Maori Music Publishing

Frequently Asked Quesions

MM_FAQS

MAORI MUSIC Publishing - FAQS

This section covers general aspects of our services, with special additional sections specifically for BANDS / SOLO ACTS, SONGWRITERS, DJS / PRODUCERS, MANAGERS / LABELS and SUB-PUBLISHING.

See our FULL TERMS & CONDITIONS for more information.

If any aspect requires clarification or if you feel that we've missed something out, please CONTACT us for a full and prompt response.


Music Publishing Overview


GENERAL


What Does A Music Publisher Do?
Publishers have four main roles.
Firstly, they recover royalties due to you from Broadcast and 'Live' use of your music.
Secondly, they issue licences to people who want to use your music.
Thirdly, they actively look for different ways to use your music - for example, putting it in an advert or on a Film / TV soundtrack or perhaps having it recorded by a 'name' Artist.
Fourthly, they collect and administer the income from those licences and uses.

Publishers may also now do some of the things that were originally only done by Record Companies such as arranging Studio time for clients or organising Licensed Distribution for their music, so giving you a "head start" in presenting and promoting your music.


What are Music Publishing Rights?
The copyright owner or administrator of musical works have the following rights, subject to the ownership of Master Recording Rights:-

  • The right to authorise the reproduction of a musical work with or without visual images
    (mechanical and synchronisation rights)
  • The right to authorise distribution of the work
  • The right to rent or lend the work to members of the public
  • The right to authorise public performance of the work or its making available to the public
  • The right to make an adaptation of the work or to do any of the above in relation to an adaptation

  • A publisher will undertake to do these things themselves or may opt to engage a sub-publisher to do these things in specific regions at our discretion.


    What are Master Recording Rights?
  • Master Rights are the rights to ownership of the sound recording of a song.
  • The owner of the master rights is usually whoever finances the recording.
  • Typically, this can be a Record Label or a Manager.
  • If the Band / Act have financed the recording then they own the master rights.


  • What about Copyrights?
    The key tenet of copyright law is that the creator controls their work unless they assign it elsewhere.
    The first owner of the copyright in a musical work is the person or persons who create the original work.
    There can be more than one author / composer and it is important to be clear about who these are as this can be a major cause of arguments within bands at a later date.
    (See below for details regarding Public Domain and Traditional Music copyrights).

    How to protect your music from copyright infringement

  • Write down a copy of your musical work on paper or store it as an audio recording.
    Place it within an envelope signed with your name across the seal of the envelope.
    Post it to yourself by registered post - the time stamp from the post will be vital in the event of any copyright dispute.
    It's equally important that you DO NOT open the envelope on receipt but store it in a safe place until such time that you need it as part of any legal proceedings.
  • Or you can also deliver a copy of the musical work on paper or as an audio recording with your bank or solicitor, who will provide you with a dated receipt.
    (Bear in mind however that they may charge an annual holding fee for this service).
    This should be stored away in a safe place with your own personal copy of the song.
  • As an additional form of protection for works protected by copyright, moral rights are given to the composer or author of the work.
    These cannot be transferred to anyone else, but the composer / author has the power to waive these rights altogether.

    How long does music copyright last?

    The respective author / composers may authorise a Music Publisher to handle their rights for them, in the case of multiple authors / composers these rights may be administered between different publishers if so desired.
    Generally, the copyright in a musical work lasts for 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the author / composer dies.
    If the song is co-written, the rights last until 70 years from the end of the year in which the last surviving author / composer dies.
    After this time, the work is considered to be in the Public Domain.
    Traditional Music refers to songs that have been passed down through generations and can often be associated with a particular culture or region.
    Traditional Music can be in the Public Domain if it meets the criteria for Public Domain music.

    Publishers and Copyrights

    When working with Maori Music you authorise us to administer your copyrights on your behalf for the purpose of Sync placement / royalty recoveries etc., you keep your full copyrights at all times.

    It is irrelevant whether you are a member of PRS For Music (or another PRO) as we can work effectively with all composers.
    PRS For Music in the UK have to have a specific confirmation that you wish us to handle all dealings with PRS For Music on your behalf if are not a PRS For Music writer-member, however, they will automatically assume this is the case if you are a PRS For Music writer-member.
    Without this specific confirmation, contained within our standard agreement, we are unable to act on your behalf in respect of any dealings with PRS For Music or other PRO.

    Clients who are direct members of a PRO will receive their full 80% of the total amounts due direct from their PRO.
    Clients who are not direct PRO members will receive 80% of the total amounts due from Maori Music.

    Plagiarism and copyright infringements / disputes

    In the event of any plagiarism claim or infringement disputes over copyright, you will be responsible for taking appropriate legal action although Maori Music will provide any necessary documentary evidence in support of your claim - Maori Music cannot act on your behalf in such disputes.
    If any disputes arise through PRS For Music, then Maori Music will handle such disputes on your behalf.


  • What will my royalties be and where are they from?
    a) Broadcast Performance Royalties
    A copyright owner has the exclusive right to authorise the "public performance" of that work.
    This is why radio and television broadcasters must enter into licenses with PRO's such as PRS For Music in the UK and BMI, ASCAP and SESAC in America for example.
    These PRO's automatically collect income on behalf of Composers and Music Publishers whenever music is publicly broadcast on Radio or TV, there are no manual claims procedures for UK broadcasts.

    b) Live Performance Royalties
    All venues that hold "live" music concerts / gigs / clubs / festivals etc., are licenced to do so.
    This licence fee goes towards paying royalties to the Composers of the songs performed at these venues.
    Reconciliation payments may also be paid to clients who previously submitted "live" claims.
    You are due royalties on virtually every gig you have played and these claims can be backdated.

    d) Mechanical Royalties
    The term "mechanical royalties" initially referred to royalties paid whenever a song was reproduced by a mechanical device although now extends to certain digital / streaming uses of music.
    The term "mechanical royalties" also refers to royalties paid for the reproduction of songs on CD, DAT, Cassette, flexi-discs, musical greeting cards and other devices sold on a physical "per unit" basis.
    Mechanical Royalties are administered by Mechanical Rights Organisations (MRO's).

    e) Digital Royalties
    If you have music for sale through iTunes, Amazon, Spotify etc., through companies such as CDBABY, DITTO MUSIC, LANDR etc., then these can generate Digital Royalties in addition to sales royalties (which are dealt with through your aggregator or the company that has arranged distribution for you).
    As a member of organisations such as SoundExchange and Music Reports we are able to help recover any Digital Royalties that may be due to you.

    f) Foreign Income
    Foreign countries sometimes have different laws governing the collection and distribution of performing and mechanical royalties.
    The Music Publisher has connections to other foreign PRO's / MRO's that collect a Composer's royalties in that territory.

    g) Synchronisation Licenses
    Whenever a song is used with a visual image, it is necessary to obtain a "Synchronisation" (or "Sync") license permitting the use of that song.
    Music Publishers issue Sync licenses to television advertisers, motion picture companies, video manufacturers and CD-Rom companies etc.

    h) Neighbouring Rights (PPL)
    If you're a record label / master rights owner and your master recordings are being publicly performed and broadcast, you're earning neighbouring rights royalties administered by Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL).
    This is completely separate from the field of music publishing, in which songwriters and composers earn performance royalties from public broadcasts of their musical compositions.
    For this service, we register your sound recordings and collect your neighbouring rights royalties as your Exclusive Licencee.
    Neigbouring Rights returns are divided 50/50 between Record Labels and Performers.
    If the label is not a PPL Member you authorise Confidential Records (UK) Ltd to act as Exclusive Licencee for these recordings and for them to register these recordings with PPL on your behalf.
    As a member of PPL, we can help recover amounts due to you as a performer (not just a songwriter) on official releases through Confidential Records or your own DIY label from radio broadcasts etc.

    i) Transcription Licenses
    Because radio is not a visual medium, the use of a song as part of a radio commercial requires a separate license, known as a "transcription license" which a Music Publisher organises for you.

    Royalty Allocations

    Performing / Mechanical returns are divided 80/20 between Publishers and Composers.
    Neigbouring Rights returns are divided 50/50 between Records Labels and Performers.
    The minimum accountable value is one penny.
    If you are not a direct member of any PRO (eg. PRS / ASCAP / BMI / SOCAN etc) or PPL we will receive all of your royalties and pay them out to you.
    If you are a direct member of any PRO your membership details will have been added to the registrations we make for your songs, meaning that you will receive your full writers share of royalties PLUS a percentage of the publishers share (totalling 80% of gross amounts due) directly from your PRO.
    It will be your responsibility to ensure that your registrations with any International PRO show Maori Music as your Publisher on our standard 80/20 basis.
    If you are a PPL member then any due royalties from that source will come to you directly from them.
    (No additional amounts will be sent from us).
    The large majority of PRO writer-members will find their overall incomes increase through working with an established music publisher.
    The Artist / Composer will retain all rights pertaining to their own Writer-Membership of PRS For Music and all other PRO's.


    Can I sign up with more than one Music Publisher?
    Yes....and No!
    As MAORI MUSIC operates entirely non-exclusive Agreements, you are perfectly able to place different songs with different UK publishers but not the same songs with different UK publishers as this will almost certainly cause delays or even mis-allocation with your royalties.
    You may, though, consider placing the same songs with different publishers if they are not both affiliated to the same PRO, eg. if one publisher is in the UK and one is in the USA. This is more often applicable to songwriters based outside of the UK.
    Provided that your Agreements with any other publisher/s are on a non-exclusive basis then working with Maori Music also will be perfectly permissible and will not affect, but in fact enhance, your existing Agreements.
    Typically though we will handle clients' full song catalogues.


    Can I use a stage name / pseudonym with a Music Publisher?
    Yes, if you wish.
    It is recommended that you use your real name when registering all songs through a Music Publisher, but you may make all registrations under a recognised stage name or pseudonym if you wish.
    Bear in mind that you must then continue to make all registrations under that name in future.
    BANDS should always register material under the individual names of all relevant songwriters.


    What is the difference between Music Publishers and Record Labels?
    Here's a simple explanation of the 'standard' roles of Record Labels and Music Publishers for non- name Artists.
    Keep in mind, this is only a guideline: contracts and rights can be written in any manner and legal advice should always be sought before entering into any agreement.

    Music Publishers

    Music Publishers and Artists enter into a contract where the Artist agrees to transfer all rights of a Work to the Music Publisher for a period of time.
    The minimum standard terms are usually 50% to the Artist and 50% to the Music Publisher.
    If the Work is not licensed at end of term, and the contract is not renewed, all rights revert back to the Artist.

