What Would John Doe Do? – Working with Performance Rights Orgs
A question from Bill in South Carolina
Howdy John,
I’m an independent roots/Americana artist and writer based in the Carolinas.
I’ve been involved in promotion and marketing efforts for a number of recording projects over the years, and am currently releasing and promoting a new solo record.
I am familiar with the role that performance rights organizations play in tracking, collecting, and paying for “usage” of music in radio and broadcast media, but could you comment on the role that a performance rights organization might play in an artist’s overall career development, or in supporting the artist’s efforts when releasing a new recording or batch of material?
What does that relationship look like, and what kinds of things can the artist do to establish that relationship, engage with the PRO, and take advantage of potential services or assistance the PRO might provide?
Thanks and Best Regards,
Bill Noonan
http://billnoonanband.com
http://myspace.com/billnoonanband
What Would John Doe Do?
Hey Bill,
As you may well know there’s a million + ways to market & promote a record. But let’s leave those other 999,999 ways alone for now & get to yr question. The PRO’s that you ask about are the complete opposite of record companies. Because their non-profit status, they are required to respond to your questions.
I spoke to a friend who was a VP at ASCAP & here’s the low down. You can call or e-mail either organization, BMI or ASCAP, and ask who handles or specializes in whatever style of music that you write. You can also check their websites & see who their representatives are and who they work w/. If you call they should give you a name of a rep particularly favorable to yr style.
At this point, if you are an affiliate, you can send them yr music & hope that it resonates w/ them. They sponsor various events that showcase writers and if all goes well, you could be included in those events. As in all business relationships, it requires attention, compatible personalities and a bit of luck.
hope this helps and as always thanks for writing.
yrs,
Jd
If you have questions for John Doe about music, the music business or life feel free to email them to wwjdd@knowthemusicbiz.com.
For more information on John Doe check out theejohndoe.com or YepRoc.com .