Questions
What are the terms for the web platform contract?
We take 20% commission on all royalties received except for Synchronisation. Synchronisation placements are charged at 50% of the income received. The initial term of the deal is 1 year and we collect for all territories worldwide (unless you exclude territories on a case by case basis). Royalties are paid quarterly and you retain ownership of your copyright.
Do I need to be a member of a society?
It is not required but it is better if you affiliate with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SACEM, PRS, GEMA or an equivalent society. It provides you with a direct payment for performance income whilst you still take advantage of our services (collection of mechanicals, claims, synchs etc.)
When will I start making money?
We account quarterly but if you have never registered a song before, remember that it can take up to a year to start seeing income from your songs. If you perform live and/or have songs for sale commercially, you will start seeing income after 6-9 months.
Can I collect income from cover songs?
No! We can only work with original songs that have been written by you or whoever is opening the account. A cover is not an original song and most likely the song will already be published by another publisher. If you register a song which includes part of a cover of someone else's song (a sample or interpolation) then let us know so that we can help you clear it.
What are Neighboring Rights and who is eligible?
Neighboring rights are rights held by all parties contributing to a master recording including musicians, singers and record labels.
The record label is eligible for 45-50% of the income, main artist 45-50% and background musicians 5%. To be eligible, the track has to be recorded outside the US, the artist is a citizen of a country outside the US or the label must be based outside the US.
However, many societies will accept registrations and if there is any income attached to the track, it will get paid out.
Who collects these rights?
Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) collect income on tracks that were broadcast, played publicly or streamed.
How is neighboring rights different from publishing?
Neighbouring rights is performance income for the master (track) and performer. Publishing performance income is for the publisher and writer. These two are separate income streams.
Can INgrooves collect on behalf of performers/producers?
Yes, on a case-by-case basis.
What income is collected in the US vs. rest of the world?
SoundExchange, the US PRO, can only collect and distribute non-interactive digital/satellite/cable performance royalties for featured and non-featured artists and master owners (labels).
PROs in the rest of the world collect and distribute non-interactive digital, TV, radio (broadcast) and publicly performed royalties for featured and non-featured artists and master owners.
What are the benefits of INgrooves handling my neighboring rights?
INgrooves' integrated system of ingesting and parsing out metadata to all societies makes it a one-stop solution for registration and collection. Each society requires specific metadata and only accepts their format for registration. Give us all the required metadata and we'll send it out to all the societies in the forms they require.
How often do societies pay?
SoundExchange pays to royaltors on a monthly basis; however, most PROs only pay royaltors once or twice a year. Once INgrooves receives performance income, they will be paid in the following quarter.
What should I do if I know a recording has been performed but I haven't received any royalties?
PROs will only pay royalties on tracks which were played and reported to them. If you know a track was played and you're not seeing any income, please let us know and we will get in touch with the PROs to determine if there is income due to you.
How often does INgrooves pay?
This depends on your agreement with INgrooves. If you are a distribution client, you will receive your SoundExchange income on a monthly basis. All other income and non-distribution clients will be paid quarterly.
How do I sign up for INgrooves neighboring rights collection?
If you're an existing INgrooves Distribution Client signed up for SoundExchange:
1. Sign the neighboring rights amendment to your distribution agreement
2. The metadata you've provided for distribution only covers SoundExchange. You will have to fill out a few more fields for the rest of the world
3. Royalty Statements - Monthly for SoundExchange / Quarterly for the rest of the world
4. NR rate is the same as your negotiated distribution rate or SoundExchange rate
If you're not an INgrooves Distribution Client:
1. Sign Label Neighboring Rights agreement (rates, term and territory)
2. Fill in metadata spreadsheet
3. We take care of the rest!
How to sign up if you're a Performer/Producer?
Please contact us at neighboringrights@ingrooves.com
How many societies are INgrooves affiliated with to collect on behalf of labels?
INgrooves is currently affiliated with 15 societies and we are adding to our affiliation list regularly. INgrooves' footprint covers 95% of worldwide performance income collection.