    A Music Publisher generally handles four different areas:

    • Performing Arts Rights - Royalties paid for radio/internet play and for live performances of the Work by someone other than the Artist or owner of the Works (i.e., PRS, ASCAP, BMI etc).
    • Mechanical Rights - Royalties paid to the owner of the Works when another Artist records one of the Works (i.e., MCPS).
    • Synchronisation - Licensing Fees paid to the owner of the Works for use in television, motion pictures or commercials.
    • Sheet Music - Royalties paid to the owner of the Works for the sales of sheet music (paper or digital).
      The Music Publisher is also generally responsible for marketing the Works to record labels, other artists, advertising agencies and production companies on behalf of the Artist.
    Record Labels

    Record labels are generally responsible for: developing the artist, working with producers, paying for / arranging studio time, mixing, mastering, graphics, packaging, distribution, and marketing.
    The most important, and most expensive, of these services is marketing. Getting the word out to the masses is paramount to a successful release.
    The record label owns the master and all associated rights under a sound recording copyright.
    The contract between the Artist and the Record Label usually stipulates that the Artist is paid a percentage of net sales from all sources.
    In this case, 'net' often means after the Label has recovered its initial costs for production, distribution, marketing, etc.


    What is the difference between Exclusive and Non-Exclusive Contracts?
    EXCLUSIVE BASICS
  • You are committed to working with just one company.
  • You assign your copyrights to the Publisher.
  • You cannot work with other Sync agencies and are restricted to the contacts of just one company.
  • You may not be able to license your music yourself.
  • You may get a larger advance, but this is still a loan - you won't see any earnings from your work until it's full repaid.
  • Your percentage split and share of Synchronisation fees will often be much smaller to allow the Publisher more scope to recoup their investment - typically 50%
  • Contract terms are normally strict and hard to change, especially the length of the Agreement term.

  • NON - EXCLUSIVE BASICS
  • You may work with as many different companies around the world as you like (but see below).
  • You retain full control over your copyrights.
  • You can license your music yourself, creating greater potential for placements on a global scale.
  • There are generally either no, or modest advances made on non-exclusive Contracts.
  • Your percentage split will be higher - MAORI MUSIC offers an 80% royalty to all clients.
  • You can not assign the same titles to different publishers although you can assign different titles to different publishers within the same region.
    (For UK based clients the region is the UK, Bahamas, Cyprus, Gibraltar and Malta).
  • Contract terms are normally more Composer friendly and easier to terminate.

  • Essentially, a non-exclusive arrangement allows you to place different songs with different publishers, but not the same song with different publishers.
    Exclusive arrangements will limit your songs to just one publisher and this may also include your future songs too.

    MAORI MUSIC PUBLISHING operates only non-exclusive Contracts.


    I'm under 18, can I sign a Publishing Contract?
    No.
    In England / Wales the legal age for signing Contracts is the age of majority (18), so you won't be able to sign a publishing Contract with Maori Music or any other publisher until you're at least that old, although some publishers may allow your parent or guardian to sign on your behalf.


    Do I need to be based in the UK?
    NO!
    However, ALL International Clients must be a member of either their Regional Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) or an International PRO and they are responsible for ensuring that all songs are correctly registered on their own PRO's databases, showing Maori Music (CAE 159804347) as their publisher with a royalty split of 80/20 in the songwriter's favour.


    What can Maori Music do for me?
    Maori Music is a Full Publisher Member of PRS For Music.
    UK Clients do not need to be a PRS / PRO writer member themselves to work with us,
    but if they are - we can still work with them!
    ALL International Clients must be a member of either a Regional or International Performing Rights Organisation (PRO).
    A list of Regional and International PRO's can be found here.

  • Maori Music can actively search for Synchronisation & Licensing opportunities to use your music in Film / TV / Media Projects etc.
  • They can recover royalties from broadcast, digital, mechanical, "live" performance and YouTube use of your music in the UK and Abroad.
  • They pay you an excellent royalty rate of 80% on Performing / Mechanical / Sync earnings.
  • They make NO upfront fees for any standard music publishing service.
  • They can offer UK clients Advance options.
  • With over 50 years experience in the music business, they can offer free advice to clients on all aspects of recording, distribution, promotion, songwriting and copyright etc.


  • Do I need to have recorded my music?
    No, in fact to register your songs for publishing administration we only need to know the song title and songwriter details.
    We don't need to hear your music to be able to recover most royalties for you.
    However, if you want to take advantage of other services such as Sync Promo then you will need to send us your music.


    How do Maori Music promote my music?
    By signing with Maori Music, you authorise them to use any of your available AUDIO, IMAGE and BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS to promote your music wherever possible.
    Maori Music can promote your music for potential use in Film / TV / Media projects including on distributed Themed Compilations / Solo Albums etc., (Sync Promo) and get your music to the organisers of major festivals.
    Publishers, including Maori Music, are generally not Concert / Gig Promoters, PR Agents or Music 'Pluggers' and you'll need to engage a specialist in these fields if this is what you're after.
    A number of reference resources are contained within the website to assist you in finding suitable external promotion companies for these purposes.


    Can Maori Music get my songs on iTunes / Spotify etc?
    No, sorry.
    Releasing music through iTunes / Amazon / Spotify etc., is termed digital distribution and this is not a standard publishing service and publishers don't recover sales royalties from those companies although we may be able to recover various mechanical and digital royalties for you.


    Can Maori Music get my songs 'placed' with another act?
    Yes - we can try!
    Sometimes we are approached by other acts who are interested in specific songs that we publish and if you're interested in this possibility you'll need to provide a manuscript version of your song, as well as a recording.
    Submitting your music for Sync Promo can also help get your music noticed.
    We can generally offer our best level of service to those self-contained Bands / Acts who write and perform their own original material 'live'.


    Can Maori Music organise gigs?
    No.
    Music Publishers are not usually involved in doing this and you'll generally need to work with a Gig / Concert Promoter to help you find more 'live' work.
    As a resource for our clients, however, we have included a Gig Finder section on our website to help you to find a local Gig / Concert promoter for this purpose.


    How much does it cost to join Maori Music?
    Nothing!
    There are NO upfront charges for any of our publishing services.
    We split all royalties with you 80/20 in your favour and are only paid on results, meaning that it's in our interest to do the best we can to make sure that your music earns money!
    We have to make one-off nominal administrative charges for a few non-publishing extras - duplicate statements, retrospective changes to earlier registrations etc., so please check with us if you're not sure if these will apply.


    How long am I tied into any Contract with Maori Music?
    Our Contracts are open-ended but after just TWELVE months from initially signing up you may cancel your Contract with us at any time on just 28 days notice at no charge by completing a Cancellation Request Form.
    (Many publishers will look for an unlimited minimum Contract).

    If termination is requested sooner than the initial TWELVE month period has elapsed for any reason, an administrative charge of £ 10.00 per registered title (or a minimum charge of £ 50.00) will be levied.
    We suggest that you give us at least a minimum 6 - 12 month period to realistically establish any income for you.

    NOTE : If you've taken advantage of our ADVANCE options, then this will effectively extend the minimum period of Contracture by an additional twenty four months.


    What are the PRS, MCPS and PPL?
    PRS
    Maori Music is an Associate Member of PRS For Music as well as MCPS and PPL.
    PRS (aka PRS for Music) is a society of songwriters, composers and music publishers but is not a publisher itself.
    They license the use of our members' musical compositions and lyrics when they are played 'live' in public, broadcast on radio or TV, used on the Internet or copied onto physical products such as CDs or DVDs.

    MCPS
    MCPS is known as a collecting society because its main role is collecting money from music users in the UK who record music into TV and radio programmes, websites, feature films, CDs, records etc,.
    MCPS collects royalties by issuing licences to music users in respect of the mechanical copyright in musical works.

    PPL
    PPL licenses the use of recorded music where played in public, broadcast on radio or TV, or used on the Internet, on behalf of record companies and performers.


    Do I have to be a member of the PRS / MCPS or my Regional PRO?
    No... and Yes.
    Maori Music Publishing is an Associate Member of PRS / MCPS in the UK.
    One of the key benefits of us is that we allow independent or unsigned Composers to access our professional collection services which can help to maximise the royalties they can earn, while bypassing joining any Performing Rights / Mechanical Rights Organisation (PRO) themselves.
    We represent many Composers who are also writer-members of a PRO and in the majority of cases, we can maximise their payments so they receive more money than they did before joining Maori Music Publishing, even after we've taken our administrative fee!

    If you are based outside of the UK it is, however, obligatory that you are a member of either your Regional PRO or an International PRO to better facilitate local / regional royalty recoveries.
    It will be your responsibility to ensure that your registrations with your PRO show Maori Music as your Publisher on our standard 80/20 basis.
    We cannot work with nationalised International clients who are not PRO members.
    A list of International and Regionsl PRO's can be seen here.

    If the Composer is not a member of the PRS / MCPS in the UK or other PRO during the Term of this Contract, any performing rights in Works shall be deemed to be licensed to Maori Music Publishing and Confidential Records (where applicable) so that Maori Music Publishing and Confidential Records shall be the Administrator/s and Owner/s of the said rights during the Term and shall be empowered in turn to assign the said rights to the PRS / MCPS or other PRO.

    REMEMBER - As a PRO Writer Member you will receive your full writers royalties plus your share of publishers royalties directly from them (totalling 80% of all due amounts).
    If you are not a PRO member, you will receive the full 80% of due royalties from Maori Music.
    There is a charge to apply for membership of many PRO's - we do not, of course, make any upfront charges for any of our publishing services.
    It is not obligatory for any UK Client or Ex-Pat Client to be a member of a PRO.
    (Please also note also that we don't set the rates of return from any PRO - they do!)


    Can Maori Music deal with the PRS / PRO For Me?
    Yes.... and No.
    If you are not a PRS writer-member yourself, then we can handle all matters pertaining to the PRS diectly with them on your behalf.
    If you are a PRS writer-member, however, you will need to deal with them directly regarding any matters pertaining to Change Of Address, Banking Details etc.
    For non-UK based acts, it remains your responsibility to deal with your own PRO yourself.


    Do I have to be a member of PPL?
    No.
    Our associated label, Confidential Records is a member of PPL.
    Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) is the UK-based music licensing company which grants copyright licenses for the public performance of recorded music.
    PPL carries out this role on behalf of thousands of recording artists and record companies.
    PPL grants copyright licences of behalf of recording artists and record companies whereas PRS For Music grants copyright licences on behalf of composers, songwriters and publishers for the public performance of their musical works.
    As these works generally are featured on the recorded music in PPL's repertoire, licences from both PPL and PRS For Music usually are required when recorded music is played in public.
    A songwriter will not greatly benefit directly by being a member of PPL unless they are also a performer on a commercially available recording of their songs released on a registered record label.


    What can Maori Music do that the PRS, MCPS or PPL can't?

    PRS / MCPS

  • We make no upfront charges for any of our services.
    - If you're not a writer-member of the PRS / MCPS already, then it may cost you up to £ 100.00 per person to join each organisation.
  • We are a proactive company that monitors your song catalogue continually.
    - PRS / MCPS do not actively search for royalties due to you or monitor your specific titles on an ongoing basis.
  • We offer qualifying clients ADVANCE options.
    - PRS / MCPS do not offer any form of ADVANCE.
  • We offer established clients an immediate cash advance against their UK 'live' claims.
    - PRS / MCPS do not offer any such form of ADVANCE.
  • PRS / MCPS is not the only company involved with royalty recoveries.
    - We are members of several organisations involved with recovering Broadcast, 'live' and digital / streaming royalties.
  • We promote your music for potential use in Film / TV / Media Projects (Sync Promo).
    - PRS / MCPS do not actively promote your music in any way.


