Our Process

Our Licensing Process

100% Legal Recording Our Licensing Process

We start by asking you which songs you will record. You tell us the titles and composers. It is also helpful, although not necessary, to know the publisher, copyright date, and song ID.

We research your song list using a number of sources to make sure we find the proper copyright holder for each song. This is important because publisher information from the title page is only reliable as long as that publisher retains ownership; ownership of a piece transfers when a copyright is sold.

After recording, but before distribution, we send permission requests to the copyright holders. These requests include detailed information about the requested song and about your project.

By the 20th of the month following distribution, we send a statement of account to the copyright holders explaining how many units were manufactured and how many were distributed. This statement is accompanied with a royalty check for the statutory rate.

The Statutory Rate

This is the amount that composers are paid whenever a CD with their song is distributed.

This rate is determined by a national committee. Compulsory mechanical law mandates that copyright holders issue a license at this rate. For this reason it stands as the norm rate for the industry.

As of January 1, 2006 the statutory mechanical rate is as follows:

	9.10 Cents for songs 5 minutes or less
	or
	1.75 Cents per minute or fraction thereof over 5 minutes.

	For example: 5:01 to 6:00 = $.105 (6 x $.0175 = $.105) 6:01 to 7:00 = $.1225 (7 x $.0175 = $.1225) 7:01 to 8:00 = $.14 (8 x $.0175 = $.14)

This rate will remain in effect until the next schedule of mechanical licensing rates is determined.

At the end of the year, our licensors may request an annual statement of account. If they do, we send a detailed accounting of units distributed and royalties paid for the year, audited by a certified public accountant.

Our licensing process follows the compulsory licensing provisions of the United States copyright law. The following resources from the government's copyright.gov web site explain this law in detail:

Document	Format	Licensing Information
Circular 22		How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work
Circular 73		Compulsory License For Making and Distributing Phonorecords
Circular 74a		How to Make Compulsory License Royalty Payments Via Electronic Transfer of Funds
Circular 74b		How to Make Statutory License Royalty EFT Payments via ACH Credit
Circular 74c		How to Make Statutory License Royalty EFT Payments Using Pay.gov
Circular 75		The Licensing Division of the Copyright Office
201.18		Notice of intention to obtain a compulsory license for making and distributing phonorecords of nondramatic musical works.
201.19		Royalties and statements of account under compulsory license for making and distributing phonorecords of nondramatic musical works.
M-200a		Mechanical Copyright Royalty Rates
SL 4L		Copyright Office Licensing Division Fees

In addition to careful study of the law with the help of legal counsel, we have years of experience working hands-on with the publishers. We know what they want and how to work with them to get results in a manner that is in accordance with the law.

Resources

www.copyright.gov
The United States Copyright Office official web site.

easySongLicensing.com
Even if you don't record with us, we can help you be legal. We offer music licensing services nationwide online at easySongLicensing.com. Visit this site for more information or to license music.