An ASCAP Primer for Concert Composers

Dear Composer,

Congratulations on your election to the Society, and welcome to ASCAP. We look forward to working with you to advance your career and to insure that you receive royalty payments for surveyed domestic performances, and for performances surveyed by our sister Societies in foreign territories.

Please send a photo (preferably a head shot); Bio, CV, or a letter describing your experience and career aspirations, if you haven't already done so. Read all ASCAP mailings to be informed of ASCAP membership opportunities and issues of importance.

We are proud that you have chosen ASCAP to represent you. Our goal is to make your membership rewarding. Your cooperation strengthens our ability to protect your interests. To be sure that you receive ASCAP royalty payments, read the instructions on the following pages carefully.

Frances Richard
Vice President & Director of Concert Music


Cia Toscanini
Assistant Vice President of Concert Music

I. REGISTER EACH WORK NOT ASSIGNED TO A PUBLISHER IN THE ASCAP TITLE REGISTRATION FACILITY ON ASCAP'S WEB SITE.

ASCAP pays royalties for performances to its writer and publisher members only when the titles have been properly registered. No distribution can be made for performances of a work until it is registered with ASCAP. To register your Titles, go here. To insure proper crediting for your concert (standard/serious) music works, you must specify duration and instrumentation/or the number of choral parts. Please indicate when a generic form (such as Sonata) may serve as an alternate title. A work with a "poetic" title which is also a Sonata, should be identified in the Alternate Title field by the generic form.

If you experience difficulties with on-line Title Registration, contact Andrew Rodriguez, Manager, Repertory Department, at ASCAP, One Lincoln Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10023; PHONE: (212) 621-6053; E-MAIL: arodriguez@ascap.com.

If you are acting as the publisher of your own music, you should become an ASCAP Publisher member. Register your work in the title registration facility on the ASCAP web site. (See Section VIII for more details on self-publishing).

II. REPORT ALL DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN PERFORMANCES DIRECTLY TO THE CONCERT MUSIC DEPARTMENT.

• REPORT FUTURE PEFORMANCES as much in advance as possible to insure that they are properly licensed.
• Use the online Domestic or International Performance Notification form each time you report a performance. These may be photocopied. Attach announcements, flyers or programs, and as much information as available. ASCAP reports international performances promptly to our affiliated foreign socities.
  Performance Notification forms are available here.
• Remember that a performance must be licensed and the fee paid, before you are credited with a performance.
• Please do not use your ASCAPlus Award Application as a substitute for timely reporting of performances (see VII for explanation of ASCAPlus Awards).

III. FOR CURRENT OR PAST PERFORMANCES (not more than 12 months old) send programs or other documentation without delay to the Concert Music Department. ASCAP must bill for domestic performances not licensed in advance. Successful collection of license fees requires prompt billing.

IV. PERFORMANCES AT LICENSED COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND CONSERVATORIES are subject to ASCAP's Educational Sample. Programs in this field are welcome, but do not require Notification Forms. Educational performances for which visiting non-faculty artist fees are $1500 or more, are credited on a complete count basis as professional recitals.

V. Please be advised that THE FOLLOWING PERFORMANCES ARE NOT LICENSED BY ASCAP:

• ASCAP does not license Dramatic Works (opera, ballet, music theater, etc.); nor broadcasts of Dramatic Works; nor Concert performances of complete Dramatic Works. Either you or your publisher must license these events directly.
• Performances within religious services are not licensed by the Society.
• US Armed Forces performances are not licensed by the Society.
• Elementary, Junior and Senior High Schools (Kindergarten-12th grade) are not normally licensed by the Society.

VI. The Special Classification Committee routinely reviews credit assigned for performed works with PUBLIC DOMAIN TEXT. When requested by members, this Committee also reviews crediting for performances of ARRANGEMENTS of PUBLIC DOMAIN MUSIC. After review in each case, the Committee may award both writer and publisher additional credit. The percentage credited for a particular arrangement is shown on the annual Symphony Concert, Recital, and Educational Distribution Statement. To be considered for review, contact Christopher Dobbins, Musicologist, Concert Performance Crediting Department at ASCAP, One Lincoln Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10023; PHONE: (212) 621-6135; E-MAIL: cdobbins@ascap.com.

VII. ASCAP concert writer members (standard/serious) are eligible for ASCAPlus Awards if their annual domestic Royalties do not exceed $25,000. An overview of the program with guidelines for applying and the application form are available here.

For response to questions about this program, contact Ken Cicerale, Director of Awards, ASCAP, One Lincoln Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10023, PHONE: (212) 621-6172, E-MAIL:kcicerale@ascap.com (Please do not attach performance notifications or concert programs to Awards applications).

VIII.Composers publishing their own music are considered SELF-PUBLISHED and should become ASCAP Publisher Members in order to collect both composer and publisher royalties. There are no annual dues for ASCAP Composer or Publisher members. There is a one-time application processing fee.

Self-Published composers may specify that they are individually owned publishing entities when filing for publisher membership. Online and downloadable applications are available here. The title or name of your publishing company must be "cleared" by ASCAP. For more information and guidance, contact Cia Toscanini at (212) 621-6328 or ctoscanini@ascap.com.

IX. Please review your royalty statements timely. You must notify ASCAP within 9 months of receipt of statement to report corrections and/or additions.

X. WHEN YOU MOVE, notify ASCAP either via our website or send written notification to the Member Services Department at ASCAP's New York office. Your letter requires your signature, social security number, ASCAP member number, and your new address.

XI. KEEP THE CONCERT MUSIC DEPARTMENT INFORMED ABOUT YOUR CAREER CAREER (resume, lists of works, information about recordings, publications, commissions, awards, honors, fellowships, appointments, etc.). If you wish to be included in ASCAP's Playback, use the form attached or web site form here.

XII. READ ALL ASCAP COMMUNICATIONS carefully to be informed about your Society. Register for ASCAP email to receive our monthly email newsletter, ASCAP Inside Music, where you will get up-to-date information about professional opportunities, legislative issues, and member benefits. Refer to www.ascap.com/email to register your email address.

CONCERT MUSIC DEPARTMENT