  • PPL

  • You can Sign Up with Maori Music and get us on your side within minutes.
    - If you're not a PPL member already, it can take 3-6 months to join
    and each member of the band would have to sign with PPL individually.
  • We can handle all PPL recoveries globally as a band for our clients.
    - All band members would have to make individual membership applications to PPL.
  • We can help recover broadcast royalties from all formats (physical / digital / streaming) on DIY labels.
    - PPL is largely useful to clients who have material commercially released through registered record labels in a physical format and they work principally for PERFORMERS and RECORD LABELS, not SONGWRITERS.
  • We represent individuals and independent record labels equally.
    - PPL is largely geared towards working with musicians signed to established record labels and / or persons involved in the recording of specific songs.
    A songwriter themselves will not greatly benefit by being a member of PPL.


  • Does it matter in which Country I'm based?
    Yes, to some degree.
    Whilst we can help bands/acts in the UK the most, we can also help out if you're a UK ex-pat especially if you've ever played "live" locally or if your music is being played on Radio and TV there.

    Any potential clients based outside of the above areas who may wish to work with us should study our services carefully and if a national of that country must also be a writer-member their own regional PRO as this may speed up the recovery of royalties due to them.
    We cannot work with nationalised International clients who are not PRO members.

    Foreign Publishers may wish to work with us on a Sub-Publishing basis - please see the appropriate section of our Services menu for further details on this option.


    If I sign with Maori Music, is it still possible to release my music myself or on other labels?
    Absolutely!
    Releasing music and music publishing are two completely different things.
    A Music Publishing deal has nothing to do with a Record Label signing you.
    You can still release your music physically and digitally wherever you want, but you should note that you should not enter into any exclusive arrangement with a label that also affects publishing rights.
    Maori Music warrants such rights as shown and collects any extra money that is held in the hands of Mechanical Rights Organisations (MRO's) or PRO's.
    Without a Music Publisher you would probably not get any of this money at any time - it is often held back by these organisations.

    In the event that you have released, or go on to release, any physical copies of your music through your own label and this has then become subject to an MCPS AP2 Manufacturing Invoice (even ones the MCPS may grant restrospectively), and are based in the UK and / or are a writer-member of the PRS, then we will undertake to pay any such Invoice full for you (for all titles that we administer).
    (By doing so, this will automatically extend the period of Contracture by an additional twenty four months).


    Can I view my catalogue / live claim details etc., online?
    No
    For reasons of client confidentiality and data protection no details of client accounts are available to view online at this time.
    If you have any queries about your catalogue / live claims history or specific titles, by all means email us for a full and prompt response.


    Bands / Solo Acts




    Should the whole band sign up?
    Not necessarily.
    Publishing administration is concerned with songwriters and not specific bands or acts per se, so only the songwriters in the band should sign up.
    A drummer may devise and dictate the overall rhythm of a song and the bassist may come up with a rhythmic and counterpoint bass-line but this doesn't necessarily mean that they're one of the songwriters - essentially whoever comes up with the lyrics and/or the melody are the members that should be considered as the songwriter/s.
    Bear in mind the problems that may arise if a band member leaves and they weren't really a valid songwriter as outlined above but still have their name on your songs - they can stop you releasing or otherwise exploiting those songs at any point in the future.
    Similarly, any session musicians involved with the recording of a musical work will not usually be considered as a co-composer, simply by virtue of interpreting or playing the material presented to them, but may be eligible for Neighbouring Rights (PPL) payments.
    All royalties are paid to just one point of contact within a band, unless individual members are also writer members of a PRO (such as PRS For Music), in which case their share of writers and publishers royalties are paid directly to them from their PRO.


    What happens if a member leaves?
    Publishing is all about individual songwriters rather than any specific Band / Act, so if your line- up changes and members who were listed as songwriters on some songs leave then their names remain on those titles.
    New songwriter-members can't be added to the old songs, but of course they may be shown as contributors to new material.
    All royalties will continue to be paid to the point of contact for the band as usual, for onward distribution.
    If it is the point of contact who leaves, then another point of contact for the Band / Act will be designated by Maori Music Publishing.
    If the member who leaves is a member of a Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) (e.g. PRS / BMI / ASCAP etc) then they will receive any royalties due to them directly from their PRO.


    Can an ex-member stop us using songs?
    If the ex-member/s are not listed as songwriters you have nothing to worry about as those members are not entitled to tell you not to use the songs.
    If the ex-member/s are considered to be co-composers then in theory it's possible for them to issue you with a "cease and desist" notification through a solicitor preventing you from recording the song/s, or using any previously recorded version of the song/s in question.
    You can also do that to them of course, but this is extremely rare and in the the end would benefit nobody.
    As a rule, if you co-wrote and co-published a song with someone, unless you have a written agreement stating otherwise, all parties are free to use the works provided that all parties who are involved in the ownership get their percentages of the profits (from broadcast or "live" performance royalties etc).
    We always stress the importance of ensuring that accurate compositional rights are notified to us from the outset to prevent later claims by any party who may not actually have contributed to the composition/s.

    If an ex-member, or the Band / Act that you've left, threatens to stop you using songs that have been co-composed, please contact us for further advice.


    The whole band is no longer together - does that matter?
    Not at all.
    We're all about the SONGS not the BAND / ACT when it comes to recovering backdated amounts that are due to you so you should certainly still maintain your publishing links with us.
    You will be free to re-record or perform your songs either as a solo performer or with another Band / Act (provided any co-composers have no objection!)
    Keep in mind that performance royalties can "surface" at any time - often many years after they are first broadcast or played "live" - and we can continue to recover these amounts for you, long after the band has stopped functioning.
    In addition, Synchronisation opportunities will also still exist - these are also geared around songs and not Bands / Acts (living or dead!).
    Any royalties due will continue to be paid to the acknowledged point of contact for the band for onward distribution, as usual.


    Where will my royalties be from?
    a) Performance Royalties
    Performance Royalties can be due to you from Radio / TV Broadcasts of your music and "live" performances that you've given.
    We can help you recover these royalties both in the UK and Abroad.
    You'll find details throughout our website on how we can help you to claim for Broadcast, Live and YouTube use of your music, as well as many others.

    b) Mechanical Royalties
    Mechanical Royalties can be due to you from the manufacture of physical "sound carriers", i.e. CDs / Vinyl Records / DVDs / VHS Tapes etc., that feature your music or remixes as well as digital streaming royalties from digital downloads.
    This also includes magazine Cover Disks and Compilation releases.
    We can help you recover these royalties both in the UK and Abroad.
    (Different arrangements may apply to bands working through Managers and / or Labels).

    c) Digital Royalties
    If you have music available for sale through iTunes, Amazon, Spotify etc., then these can generate Digital Royalties in addition to sales royalties (which are dealt with through your aggregator or the company that has arranged distribution for you).
    As a member of organisations such as SoundExchange and Music Reports we are able to help recover any such amounts that may be due to you.

    d) Synchronisation Fees
    If we negotiate a placement for your music in Film / TV / Media projects, you get a one-off Sync Fee (you may also subsequently get Performance Royalties).
    See our section on Sync Promo for more details.

    e) Neighbouring Rights (PPL) Royalties
    If you're a record label / master rights owner and your master recordings are being publicly performed and broadcast, you're earning neighbouring rights (PPL) royalties.
    This is completely separate from the field of music publishing, in which songwriters and composers earn performance royalties from public broadcasts of their musical compositions.
    For this service, we register your sound recordings and collect your neighbouring rights (PPL) royalties as your Exclusive Licencee.
    Neigbouring Rights returns are divided 50/50 between Record Labels and Performers.
    See our section on NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS / PPL for more details.

    NOTE:
    Publishing Administration is not about recovering sales royalties from music released either physically or digitally.
    This is the responsibility of the record label or the aggregator who organised distribution for you and you should refer any queries about these particular royalties to them.


    Do I get paid for every broadcast song performance?
    Yes.... and No.
    Major Radio and TV Broadcasters, (BBC, ITV, SKY etc) are automatically monitored for music-usage, so we should always automatically pick up on royalties you're entitled to from them.
    Many Local / Internet stations, unfortunately, do not provide full records of all music broadcast and it's possible your performance will 'slip through the net' on occasion, although overall revenues are likely to be small from these stations, particularly on only one or two plays.
    By keeping your Maori Music Publishing song catalogue fully up to date, you can help ensure that you'll be receiving the maximum royalties possible from your music.


    How much money does Maori Music take?
    Maori Music takes just 20% of any income administered for you and 20% of any up-front Synchronisation fees (see below).
    All clients earn an overall royalty rate of 80% on all publishing income.

    NOTE:
    If you are not a direct member of any PRO (i.e. PRS / ASCAP / BMI / SOCAN etc), we will receive your royalties and pay them out to you.
    If you are a direct member of any PRO your membership details will have been added to the registrations we make for your songs, meaning that you will receive your full writers share of royalties PLUS a percentage of the publishers share (totalling 80% of gross amounts due) directly from your PRO.
    (No additional amounts will be sent from us, you'll receive everything due to you directly).
    You'll always retain all rights pertaining to your own Writer-Membership of your PRO, so this means you will almost certainly be better off working with us than "going it alone"!


    Are there any charges outside of commission?
    None at all.
    We will only ever take the commission stated above on the net fees we receive - we're paid on results alone.
    If you don't earn then we don't earn!
    There are NO upfront charges for any of our publishing services.


    When do I get my money?
    If you qualify, then for most clients payments are generally delivered as follows:
    PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES : Quarterly - (APR / JUL / OCT / DEC)
    (UK Territory Clients receive their Performance Royalties Bi-Annually - (JUL and DEC)).
    MECHANICAL ROYALTIES : Monthly (Depending on royalty source)
    RECONCILIATION ROYALTIES : Quarterly - (MAR / MAY / AUG / NOV)
    NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS (PPL) ROYALTIES : Annually - (JUL) for UK PPL Royalties
    Quarterly - (MAR / JUN / SEP / DEC) for International PPL Royalties.

    All UK 'live' claims are likely to take 3-6 months to be approved, with UK Concert / Festival claims usually taking longer.
    International Claims are subject to local / regional PRO schedules but can often take a considerable time to be approved.

    When you first sign up it'll probably take at least 4-6 months for us to research your recent history to see how much you are currently owed so you might want to look on this as a realistic minimum period to enable us to help you to earn money from your music.

    Non-PRO members will not receive a payment or a statement when no royalties have been collected or if they do not exceed £10.00 for UK Clients or £50.00 for International Clients (who do not use PayPal), in which case all due royalties will be held over until they achieve this minimum amount.

    PRO members will receive royalties in accordance with the distribution schedule/s of their PRO.

