Understanding the PRS

The Performing Rights Society (PRS) and if you release recordings the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) should become your very best associated in the Industry if you are unpublished or are releasing material via your own means.

Registering your songs (Titles) with the societies ensures you are able to collect any royalties that your material has generated from radio and television airplay and any income generated from the sale of you material online or in conventional music outlets.

The first and most important thing to do is become a member of the societies they will issue you with a unique number called a CAE number. This you will add to every single registration to make with the society ensuring that any income due to you goes directly to you. You must always add any secondary names you may use for example: 1) A.Singer 2) Mr A.Singer 3) Mr Singer any variation that could be incorrectly imputed by the registration team. The same must be done with your song title 1) A Song 2) A Love Song 3) A Slow Love Song. In many territories singles and albums are renamed for that specific territory.

If you have signed contracts regarding the title send a photocopy of that with your registration. Screenshot the logic programme or ProTools pages showing dates of creation. Accumulate as much supporting data to solidify your claim to your song.

All of this will be handled when/if you sign a recording contract or music publishing deal but it does not hurt you at all to be aware of the process. Learn to check your statements when you receive them.

The PRS & MCPS are also an excellent source of mediation if you ever find yourself in a dispute with a copyright. Someone may stake a claim on you title and you can contact the PRS to ‘freeze’ the potential income until the matter can be resolved. This is where you may feel the need to call on a firm such as ourselves.

We will instruct and co-ordinate with you the process of proving you claim. From an initial letter of intent to the third party, to seeking counsel who will issue 'pre-action protocol' letters which MUST be addressed to mediating a fair settlement or outright victory in your copyright.