[Fmpro] Global Competition

[Pete]

So, with all due respect, why haven't you done it? I
bet ASCAP would even help you pack :-)

P e t e
S u r d o v a l

--- Mark Northam <mnortham at gmdgroup.com> wrote:
> On 12/2/07 1:49 PM, "LesHurdle"
> <leshurdle at avradionet.com> wrote:
> 
> > There is more to the above than I have outlined
> here.
> > Is it practical?
> > Sure, just ask those who have huge catalogs and
> have shifted to SACEM
> > & GEMA.. they are making MORE money than they used
> to.
> 
> A good friend of mine who is from Finland recently
> switched from ASCAP to
> the Finnish society and is making 500% more in
> royalties from Finland.
> 
> Affiliating with a Euro society for the world means
> they become your primary
> PRO, and they deal with other PROs around the world
> who collect money for
> your music performances in various countries. If
> you've got a problem or
> question about US collections, instead of calling up
> Member Services and
> getting the runaround, talking to someone who knows
> less about performane
> royalties than you do, or getting no call back, you
> call or email your Euro
> Member Services department and they use high-level
> contacts with the US PROs
> to get the business taken care of.
> 
> With ASCAP and BMI, you can only switch during a
> small window of time before
> your contract anniversary date. Switching your
> writer affiliation is
> something you can do without anyone's permission -
> the publishers cannot
> stop you, and the US PROs cannot stop you.
> 
> Some advantages of affiliating with a Euro society
> for the world:
> 
> * You can split your catalog among ASCAP, BMI and
> SESAC as you like
> depending on who pays which type of performances
> better (a right denied US
> writer, sadly). This rights is available to all
> writers whose primary (home)
> PRO affiliation is outside the US.
> 
> * Electronic deposit of your royalty check into your
> checking account
> 
> * More frequent royalty payouts (ASCAP distributes
> international royalties
> 4x/year, many Euro societies pay 6 or even 11 times
> (like IMRO in Ireland) a
> year, so your money spends less time sitting in your
> PRO's bank account
> earning interest for them).
> 
> * Better writer representation - some Euro PRO
> boards are 2/3rds writers
> 
> * Better representation at ASCAP, BMI and SESAC -
> PRO officials of a Euro
> PRO have far better relationships and may be treated
> far better than
> individual writers at the US societies are treated
> by member services. Euro
> PROs have high-level contacts with ASCAP and BMI
> they use for questions and
> problem resolution. Sure beats talking to somebody
> in member services that's
> been on the job 30 days and you end up telling them
> how to do their job...
> 
> * Pensions - Currently GEMA (Germany) and SACEM
> (France) offer members
> pensions, even if you're not a citizen of their
> country. Make your royalties
> earn more for you.
> 
> * You stand chance of getting the domestic 2/3rds
> writer / 1/3 publisher
> split that some Euro societies pay by default to
> their members via the Berne
> convention which says that foreign members of a Euro
> PRO must be treated the
> same as domestic members. You'll have to push for
> this, but there already is
> a precedent of a US writer getting this from SACEM.
> 
> * Get paid in EUROs - with the declining dollar,
> it's something to consider.
> 
> It truly is a worldwide market, and since ASCAP and
> BMI offer better rights
> to those outside the US - specifically, the right to
> split catalog between
> the two and to have catalog at multiple societies
> concurrently, they're
> providing a good reason to consider moving to a
> non-US PRO for your primary
> PRO affiliation. When it's retirement time, you may
> be glad you did, as
> pensions are not available at any of the US PROs
> currently.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Mark N.
> 
> ---------------------------------
> Mark Northam, CEO
> Global Media Development Group
> 
> http://www.FilmMusic.net - Film & TV Music Job
> Listings
> 
> 1-800-774-3700 ext. 702 / 310-645-9000 ext. 702
> http://www.gmdgroup.com
> Yahoo/Skype: marknortham  /  AIM: mnortham
> 
> 
> 
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