    UK GIG / CLUB LIVE CLAIM SCHEDULE
    CLAIM BYPAID OUT
    Dec 30APRIL
    Mar 30JULY
    Jun 30OCTOBER
    Sep 30DECEMBER
    Reconciliation payments are residual amounts paid if previous licence revenues exceed distributed amounts and are deal with in seperate, quarterly distributions
    We will notify all clients of deadlines and distribution dates regularly through the Maori Music Client Forum.


    How will my royalties be paid to me?
    We offer a variety of payment options including PayPal or Internet Bank Transfer (for UK Composers) and PayPal or Wire Transfer (for International Composers).
    (Please note that Bank Charges may apply to certain methods of payment).
    Simply complete the appropriate option on your initial ePublishing Contract.
    When dealing with DUOS / BANDS, we will send all statements and royalties to just one point of contact for onward distribution amongst all listed songwriters.

    The only exceptions to this would be:-

    1) If any of the co-composers are writer-members of a Performing Rights Organisation (such as PRS, BMI, ASCAP, SOCAN etc), in which case the amalgamated writers and publishers royalties due to those co-composers are sent to them directly via their PRO statement.
    OR
    2a) Duplicate statements (for purposes of transparency) will normally only be sent to a "communal" email address for a BAND where all composers have access to emails on that address.
    2b) If a MANAGER or LABEL have opted to receive all royalties then a statement will also be sent out to the point of contact within any BAND (or to a "communal" email address) for the purposes of transparency.


    Can I get money for playing my songs 'live'?
    Yes.
    Claims for 'live' royalties due to you can be backdated.
    How far back you can go all depends on your situation but we can usually backdate claims for typical UK Gigs for 12 months and UK Concerts / Festivals for seven years.
    We can also claim backdated amounts for Foreign Performances, for up to 24 months, but these can often take a considerable time to process.

    VENUE DEFINITIONS (General)
  • A Gig / Club is a smaller venue (less than 500 capacity);
  • A Concert is a larger venue (over 500 capacity) ie. a Theatre, Arts Centre, College or University;
  • A Festival is usually an outdoor venue, not just a series of gigs spread over several smaller, indoor venues - (Some 'Beer Festivals' or localised 'Music Festivals' can be like this and they should be considered to be Gig / Club venue).

  • NOTE : If in doubt, consider venues to be standard Gig / Club - we'll check them for you and make adjustments to your claim if necessary.


    Do I get paid for every 'live' song performance?
    Yes.... and No.
    You're entitled to royalties for every 'live' song performance in legally licenced venues, but we can only pay royalties for song performances we know about and at venues that are properly licenced for 'live' performances, so we do depend on clients keeping us informed of their "live" performances to ensure they receive all they can from their music.
    By keeping your Maori Music Publishing song catalogue fully up to date, you can help ensure that you'll be receiving the maximum royalties possible from your music.


    How much do I get per gig?
    How much money you receive is dependent on the size of the gigs you play, (generally the bigger audiences and venues, the higher the royalty).
    (See Income Examples for a guide to what your music could earn for you).


    Will my local venue be charged if I make a claim for a gig there?
    No - this is not how it works.
    All music venues in the UK have to pay an appropriate licence to feature music to the public and if we make a claim for a gig that you have played any royalties owing will come out of the combined pot of licencing monies.
    No venue is charged additional amounts due to 'live' claims and so there is no need to worry that you're harming the venues that you play by making 'live' claims.


    I play some 'covers' in my set, can I claim for them?
    No.
    You cannot claim royalties for cover versions, we can only work with the catalogue of original songs that have been written by the person/s signing up with us.
    As long as you play one or more original songs, we can still make claims for these songs but nothing else. If you have any doubts about what to add, it's best to check with us before notifying us of them.


    Do I need to have recorded my songs?
    No.
    You can notify us of titles even if they have never been recorded.
    Royalties relating to your written compositions can be earned regardless of whether there is a recording or not, so usually we only need the basic details of your songs (Title and Writer details) in order to start helping you to collect royalties for your music.
    If you ever play your songs live, then they will be generating royalties regardless of whether you ever make recordings of them.


    How do I sign up With Maori Music?
    SOLO ARTISTES
    You start by completing and returning our ePublishing Contract.

    BANDS / ACTS
    You start by completing and returning our ePublishing Contract.
    If more members of the band are involved as co-composers, we'll then send out individual Contracts by email for them to sign and return to us.


    Songwriters / Songwriting Teams




    I'm just a Songwriter - how does it work for me?
    We can promote your songs for potential use in Film , TV or Media projects as well as for consideration by other Artists ("cover" versions) with our Sync Promo services.
    In addition we can recover royalties due from Radio / TV broadcast of your titles as well as any mechanical royalties from cover discs / compilation albums etc.
    We regret that we cannot assist lyricists only as we cannot effectively promote you and we do not "match up" lyricists with composers.


    Where will my royalties be from?
    a) Sync Fees
    If your songs are selected for use in Film, TV or Media Projects then you may be paid a "Sync Fee".
    This will be in addition to any Performance / Broadcast royalties that may subsequently be generated from Radio / TV Broadcasts etc.

    b) Performance / Broadcast Royalties
    Performance Royalties can be due to you from Radio / TV Broadcasts of your titles.
    We can help you recover these royalties both in the UK and Abroad on your Original Compositions.
    You'll also find details throughout our website on how we can help you to claim for Broadcast and YouTube use of your titles.

    c) Mechanical Royalties
    Mechanical Royalties can be due to you from the manufacture of physical "sound carriers", i.e. CDs / Vinyl Records / DVDs / VHS Tapes etc., that feature your titles as well as digital streaming royalties from digital downloads.
    This also includes magazine Cover Disks and Compilation Albums.
    We can help you recover these royalties both in the UK and Abroad on your Original Compositions.

    NOTE: Publishing Administration is not about recovering sales royalties from music released either physically or digitally.
    This is the responsibility of the record label or the aggregator who organised distribution for those releases.
    Neither do we manufacture printed copies of your titles for sale / download (eBooks).


    How much money does Maori Music take?
    Maori Music takes just 20% of any income administered for you.
    All clients earn an overall royalty rate of 80% on all publishing income.

    NOTE:
    If you are not a direct member of any PRO (Performance Royalty Organisation) such as PRS / ASCAP / BMI / SOCAN etc, then we will receive all royalties and pay them out to you.
    If you are a direct member of any PRO your membership details will have been added to the registrations we make for your titles, meaning that you will receive your full writers share of royalties PLUS a percentage of the publishers share (totalling 80% of gross amounts due) directly from your PRO.
    (Occasionally additional amounts will be sent from us, otherwise you'll receive everything due to you directly from your PRO).
    You'll always retain all rights pertaining to your own Writer-Membership of all PRO's, so this means you will almost certainly be better off working with us than "going it alone"!


    Are there any charges outside of commission?
    None at all.
    We will only ever take the commission stated above on the net fees we receive - we're paid on results alone. If you don't earn then we don't earn!
    There are NO upfront charges for any of our standard publishing services.


    When do I get my money?
    If you qualify, then for most clients payments are generally delivered as follows:
    SYNC FEES : Paid out when they are received (if above our minimum distribution threshold)
    PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES : Quarterly - (APR / JUL / OCT / DEC)
    (UK Territory Clients receive their Performance Royalties Bi-Annually - (JUL and DEC)).
    MECHANICAL ROYALTIES : Monthly (Depending on royalty source)

    When you first sign up it'll probably take at least 3-6 months for us to research your recent history to see how much you are currently owed (if anything) from the previous use of your songs so you might want to look on this as a realistic minimum period to enable us to help you to earn money from your music.

    Non-PRO members will not receive a payment or a statement when no royalties have been collected or if they do not exceed our minimum distribution thresholds of £10.00 for UK Clients or £50.00 for International Clients (who do not use PayPal), in which case all due royalties will be held over until they achieve this minimum amount.

    PRO members will receive royalties in accordance with the distribution schedule/s of their PRO.


    How will my royalties be paid to me?
    We offer a variety of payment options including PayPal or Internet Bank Transfer (for UK Composers) and PayPal or Wire Transfer (for International Composers).
    (Please note that Bank Charges may apply to certain methods of payment).
    Simply complete the appropriate option on your ePublishing Contract.
    When dealing with Songwriting Teams, we will send all royalties to just one point of contact for onward distribution amongst all listed contributors.

    The only exceptions to this would be:-

    1) If any of the co-composers are writer-members of a Performing Rights Organisation (such as PRS, BMI, ASCAP, SOCAN etc), in which case the bulk of amalgamated writers and publishers royalties due to those co-composers are sent to them directly via their PRO.
    OR
    2) Duplicate statements (for purposes of transparency) will normally only be sent to a "communal" email address for a Songwriting Team where all composers have access to emails on that address.
    Please let us know if this will be required.


    How do I sign up With Maori Music?
    SONGWRITERS / SONGWRITING TEAMS
    You start by completing and returning our ePublishing Contract.


    DJs / Producers : DJs / Producers Webpage




    I'm a DJ / Producer - how does it work for me?
    We can work with you to recover royalties due from broadcast or "live" performances of your music as well as mechanical royalties from cover discs / compilation albums etc., and promote your music for Sync Usage (potential use in Film / TV / Media Projects).


    Where will my royalties be from?
    a) Performance Royalties
    Performance Royalties can be due to you from Radio / TV Broadcasts of your music and "live" performances that you've given at Concerts / Festivals PA's etc.
    (You need to contribute some "live" element here - it is not sufficient just to play a CD / Vinyl recording of your song/s to qualify for this).
    We can help you recover these royalties both in the UK and Abroad on both your Original Compositions and on Derivative Works.
    We also recover streaming royalties from outlets such as BEATPORT, DIGITALLY IMPORTED, MIXCLOUD and SOUNDCLOUD.
    You'll find details throughout our website on how we can help you to claim for Broadcast, Live and YouTube use of your music.

    b) Mechanical Royalties
    Mechanical Royalties can be due to you from the manufacture of physical "sound carriers", i.e. CDs / Vinyl Records / DVDs / VHS Tapes etc., that feature your music or remixes as well as digital streaming royalties from digital downloads.
    This also includes magazine Cover Disks and Compilation releases - a major point of interest to DJs and Producers whose work is used extensively in this way.
    We can help you recover these royalties both in the UK and Abroad on both your Original Compositions and on Derivative Works.

    c) Synchronisation Fees
    When we negotiate a placement for your music in Film / TV / Media projects, you get a one-off Sync Fee (you may also subsequently get Performance Royalties).
    See our section on Sync Promo for more details.

    d) Neighbouring Rights (PPL) Royalties
    If you're a record label / master rights owner and your master recordings are being publicly performed and broadcast, you're earning neighbouring rights (PPL) royalties.
    This is completely separate from the field of music publishing, in which songwriters and composers earn performance royalties from public broadcasts of their musical compositions.
    For this service, we register your sound recordings and collect your neighbouring rights (PPL) royalties as your Exclusive Licencee.
    Neigbouring Rights returns are divided 50/50 between Record Labels and Performers.
    If the label is not a PPL Member you authorise Confidential Records (UK) Ltd to act as Exclusive Licencee for these recordings and for them to register these recordings with PPL on your behalf.
    See our section on NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS / PPL for more details.

