An Interview With Piet Shaw

Piet Shaw is a Singer/Songwriter, Producer, and a 2007 Independent Music Award Winner in the Social Action Category. This is what he has to say about his experience with Performing Rights Organizations:

AP: Do you go about signing with a Performing Rights Organization? How does the process work?

PS: If its definite that you're going to have a regular release, the process is easy as 1-2-3. You find out the PROs' postal or online-address and send them an email or letter with your request.

They send you back a ready-made form, which you fill out and send back to them. With the GEMA you have to pay about $50 as an entry fee- this is one time only- and valid for the whole durance of your membership.

They again will send you back a notification that you're a registered member now. You can also register an artist name (pseudonym) at your PRO that costs you $50 per name, per annum.

AP: Is signing with a PRO different abroad than in the US?

PS: I can only respond to this from my very own perspective, for I have had my first release through a record company at an early age ( 17 ), in Germany. They have the GEMA (sorry- I'm NOT trying to translate this ) which is the leading Performing Rights Organization there. I'm not sure how this is going down in the US but in Germany performing rights get divided into mechanical rights(for example, your rights on performances as a studio musician ) and your rights as a composer/ songwriter ( intellectual property ).

So if you're having a release, for example, as a studio guitarist but you're NOT the composer of the song, it’s pretty useless to become a member of the GEMA for they're ONLY taking care of your compositions (music/lyrics). Then you'll have to go for the GVL, which is the main (and only) PRO for the mechanical rights section.

AP: How can American artists affiliate themselves with foreign PRO's?

PS: I'm sorry- I don't know. Why should they?

AP: Do American PROs cooperate with overseas agencies?

PS: Well, when it comes to royalties they sure have to. If you're an artist with international releases (US, Canada, Asia, Europe, e.g.) your "Home-PRO" (the PRO that you're signed with first) is responsible that you will receive all the money from the releases (also broadcasting & Internet-sales) in foreign countries.

I'm not sure if they do network a lot outside of the 'collecting-the-money-box'. But this is just a neat suggestion ;-)

I can remember when I wanted to switch from GEMA to SOCAN, formerly PROCAN in Canada, it meant a whole lot of bureaucratic stuff I'd have had to go through that I finally skipped. But this is about 8 years ago; probably this has changed due to the better connections via the Internet.

AP: How will signing with a foreign PRO affect an artist’s relationship with his/her domestic PRO?

PS: Puuh- how can I know that? Sorry, but I have to quit on this one...

Maybe all I can say is that I'm not sure if you can have multiple PRO memberships in different countries at all- as far as I know it depends on where you're coming from / living, or in which country you had your first release that you have registered through a PRO.

AP: Are artists viewed differently overseas?

PS: No, I don't think so.

AP: Is the idea of “intellectual property” different overseas?

PS: Wow- its getting really fickle now; I fear this is deep into the legal area of music business. Intellectual Property is what it is- no matter where you are. Personally I have hardly any knowledge about how this issue is handled legally in the different countries of the world. All I can say is that in most European countries the PROs hardly ever take anyone to court for any kind of copyright infringements as they, for example, do in the US.

YOU have to take care of who's stealing your ideas and in case you have the definite info about who has ripped your intellectual property- you report that to your PRO- and then they're generally doing their best to help you further so that you'll get your money. But you have to sue those thieves yourself.

AP: What role do managers play in the process?

PS: None at all. If you're not having a contract with your manager that says he's getting percentages of your work as a composer, this is simply NOT his or her business.

AP: What advice can you offer for fledgling artists researching PROs for the first time?

PS: Aren't we all a little fledgling?

Mmmh- maybe do some research- trust your intuition on what suits you best.

I believe that the 'famous' PROs of the named countries like ASCAP, BMI, GEMA, SOCAN, e.g. are absolutely trustworthy, so there's no use in being too picky.