performer-owner/register-update-my-info/)!

ps – remember that another critical step to getting paid digital royalties is to embed quality metadata on your CDs and music tracks http://t.co/52HjluX

By: Vanessa Kaster