    NOTE: Publishing Administration is not about recovering sales royalties from music released either physically or digitally.
    This is the responsibility of the record label or the aggregator who organised distribution for you and you should refer any queries about these particular royalties to them.


    How much money does Maori Music take?
    Maori Music takes just 20% of any income administered for you and 20% of any up-front Synchronisation fees (see below).
    All clients earn an overall royalty rate of 80% on all publishing income.

    NOTE:
    If you are not a direct member of any PRO (i.e. PRS / ASCAP / BMI / SOCAN etc), we will receive your royalties and pay them out to you.
    If you are a direct member of any PRO your membership details will have been added to the registrations we make for your songs, meaning that you will receive your full writers share of royalties PLUS a percentage of the publishers share (totalling 80% of gross amounts due) directly from your PRO.
    (No additional amounts will be sent from us, you'll receive everything due to you directly).
    You'll always retain all rights pertaining to your own Writer-Membership of all PRO's, so this means you will almost certainly be better off working with us than "going it alone"!


    Are there any charges outside of commission?
    None at all.
    We will only ever take the commission stated above on the net fees we receive - we're paid on results alone.
    If you don't earn then we don't earn!
    There are NO upfront charges for any of our publishing services.


    When do I get my money?
    If you qualify, then for most clients payments are generally delivered as follows:
    PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES : Quarterly - (APR / JUL / OCT / DEC)
    (UK Territory Clients receive their Performance Royalties Bi-Annually - (JUL and DEC)).
    MECHANICAL ROYALTIES : Monthly (Depending on royalty source)
    RECONCILIATION ROYALTIES : Quarterly - (MAR / MAY / AUG / NOV)
    NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS / PPL ROYALTIES : Annually - (JUL) for UK PPL Royalties
    Quarterly - (MAR / JUN / SEP / DEC) for International PPL Royalties.

    All UK 'live' claims are likely to take 3-9 months to be approved, with UK Concert / Festival claims taking longer.
    International Claims are subject to local / regional PRO schedules but often take a considerable time to be approved.

    When you first sign up it'll probably take at least 3-6 months for us to research your recent history to see how much you are currently owed so you might want to look on this as a realistic minimum period to enable us to help you to earn money from your music.

    Non-PRO members will not receive a payment or a statement when no royalties have been collected or if they do not exceed £10.00 for UK Clients or £50.00 for International Clients (who do not use PayPal), in which case all due royalties will be held over until they achieve this minimum amount.

    PRO members will receive royalties in accordance with the distribution schedule/s of their PRO.

    UK GIG / CLUB LIVE CLAIM SCHEDULE
    CLAIM BYPAID OUT
    Mar 28OCTOBER
    Jun 28DECEMBER
    Sep 28APRIL
    Dec 15JULY
    Reconciliation payments are residual amounts paid if previous licence revenues exceed distributed amounts and are paid in separate quarterly distributions
    We will notify all clients of deadlines and distribution dates regularly through the Maori Music Client Forum.


    How will my royalties be paid to me?
    We offer a variety of payment options including PayPal or Internet Bank Transfer (for UK Composers) and PayPal or Wire Transfer (for International Composers).
    (Please note that Bank Charges may apply to certain methods of payment).
    Simply complete the appropriate option on your ePublishing Contract.
    When dealing with DUOS / PRODUCTION TEAMS, we will send all royalties to just one point of contact for onward distribution amongst all listed composers.

    The only exceptions to this would be:-

    1) If any of the co-composers are writer-members of a Performing Rights Organisation (such as PRS, BMI, ASCAP, SOCAN etc), in which case the amalgamated writers and publishers royalties due to those co-composers are sent to them directly via their PRO statement.
    OR
    2a) Duplicate statements (for purposes of transparency) will normally only be sent to a "communal" email address for a BAND where all composers have access to emails on that address.
    Please let us know if this is required.
    2b) If a MANAGER or LABEL have opted to receive all royalties then a statement will also be sent out to the main point of contact within any BAND (or to a "communal" Band email address) for the purposes of transparency.
    Please let us know if the latter is required.


    Can I get royalties for my remixes?
    Yes.
    Remixes can be classed as "derivative works" and if you have express permission from the copyright owner/s to remix their track/s and have made substantial changes to the original version, then we can help you to claim performance royalties.


    What about my collaborations?
    Many people work with musical collaborators in the UK and abroad across the Internet.
    We always stress to clients who work on collaborative projects that they should ensure that they have a written agreement between themselves and all collaborators clearly showing any agreed split of publishing royalties (and sales royalties if applicable), this is called a Split Sheet.
    Whertjher this exists or not, you can register your collaborations with us when submitting an ADD NEW SONGS Form and we can recover amounts due to you in the usual ways.
    We may contact all collaborators to see if they'd like to work with us as well but their decision as to whether to do so may not affect our ability to work on your behalf fully.


    What about using samples?
    Sampling refers to the use of a previously recorded extract of another work within another composition and forms the core of many contemporary dance music genres.
    The allowability for the use of samples is extremely subjective and can lead to court action involving injunctions on sale/distribution, so our advice is to always obtain written permission from the copyright owners / administrators before releasing material containing samples (even if you have manipulated these samples in some way as to make them barely recognisable).
    Most record labels and music publishers will expect the client to have obtained appropriate clearances for the use of any samples and have paid any appropriate fee to do so.
    We regret that we can not assist clients with obtaining appropriate clearance permission/s.
    If there is any chance of an uncleared sample being found and legal action taken, you should either clear it or remove it.


    What is a Derivative Work?
    A Derivative Work is a work that is based on (derived from) another work; for example a painting based on a photograph, a collage, a musical work based on an existing piece or samples, a screenplay based on a book.


    How is a Derivative Work made?
    a) Permission
    Legally only the copyright owner has the right to authorise adaptations and reproductions of their work - this includes the making of a Derivative Work.
    The copyright owner is generally the creator of the original work, or it may be someone the creator has given copyright to (i.e. next of kin).
    Unless you are the copyright owner of the original work, you will usually need the permission of the copyright owner before making a Derivative Work.
    This may be given freely or there may be a charge made for this.
    We may request sight of any Permissions appropriate to the registration of the Derivative Work prior to making any such registrations on your behalf and these should not unreasonably prohibit your ability to claim performance royalties from any such Derivative Work.

    b) Exceptions that do not require permission
    You will not require permission if the making and use of Derivative Work is carried out in a way that is expressly permitted in your country's copyright legislation; a typical permitted use would be within an educational establishment for the purpose of instruction and examination.
    Rules surrounding permitted actions are based on national legislation and will differ from country to country - please check your country's legislation for further details.
    If copyright has expired (under UK law this typically means the author died over 70 years ago), the work will be in the public domain and may be used as a basis for a Derivative Work without permission.
    You may not require permission if the original work has a licence that explicitly allows the creation of a Derivative Work.
    The licence itself may also specify rules and conditions that must be adhered to.

    c) Can I claim that my copy is 'fair use / fair dealing' or 'de minimis'?
    Unless your activities are explicitly allowed under law, there is no solid legal footing for such a claim.
    Fair use is a complex area and by its very nature tends to be quite subjective.
    When a case goes to court a judge will typically make a decision based on a number of factors including the purpose of the use, the nature of the work, the significance of the copied content and the potential impact to the owner's income and reputation.
    It's important to understand that while the judge may have guidelines and past cases to refer to, there are no simple rules and the outcome can be hard to predict.
    There have also been cases where a judge has ruled that a use was allowed only to have the decision reversed after appeal; a notable example of this was Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films (2005).


    How is Copyright determined in the Derivative Work?
    Provided it is significantly different to the original work the Derivative Work will be subject to copyright in its own right and you will own copyright to the new content you have created as a result of your actions.
    Bear in mind that to be subject to copyright the creation of the Derivative Work must itself be an original work of skill, labour and judgment; minor alterations that do not substantially alter the original would not qualify.
    Any copyright in the original work remains unchanged; the creation of the Derivative Work gives no right to the original work being adapted.
    You cannot extend the duration of copyright in a work by creating a Derivative Work.
    If the original work is in the public domain, it will remain in the public domain; you cannot prevent anyone else using the same public domain work for their own purposes.


    What are Copyright Notices?
    Copyright notices are generally helpful by stating to others the copyright status of the work and attributing ownership.
    In the case of Derivative Works it is often suitable (and can also be helpful) for the Derivative Work to show a copyright notice for the original material as well as for the new work.

    For example:-
    © 2016 John Smith, (adapted from 'original work'; © 2011 Joe Bloggs).


    Can I register a Derivative Work?
    Yes.
    If you have the express permission of the original copyright owner/s and the Derivative Work contains new content or represents significant development in its own right it will be subject to copyright and it may therefore be registered in the normal manner.


    How do I sign up with Maori Music?
    You start by completing and returning our ePublishing Contract.
    If you work as a songwriting duo or team, we'll then send out individual Contracts by email via ADOBE SIGN® to all other listed Composers for signing and returning to us.


    Spoken Word / Performance Artists : Spoken Word Webpage




    I'm a Spoken Word / Performance Artist - how does it work for me?
    We can work with you to recover royalties due from broadcast or "live" performances of your titles as well as mechanical royalties from cover discs / compilation albums etc.


    Where will my royalties be from?
    a) Performance Royalties
    Performance Royalties can be due to you from Radio / TV Broadcasts of your titles and "live" performances that you've given at Concerts / Festivals PA's etc.
    We can help you recover these royalties both in the UK and Abroad on your Original Compositions.
    You'll find details throughout our website on how we can help you to claim for Broadcast, Live and YouTube use of your titles.

    b) Mechanical Royalties
    Mechanical Royalties can be due to you from the manufacture of physical "sound carriers", i.e. CDs / Vinyl Records / DVDs / VHS Tapes etc., that feature your titles as well as digital streaming royalties from digital downloads.
    This also includes magazine Cover Disks and Spoken Word Compilation releases.
    We can help you recover these royalties both in the UK and Abroad on your Original Compositions.

    NOTE: Publishing Administration is not about recovering sales royalties from music released either physically or digitally.
    This is the responsibility of the record label or the aggregator who organised distribution for you and you should refer any queries about these particular royalties to them.
    Neither do we manufacture printed copies of your titles for sale / download (eBooks).


    How much money does Maori Music take?
    Maori Music takes just 20% of any income administered for you.
    All clients earn an overall royalty rate of 80% on all publishing income.

