As a songwriter or publisher, you will rely on a performance rights organization (PRO) to collect your revenues on your behalf. PROs collect from the user of a copyrighted song through a document known as a cue sheet. A music cue sheet tracks the information about which music was used where.
This helps to make sure that royalties are paid to the proper parties. Keep on reading to learn why it’s important to have music cue sheets.
1. Music Cue Sheets Make it Easy to Collect Revenue
A music cue sheet is an entry log for songs that are used in production. PROs have big databases that are updated often. Music cue sheets are used with production cue sheets to see where songs are used in productions and how to allocate royalties.
You can click here to learn more about production cue sheets.
The show’s producer is going to fill out the music cue sheet and send it to the performance rights organization. They will usually do this every quarter.
2. The Musician Doesn’t Need to Fill Out the Music Cue Sheet
The musician is not responsible for filling out and delivering music cue sheets to the performance rights organization. Instead, that is the job of the production company.
The music department is usually in charge of this. More specifically, the responsibility will fall on junior executives, producers, music supervisors, or the network staff in the music department.
Some organizations like ASCAP prefer to get physical music cue sheets. Other organizations like them to be filled out digitally.
3. Cue Sheets Are Used for All Kinds of Projects
It’s not just movies and tv shows that use music cue sheets. Commercials, infomercials, and any other commercial products that utilize AV products will need to use music cue sheets.
4. There is An “Industry Standard” Cue Sheet?
Thankfully, cue sheets are very easy to make. This is thanks to the fact that the industry has come up with standards in regards to the terms and what information needs to be on a cue sheet in order for it to be legitimate.
In addition to this, BMI and ASCAP have come up with a common understanding of an industry standard.
5. Cue Sheets Are Processed Quickly
A cue sheet is going to be processed in time for the distribution. It will reflect performances in the quarter that the product was first aired. So it will only take a few months for the cue sheet to process after the broadcast.
The Importance of Knowing Why It’s Important to Have a Music Cue Sheet
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have a better idea of what a music cue sheet is and why it is so important to have one. As we can see, these documents help artists get paid in a timely manner.
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