    NOTE:
    If you are not a direct member of any PRO (i.e. PRS / ASCAP / BMI / SOCAN etc), we will receive your royalties and pay them out to you.
    If you are a direct member of any PRO your membership details will have been added to the registrations we make for your titles, meaning that you will receive your full writers share of royalties PLUS a percentage of the publishers share (totalling 80% of gross amounts due) directly from your PRO.
    (No additional amounts will be sent from us, you'll receive everything due to you directly).
    You'll always retain all rights pertaining to your own Writer-Membership of all PRO's, so this means you will almost certainly be better off working with us than "going it alone"!


    Are there any charges outside of commission?
    None at all.
    We will only ever take the commission stated above on the net fees we receive - we're paid on results alone. If you don't earn then we don't earn!
    There are NO upfront charges for any of our publishing services.


    When do I get my money?
    If you qualify, then for most clients payments are generally delivered as follows:
    PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES : Quarterly - (APR / JUL / OCT / DEC)
    (UK Territory Clients receive their Performance Royalties Bi-Annually - (JUL and DEC)).
    MECHANICAL ROYALTIES : Monthly (Depending on royalty source)
    RECONCILIATION ROYALTIES : Quarterly - (MAR / MAY / AUG / NOV)
    PPL / NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS ROYALTIES : Annually - (JUL) for UK PPL Royalties
    Quarterly - (MAR / JUN / SEP / DEC) for International PPL Royalties.

    All UK 'live' event claims are likely to take 2-6 months to be approved, with UK Concert / Festival claims usually taking longer.
    International Claims are subject to local / regional PRO schedules but often take a considerable time to be approved.

    When you first sign up it'll probably take at least 3-6 months for us to research your recent history to see how much you are currently owed (if anything) so you might want to look on this as a realistic minimum period to enable us to help you to earn money from your music.

    Non-PRO members will not receive a payment or a statement when no royalties have been collected or if they do not exceed £10.00 for UK Clients or £50.00 for International Clients (who do not use PayPal), in which case all due royalties will be held over until they achieve this minimum amount.

    PRO members will receive royalties in accordance with the distribution schedule/s of their PRO.

    UK EVENT / CLUB LIVE CLAIM SCHEDULE
    SUBMIT BYDISTRIBUTION
    Dec 30APRIL
    Mar 30JULY
    Jun 30OCTOBER
    Sep 30DECEMBER


    How will my royalties be paid to me?
    We offer a variety of payment options including PayPal or Internet Bank Transfer (for UK Composers) and PayPal or Wire Transfer (for International Composers).
    (Please note that Bank Charges may apply to certain methods of payment).
    Simply complete the appropriate option on your ePublishing Contract.
    When dealing with DUOS / GROUPS, we will send all royalties to just one point of contact for onward distribution amongst all listed contributors.

    The only exceptions to this would be:-

    1) If any of the co-composers are writer-members of a Performing Rights Organisation (such as PRS, BMI, ASCAP, SOCAN etc), in which case the amalgamated writers and publishers royalties due to those co-composers are sent to them directly via their PRO statement.
    OR
    2a) Duplicate statements (for purposes of transparency) will normally only be sent to a "communal" email address for a BAND where all composers have access to emails on that address.
    2b) If a MANAGER or LABEL have opted to receive all royalties then a statement will also be sent out to the point of contact within any BAND (or to a "communal" email address) for the purposes of transparency.


    How do I sign up with Maori Music?
    You start by completing and returning our ePublishing Contract.
    If you work as a DUO or TEAM, we'll then send out individual Contracts by email via ADOBE SIGN® to all other listed Contributors for signing and returning to us.


    UK Managers / Labels : Managers / Labels Webpage




    We're a UK Manager / Record Label - how does it work for us?
    (Please also view the Publishing Overview Section for additional information).

    For Managers these details apply no matter how many Bands / Acts you represent.

    For Labels these details apply whether you're a DIY Label (just handling one Band / Act) or an Indie Label (handling multiple Bands / Acts).

    Provided that you are able to act on behalf of your Bands / Acts in arranging Publishing Administration, then you'll get the full range of services we offer with these added benefits:-

  • We can recover royalties due to your bands / acts from broadcast and "live" performances of their music (backdated for up to three years in many instances).
  • We pay an excellent royalty rate of 80% on all earnings, with NO upfront fees for any of our services.
  • You have the option to receive royalties paid to you directly for onward distribution in accordance with your own signed client Contracts.
    If songwriter/s are PRO Members, then you will receive 30% of due amounts; if not, then you will receive 80% of due amounts, for onward transmission in accordance with your own client agreement.
  • We proactively search for Synchronisation & Licensing opportunities for using your clients music in Film / TV / Media Projects etc.
  • We can handle the payment of any MCPS AP2 Manufacturing Licence Fees for you (even those charged retrospectively) on any songs registered with us.
    This service is offered by default for all acts handled by Label clients.
  • We can register your releases with PPL if required, enabling the recovery of PPL Broadcasting licence royalties.


  • What if some of our acts already have a Publishing Deal?
    Sorry, we can only represent acts who are not already published elsewhere.


    What do we tell our acts about Maori Music?
    You should inform your acts that Maori Music Publishing handles their Publishing Administration on your behalf and that we will be sending them their ePublishing Contracts directly via email through ADOBE ECHOSIGN®.
    They should be encouraged to submit claims for our services such as the recovery of backdated 'live' performance royalties etc., as shown on our website, although many Managers / Labels will do this on their behalf to ensure that their clients maximise their returns from these sources.
    Where appropriate, copy statements will be issued to a point of contact with the Band / Act for the purpose of transparency.


    Do we, or our clients, have to be direct members of a PRO / PPL?
    No... and Yes.
    One of the key benefits of Maori Music Publishing is that we allow independent Management Companies and Record Labels to access our professional collection services which can help to maximise the royalties they can earn, while bypassing the need to join any Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) themselves.
    If any songwriters are based outside of the UK, however, it is a requirement that they are members of a recognised International or Regional PRO.

    If your clients are not members of PRS For Music in the UK or another PRO during the Term of this Contract, any performing rights in Works shall be deemed to be licensed to Maori Music Publishing and they shall be the Administrator/s and Owner/s of the said rights during the Term and shall be empowered in turn to assign the said rights to PRS For Music or other PRO.

    As a PPL member, we can handle all PPL registrations for independent / DIY labels, ensuring that your releases qualify for Official Chart recognition and enabling the recovery of PPL Licence royalties from Radio / TV broadcasts etc.
    Obviously if you are a PPL member, you should be doing this already.

    If any of your clients are writer members of any of these organisations, simply let us know and we'll ensure that this is fully reflected throughout our administration of all of their titles.
    If your clients are not direct members of any PRO (i.e. PRS / ASCAP / BMI / SOCAN etc), we will receive all their royalties and can pay them out to you directly if you have opted for this.
    If your clients are direct members of any PRO your membership details will have been added to the registrations we make for their songs, meaning that they will receive their full writers share of royalties (50% of the total amount due) directly from their PRO and you will receive a residual 30% from the publishers share (totalling 80% of gross amounts due).


    What about MCPS AP2 Licencing?

    In the event that you have released, or go on to release, any physical copies of your clients music through your own label and this has then become subject to an MCPS AP2 Manufacturing Invoice (even ones the MCPS may grant restrospectively), and are based in the UK and / or are a writer-member of PRS then we will undertake to pay any such Invoice in full for you for all titles that we administer.
    This can produce considerable savings for you with respect to the payment of mechanical royalty fees to the MCPS.
    There is no direct charge for this service, but by assisting in this way we will then retain all future mechanical royalty amounts received from the MCPS to recoup our outlay.
    This service is applied by default to all Indie and DIY Label clients.


    Does working with Maori Music affect our Physical / Digital record sales royalties?
    No, it doesn't.
    Publishing Administration has nothing whatsoever to do with sales royalties or revenues from any music issued by your artistes for sale either physically or digitally.
    Similarly we cannot recover any amounts due to you from any distributor, outlet or aggregator who has been involved with the sale of any records issued through your label or any other label your clients are connected to.


    How do we sign up with Maori Music?
    You start by completing and returning our UK MANAGER / LABEL Registration Form.
    (Complete a separate form for each Band / Act you wish us to handle).
    We'll then send out ePublishing Contracts by email via ADOBE ECHOSIGN® to all listed Composers in your Bands / Acts for signing and returning to us and we'll inform you when everything is in order.
    NOTE : Our Publishing Contract is always with the songwriter and not the Manager / Label but you have the option for all publishing revenues to be paid directly to yourselves for onward distribution provided that this is in accordance with your own client Agreement/s.
    Where appropriate, copy statements will be issued to a point of contact with the Band / Act for the purpose of transparency.


    Sub-Publishing




    Does Maori Music use Sub-Publishers?
    Yes - for some clients.
    In most cases the reciprocal links between PRS For Music in the UK and many Foreign Performing Rights Organisation ensures that any due royalties will get returned to our clients via Maori Music - eventually!
    However, where clients' music is used in Foreign TV / Radio Advertisements or their music is available in a physical format (Vinyl / CD) issued and distributed by a Foreign Record Label, we may consider it beneficial to have our network of Foreign Sub-Publishers assist in the recovery of Foreign royalties, including Neighbouring Rights royalties.
    Where songs are administered through a Sub-Publisher, the Publisher will credit the Artist / Composer with 50% of all royalties received, payable through their PRO.


    Where can a Foreign Publisher find information about Sub-Publishing?
    International Publishers / Owners of Song Catalogues should see HERE for more information about engaging Maori Music as a UK Sub-Publisher.
    Please view our SUB-PUBLISHING TERMS & CONDITIONS for more information.


    Synchronisation / Sync Promo




    What is Synchronisation?
    We define "Synchronisation" as the process of matching up and placing music into Adverts, Television Programmes, Feature Films, Video Games, distributed Compilation / Solo Albums (Themed or Otherwise), and Background Music Systems etc.
    You may submit your tracks for Sync Promo as shown on our website.
    NOTE : All composers must be clients of Maori Music Publishing and you must own the full Master Recording Rights for us to consider your material for Sync Promo.
    NOTE : If placement on a distributed Compilation / Solo Album (Themed or Otherwise) is secured then such placements may remain in distribution in perpetuity and are not subject to any takedowns.
    If you do NOT wish for any of your songs to be used for Synchronisation, it is your responsibility to notify us of this, providing us with specific reasons for your decision.

    DIRECT LICENCING
    We have links with a range of production companies, TV stations, music supervisors and advertising agencies, so whenever they're looking for a certain type of song we can submit music from our Composers that fit their brief.
    Other companies hold music in extensive catalogues, searchable by tempo, theme, lyrical content, genre, mood etc., determined by the track's meta data.
    High-Profile Sync deals are extremely competitive and hard to come by, but can be highly rewarding for the Composer in terms of income and exposure.
    The User pays an initial SYNC FEE (this can be NIL, if agreed, or indeed ANY amount - there are no set figures here) to use your music and you will receive an appropriate "credit" in the finished project.
    Subsequently, you may receive Broadcast Performance Royalties if (for example) the project is a Film, Advert or TV Programme receiving public broadcast.
    Sync Promo is not a quick thing and we expect you to be in for the 'long run' on this type of service.

    BLANKET BROADCASTING LICENCING
    In most countries, television broadcasters have so called "blanket licences" with their local music collection societies.
    For example, in the UK and North America the BBC, SKY, ITV and other broadcasters have agreements with PRS (for the songs and other musical works) and PPL (for commercial sound recordings).
    Each broadcaster pays an annual pre-agreed fee so that the music they wish to use in their programmes is pre-cleared with no further approvals required from copyright owners.
    The agreements also cover VOD ("catch up").


    Do I get to choose when and where my song is used for Synchronisation?
    NO... and YES.
    Decisions have often to be made very quickly in order to secure Sync placements and any delays involved in referring offers back to Composers would probably mean you losing the opportunity.
    In many cases, turnaround for Television programmes is so quick though that if Coronation Street, Eastenders or similar want to use your track as incidental music this is covered under a PPL / PRS (IPC) blanket licence, where the tracks can be used with no further approvals required from copyright owners and all royalties are paid automatically, (which Maori Music Publishing collects for you).
    Many companies work in this way and it is possible that generally material available on outlets such as YouTube, Bandcamp, Soundcloud etc., can be accessed and used in this manner.
    We work with several companies to monitor the use of music in videos and handle the placement of tracks on themed promotional compilation albums etc., selecting tracks of yours that are readily available or specifically submitted for Sync Promo.
    We're afraid that you can't pick and choose which Adverts or Trailers your music may be used in.
    If this is an issue for you, then submitting songs for Sync Promo consideration is probably not a good option for you and you should notify us by email if you prefer for your tracks not to be used for Sync wherever possible.


    Am I still allowed to submit my songs for other Sync projects while I'm signed to Maori Music?
    YES - usually.
    Whilst we generally operate Sync placement agreements on a non-exclusive basis, on occasion the prospective user may request exclusive rights to use the title/s.
    We will always refer such offers to yourself for your final decision in this respect.
    Otherwise, your Contract with Maori Music Publishing leaves you completely free to submit music to other Sync Companies and Agencies for Sync Promo consideration on a non-exclusive basis provided that they do not require any assignation of publishing from you.


    I only want Maori Music to look for Synchronisation placements for me and not deal with my local PRO, is this possible?
    NO.
    We only consider a Composers music for Sync if we're also working with them in relation to administering all publishing rights and royalty collection, i.e. they are fully signed up to us.
    Royalty collection is the basis of Maori Music's services and we have to work with Composers on this base level before considering them for Sync.
    This is another great advantage of working with Maori Music; as well as maximising the amount you can earn, your music can also be considered for any Sync opportunities that we're aware of.


    Can I prevent my music being used for Synchronisation?
    NO... and YES.
    Because of Blanket Licensing, we may not be able to completely avoid your music being used generally in TV / Radio programmes, however, if you notify Maori Music by email that you do NOT wish for any other Sync opportunities to be sought for your music, we'll ensure this happens.


    How do I submit specific music for Sync Promo?

    See HERE for how to do this.

    Your songs are up against a lot of competition for Sync placements, so it makes sense to submit the highest quality recordings that you can.

    We do not generally accept additional re-masters of previously submitted songs as substitutions, although they will be held in abeyance should interest be shown in your original submission/s.

    All tracks are subject to our evaluation for Sync suitability and you authorise us to act as your non-exclusive licensee for the purpose of obtaining Sync placements for your catalogue.

    NOTE : Submission of material for Sync Promo may extend your minimum period of Contracture indefinitely if placed, especially in the case of distributed Compilation Albums (Themed or Otherwise) or Solo Albums as some Sync Agents will not handle material with short-term representation and "takedowns" may not be possible.


    How long do Sync placements last for?
    Typically, the minimum placement is between one and five years, but many may last indefinitely - for instance if the placement is on a distributed Compilation / Solo Album (Themed or Otherwise) or a Film / TV Programme soundtrack etc.
    Submitting music for Sync Promo may extend your period of contracture indefinitely on any songs selected for use, especially on distributed Compilation Albums / Solo Albums as these are not subject to any takedowns.
    BBC Introducing may remove any tracks if the Band / Act appears to be dormant or disbanded after one year's inactivity.
    Should you wish to cancel your agreement with Maori Music, it may not always be possible to cancel some existing submissions to certain Sync Agents, however, we will do our best to ensure that any due revenues are paid either directly to yourself (if you are a PRO writer-member) and / or to any new publisher you may wish to engage and you may undertake to administer such titles yourself.


    Advances




    Do you offer advances?
    Yes we do!

    Advance Options : New Clients
    New Clients who want us to handle their full song catalogue may qualify for a Cash Advance on their licensed UK Gig / Event / Residency performance claims, provided they submit their qualifying claims within TEN working days of Signing Up with Maori Music Publishing.
    They must not have titles published elsewhere, have not performed their own songs "live", or be a PRO writer-member.

    Loyalty Advances : Live Performance Cash Advances
    Most "live" claims take several months to fully process.
    Established Clients who have been with us for at least ONE year may request a Live Performance Cash Advance on their licensed UK Gig / Event / Residency performance claims.
    The maximum cumulative live performance advance for any Band / Act is £500.
    They must not have titles published elsewhere or be a PRO writer-member.

    Loyalty Advances : Further Advances
    Established Clients who have been with us for at least THREE years may apply for a Further Advance.
    They must not have titles published elsewhere or be a PRO writer-member.

    NOTE: All Advances Options are offered at our discretion.


    Referrals




    What is a Referral Bonus?
    If you're a client and you refer us to any other Band / Act based in the UK that you know personally and who aren't already working with us (or we haven't already been in contact with them) and they sign up within ONE month wanting us to handle their full unassigned catalogue and submit a "live" UK performance claim for at least ten performances, then we'll pay you a Referral Bonus of £ 10.00 per Band / Act within your next performance royalty distribution!

    To refer any Bands / Acts, simply complete a Client Referral Form.


    I'm a Manager / Label - Do I Qualify?
    No - sorry.
    We regret that we cannot extend our Referral Bonus Scheme to Managers or Labels looking to arrange publishing arrangements with Maori Music Publishing for the Bands/Acts within their roster at this time.


    I'm a Publisher - Do I Qualify?
    No - sorry.
    We regret that we cannot extend our Referral Bonus Scheme to Publishers looking to arrange Sub-Publishing arrangements with Maori Music Publishing for the Bands/Acts within their catalogue at this time.


    Income Examples




    LIVE CLAIMS
    UK Gig & Event Claims (these can be backdated up to 1 year);
    UK Festival Claims (these can be backdated up to 2 years);
    UK Concert Claims (these can be backdated up to 3 years);
    FOREIGN Claims - Any of the previous types (these can be backdated up to 2 years).

    UK Gig & Event Claims can take between 3-6 months to process and approve.
    To help overcome this we offer a special "live" performance advance option to our UK clients - see the Advances section for more details.
    UK Concert / Festival Claims can take between 6-9 months to approve and all FOREIGN claims can take considerably longer than this.
    NOTE: Not all Foreign countries allow claims to be made - if in doubt, please contact us before making your claim.

    INCOME EXAMPLES

    All values shown are in GB Pounds Sterling and can vary according to PRO policies; the minimum accountable value is one penny.
    (Incomes may vary depending on whether you are a Headline or Support Act, they capacity of the venue and on the overall duration of your performance).


    UK Gigs & Events
    Small Venues - Up to £5 per performance.


    UK small Concert Venues
    eg. Barfly / O2 Academy - Up to £35 per performance.

    UK mid-size Concert Venues eg. Shepherds Bush Empire - Up to £390 per performance.

    UK Major Concert Venues
    Up to £1600 per performance.


    UK Minor Festival Venues
    Typically as for small Concert venues.

    UK Major Festival Venues
    eg. Leeds / Reading Festival - Up to £1500 per performance.


    FOREIGN Claims (Gigs / Events).
    BAHAMAS - Up to £7 per performance.
    BERMUDAS - Up to £4 per performance.
    CYPRUS - Up to £4 per performance.
    GIBRALTAR - Up to £5 per performance.
    MALTA - Up to £4 per performance.
    Otherwise and for Concerts / Festival Performances, generally comparable rates to their UK equivalents (although these are subject to local / regional PRO tariffs and practices).


    BROADCAST CLAIMS
    All UK Broadcasts are generally allocated automatically.
    You may make direct claims for certain types of UK and FOREIGN broadcasts - see our website for more details about our Royalty Collection Services.

    All UK and International broadcast royalty recoveries are either on a Census basis (where all tracks broadcast qualify for a royalty payment) or a Sampled / Analogy Basis (where only selected tracks from an example of the broadcast output of a station qualify for royalty payments).

    IMPORTANT NOTE: All values shown are for example only and can vary considerably, subject to changes in line with PRO and Broadcasters Policies.
    For example, royalty amounts can vary depending on the time of broadcast.

    (Please note also that we don't set the rates of return from any PRO - they do!)
    The minimum accountable value is one penny.


    RADIO Performance Examples
  • BBC Radio 1 - up to £60 per play
  • BBC Radio 1 Xtra - up to £12 per play
  • BBC Radio 2 - up to £85 per play
  • BBC 6 Music - up to £18 per play
  • BBC Asian Network - up to £15 per play
  • BBC Local / Regional Stations - up to £3 per play
  • (Based on a pay-per-minute basis)

    You should receive payment for every broadcast on these UK radio stations:
  • BBC Five Live Sports Extra
  • BBC 7
  • Capital Gold Network
  • Classic Gold Network
  • Heart Birmingham
  • Magic 105.4
  • Virgin Classic Rock
  • Virgin Extreme
  • Virgin FM

  • NOTE: All other UK and Foreign Local / Digital / Internet stations
    You may only receive payment if your music is broadcast on one of the sample days for that station.

    The value of each play is dependent on the revenue received from and the amount of music sampled on each station.
    The same fee is collected from each station, regardless of the level of sampling used.
    The minimum accountable value is one penny.


    TV Performance Examples
  • BBC 1 - Composers can receive up to £145 per play
  • Channel 4 - Composers can receive up to £800 for being featured on, for example, Hollyoaks
  • Channel 5 - Composers can receive up to £1300 for being featured on station "Idents".
  • (Based on a pay-per-minute basis)


    YOUTUBE Performance Examples
  • YouTube - Composers can receive up to £1 per 100,000 "plays"
    (This can be derived from an accumulated number of different video usages)
  • (Based on a pay-per-minute basis)


    RECONCILIATION PAYMENT Examples
  • These are residual licensing royalties payable mainly to clients who have previously submitted "live" claims but also to selected reported broadcasts and will generally be at a lower level than the former, at rates set by the PRS.
    The minimum accountable value is one penny.


  • NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS / PPL Examples
  • These will be similar to BROADCAST returns but set by the current tariff rates of the PPL.
    The minimum accountable value is one penny.


  • SYNCHRONISATION Examples
    Composers have had music used in programs on BBC1, BBC3, Channel 4, Channel 5 and S4C as well as Feature Films, In-House Corporate Soundtracks, TV Advertising Campaigns, Library Music, Webisodes and XBOX / Nintendo Video Game Soundtracks.
  • There is no definitive level for Sync Fees as each individual deal will differ in types of media, term and usage etc.
    Clients receive 80% of all Sync Fees.


  • DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION Examples
  • Similar to streaming levels of income, please see our TACS section for further information.


  • MECHANICAL INCOME Examples
    Mechanical royalties (sometimes called "mechanicals") are owed every time a copy of a musical composition (also referred to as a Musical Work) is made.
    This applies when a song is recreated in just about any format (CD / Vinyl / Cassette etc).
    Nowadays, mechanical royalty payments have been extended to online (digital) sales as well.
    They are generated whenever a composition is streamed or downloaded on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and Amazon. That means you could be earning additional mechanical royalties on top of your existing performance royalty payments every time someone plays your song on Spotify for example.
    As mechanical royalties are paid in relation to the composition of a song (rather than the sound recording), when someone reproduces and releases your material as a "cover" version, you are also owed mechanical royalties.
    Major music platforms pay mechanical royalties for streams, sales and downloads to Mechanical Rights Organisations (MRO's) such as MCPS.
    It is very difficult for an independent musician to recover mechanicals themselves, so typically this is always handled through a Music Publisher.
  • Income levels are similar to streaming levels of income, please see our TACS section for further information.


  • HMRC / IRS INCOME TAX RETURNS
    Remember to declare royalty income to HMRC / IRS to ensure your tax returns are correct.
    Please make sure that you declare any income from music royalties when completing your tax return for the year. You can do this via the HMRC / IRS website, via your tax advisor (if you have one) or by contacting HMRC / IRS directly.
    If you have already submitted your tax return, but have income from music royalties that you have not declared, you will need to amend your return. You can do this by any of the ways mentioned above.
    If you have any questions please contact HMRC / IRS.
    Unfortunately, we are unable to advise on any HMRC / IRS related queries.


    Income Source Codes

    Most non-PRO member royalty statement entries are self-explanatory, but we also include a list of codes below that can help you to see where your royalties came from.



    PERFORMANCE Royalties
    CODEREVENUE SOURCE
    AGPApps / Games / Platforms
    Bahamas Radio / TVBahamas Radio / TV Broadcasts
    BBC LRBBC Local Radio
    BBC LTVBBC Local Television
    BBC (Rx)BBC National Radio (Station)
    BBC (TVx)BBC National TV (Station)
    BeatportBeatport Streams
    BERMUDA Radio / TVBermuda Radio / TV Royalties
    BMSBackground Music Systems
    CensusSampled or (Maritz) Census ProRata returns
    CinemasFilms / Adverts / Trailers / Idents
    Classic FMClassic FM Radio
    Compilation Album(s)Compilation Albums
    ConcertsConcert Royalties
    Cruise ShipsBackground Music Systems
    CYPRUS Radio / TVCyprus Radio / TV Royalties
    DJDJ Events / Nightclubs
    C4 / E4UK Channel Four
    C5UK Channel Five
    FRS (Country)Foreign RADIO Station (Country)
    FTV (Country)Foreign TV Station (Country)
    GamesVideo Game Downloads
    General LiveLive Performance Royalties
    General RecordedBroadcast Royalties
    GEODGeneral Entertainment On Demand
    (Apple / Netflix / Virgin etc)
    GEOLGeneral Entertainment On Line
    (Apple / Netflix / Virgin etc)
    GIBRALTAR Radio / TVGibraltar Radio / TV Royalties
    ILRIndependent Local Radio
    iPlayerBBC iPlayer
    ITVITV Broadcast
    LiveLive Performance Royalties
    MSB2BBusiness Background Music Services
    MSSMusic Supply Services
    MTV (Country)MTV (Country)
    MALTA Radio / TVMalta Radio / TV Royalties
    Non-PrimetimeTV (Outside Primetime Hours)
    OLOnline Sites
    (Soundcloud / YouTube / Facebook etc)
    OnlineOnline Sites
    (Soundcloud / YouTube / Facebook etc)
    Other RecordedOther Featured Broadcast Royalties
    OverseasForeign Performing Rights Organisation/s
    (APRA / ASCAP / BMI / BUMA / GEMA / IMRO / SOCAN etc)
    PremiumPremium Sync Outlets
    PrimetimeTV (7pm - 11pm)
    PROForeign Performing Rights Organisation/s
    (APRA / ASCAP / BMI / BUMA / GEMA / IMRO / SOCAN etc)
    ProRataProRata / Census residual returns
    Public ReceptionBusiness Background Music System
    RadioRadio Broadcast Royalties
    RNReverbNation
    SATSatellite TV Channels
    (Discovery / History / Geographic etc)
    SCSoundcloud
    SKYSKY TV
    StockStock Music
    SONYSony Playstation
    SVODSubscription Video On Demand
    Sync : xxxSync Fee / Income : Source
    TheatreTheatrical & Dramatic Productions
    TikTokTikTok
    TVTV Broadcast Royalties
    TwitchTwitch
    UGCUser Generated Content
    UK AirlinesIn Flight Entertainment Channel/s
    UK ChurchesUK Churches
    UK Concerts (Year)UK Concerts / Festivals (Year)
    UK General LiveMaritz Census returns
    UK General RecordedJukebox / Karaoke / Aerobics / Pubs
    Hotels / Restaurants / Shops etc
    UK GigsUK Gigs / Clubs / Residencies


    MECHANICAL RoyaltiesTOP
    CODEREVENUE SOURCE
    AP1 / AP2 / AP4 / AP7MCPS Audio Product Licence/s
    BBC EXPBBC Store Products
    BBC RADIOBBC Radio Station
    BBC TVBBC TV Station
    BMSBackground Music Systems
    C4 / E4Channel Four (UK)
    C5Channel Five (UK)
    ECLEuropean Central Licensing
    GEODGeneral On Demand Services
    (Apple / Netflix / Virgin etc)
    GEOLGeneral On Line Services
    (Apple / Netflix / Virgin etc)
    ITVIndependent Television Station (UK)
    MSB2BBackground Music Services
    MTV (Genre)MTV (Genre)
    ODOn Demand Services
    (Apple / Netflix / Virgin etc)
    OLOnline Sites
    (Bandcamp / Soundcloud / YouTube etc)
    OnlineOnline Sites
    (Bandcamp / Soundcloud / YouTube etc)
    OverseasForeign PRO/s
    PRO Foreign Performing Rights Organisation/s
    (APRA / ASCAP / BMI / GEMA / IMRO / SOCAN etc)
    ProRataProRata / Census residual returns
    RadioRadio Broadcast Royalties
    SATSatellite TV Channels
    SKYSKY TV / BSkyB
    Sync : xxxSync (Source)
    TVTV Broadcast Royalties
    WebcastingOnline Digital Broadcasting


    SYNCHRONISATION RoyaltiesTOP
    CODEREVENUE SOURCE
    AdAdvertisement
    AppsApps / Games / Platforms
    BMSBackground Music Systems (aka "Overheads")
    Big SyncBig Sync Network
    Compilation Album(s)Compilation Album(s)
    FFilmFeature Film
    FilmNon-Feature Film
    LTVLocal TV
    NTVNational (Network) TV
    StockStock Music
    TikTokTikTok Videos
    TwitchTwitch Placements
    UGCUser Generated Content
    WebclipPrivate Website
    YTYouTube Resellers / Content ID


    DIGITAL RoyaltiesTOP
    CODEREVENUE SOURCE
    BroadcastOther Digital Broadcasting
    DigitalDigital (General)
    Compilation Album(s)Compilation Album(s)
    OLOnline Sites
    OnlineOnline Sites
    PerformanceLive Venues
    UGCUser Generated Content


    Cancellation / Termination

      You may terminate your Contract on 28 days notice at any time after the expiry of the specified initial minimum Contracture period (usually twelve months), at which point the administration of your copyrights revert back to you.
      For Duos / Bands, each individual member is treated separately for Contractual purposes.

      Request to terminate any Agreement should be made by completing a Contract Cancellation Form.
      If you only wish to cancel specific titles (e.g. to transfer to another publisher but wish us to administer the remainder) please CONTACT us with full details and do not complete the full Contract Cancellation Form. (This is at our discretion and fees may still apply).

      If cancellation is requested sooner than the minimum contracture period has elapsed for any reason, an administrative charge of £ 10.00 per registered title (or a minimum charge of £ 50.00) will be levied on the Artist / Composer by the Publisher.

      NOTE : If the Artist / Composer has requested and been awarded an Advance Option (see Advance Section), the minimum period of Contracture is extended by either an additional twenty four months or until full recovery of said Advance has been made (whichever is the lesser). Early repayment of any Advance is possible in order to allow Contract cancellation (see Advances Section).
      If music has been submitted for Sync Promo and been placed for example on a Compilation Album (Themed or Otherwise) or Solo Album, then the minimum period of placement is indefinite on those song titles as no takedowns may be requested.

      The Publisher has the right to issue an immediate Notice Of Termination on any Agreement if the relationship between the Publisher and the Artist / Composer is deemed to have become untenable.

      All Agreements for Duos / Bands are issued on a person to person basis and requests for cancellation are dealt with on the same basis.
      Upon receipt of a request to cancel the Agreement, or issue of a Notice Of Termination by the Publisher, then the Publisher will have 28 days to commence revocation of its interest in all Compositions by means of notification of revocation to any involved collecting agencies.

      Requests to cancel an agreement cannot be accepted from any third-party representative (e.g. LABEL / MANAGER).

      Upon receipt of a request to cancel the Agreement, or issue of a Notice Of Termination by the Publisher, then the Publisher will have 28 days to commence revocation of its interest in all Compositions by means of notification of revocation to any involved collecting agencies.
      Full control over the copyrights in all titles will then revert to the composer/s.
      The Publisher will notify the PRS of any cancellation requesting them to remove their name and interest from all titles, however, where applicable it is the responsibility of the client to notify any other foreign Performing Rights Organisation of contract cancellation and make amendments to all relevant registrations, where appropriate.
      We retain the Post-Term Right to collect and retain Net Receipts generated from exploitations during the Term Of Contracture following expiration or termination of the Contract, if authorised and distributed by the PRS / MCPS or any Foreign Agency.
      No further amounts will be paid to any Artist / Composer after cancellation of their contract.
      Cancellation requests canot be actioned whilst there is any ongoing dispute between the Artist / Composer and the Publisher.

      In the event of the death of any composer please see our TACS section for further information.


    Maori Music Publishing

    With us you're a name, not a number!

    Maori Music Publishing
    Confidential Records

    Maori Music Publishing UK Ltd
    Bus. Reg. No.: 7793627
    PRS For Music : 159804347
    MCPS : 159804347
    PPL : 102463585
    SoundExchange : SOUN13E 16265
    Music Reports : MD52003