Related Links

AARC on the web:

AFM & AFTRA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS DISTRIBUTION FUND & RECORDING ARTISTS ROYALTIES
www.raroyalties.org

The AFM & AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund distributes money to nonfeatured vocalists and nonfeatured musicians for the rental in Japan of U.S.-produced sound recordings, Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA) monies, and statutory license royalties for the digital broadcast of sound recordings in the U.S. pursuant to the DPRA (Digital Performance Rights in Sound Recordings Act of 1995) and DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998). The law provides that 5% of royalties collected by SoundExchange for a sound recording be allocated to nonfeatured artists. This money is forwarded to this Fund that, in turn, distributes 2.5% of the royalties to nonfeatured vocalists and 2.5% to nonfeatured musicians.

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS (AFM)
www.afm.org

AFM is the largest organization in the world dedicated to representing the interests of professional musicians in the United States and Canada. AFM represents, negotiates, administers and protects the contractual rights of hundreds of thousands of professional members throughout the U.S. and Canada.

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TELEVISION & RADIO ARTISTS (AFTRA)
www.aftra.com

AFTRA is a diverse union, representing 80,000 actors, recording artists, broadcasters and other professionals in television, radio, sound recordings, commercials, nonbroadcast/industrial programming and new technologies such as interactive programming and CD/ROMs. In addition to collective bargaining, AFTRA promotes artists' interests through educational activities, legislative and legal work.

AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS (AGMA)
www.musicalartists.org

AGMA is affiliated with the AFL-CIO branch of associated actors and artists of America, AGMA represents thousands of opera singers, ballet and modern dance companies.

AMERICAN MECHANICAL RIGHTS AGENCY, INC. (AMRA)
www.amermechrights.com

AMRA is one of two internationally recognized Mechanical Rights Societies in the US. It has been set up to also encourage writers to take care of their mechanical income throughout the World. Contemporary and knowledgeable, AMRA works with about forty sister societies Worldwide to archive the best service for its members. AMRA provides all kind of traditional mechanical licenses as well as for new technologies and synchronization licensing.

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF COMPOSERS, AUTHORS & PUBLISHERS (ASCAP)
www.ascap.com

ASCAP is the only US performing rights organization controlled by composers, songwriters and music publishers. ASCAP represents over 160,000 composers, lyricists and music publisher members as well as affiliated foreign writers and publishers by licensing, collecting fees and distributing royalties for the public performance of their copyrighted music works. ASCAP represents its members in the AHRA Musical Works proceedings regarding the “Publishers” and “Songwriters” subfunds.

BROADCAST MUSIC, INC (BMI)
www.bmi.com

BMI represents 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music. It provides licensing, collection and distribution of royalty fees for publicly performed works including radio airplay, broadcast and cable television as well as those over internet transmission and live performance. BMI represents its members in the AHRA Musical Works proceedings regarding the “Publishers” and “Songwriters” subfunds.

COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (CMA)
www.cmaworld.com

In 1958, CMA was the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. Since then, membership has grown to more than 5,000 companies and music industry professionals from around the globe.

EMI MUSIC
http://www.emidigital.com/royaltors/royaltors.html

EMI Music has a page on their website, “ SONYBMG Missing Royaltor Look-up” where royalty participants who believe that they are entitled to an accounting from SONY/BMG or have moved without notifying SONY/BMG can check to see if royalties are due to them. This page also contains instructions as to how to claim these royalties.

FUTURE OF MUSIC COALITION (FMC)
www.futureofmusic.org

The Future of Music Coalition is a not-for-profit collaboration between members of the music, technology, public policy and intellectual property law communities. The FMC seeks to educate the media, policymakers, and the public about music / technology issues, while also bringing together diverse voices in an effort to come up with creative solutions to some of the challenges in this space. The FMC also aims to identify and promote innovative business models that will help musicians and citizens to benefit from new technologies.

HARRY FOX AGENCY/NATIONAL MUSIC PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION (HFA) (NMPA)
www.harryfox.com

The Harry Fox Agency Inc. is the licensing subsidiary of NMPA representing thousands of music publishers as the premier resource for the mechanical use of music reproduced in all formats. It serves as an information resource and clearing house for royalty collection, distribution and compliance. HFA represents its members in the AHRA Musical Works proceedings regarding the “Publishers” and “Songwriters” subfunds.

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
www.irs.gov

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States government agency that collects taxes and enforces the tax laws. It is a part of the Department of the Treasury. It is also the agency that issues taxpayer identification numbers for domestic and foreign taxpayers. See, Application for Employer Identification Number Form SS-4 EIN, www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss4.pdf.

MUSIC UNITED.ORG
www.musicunited.org

MUSIC stands for music united for strong internet copyright. Formed in 2002, MUSIC is a coalition of music industry organizations united to launch educational campaigns aimed at combating piracy.

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS & SCIENCES (NARAS)
www.grammy.com
The Recording Academy® sponsors the annual Grammy® Awards. NARAS members include artists, musicians, songwriters, composer, engineers and industry professionals.

RECORDING ARTISTS' COALITION (RAC)
www.recordingartistscoalition.com

RAC is a nonprofit, non-partisan coalition formed to represent the interests of recording artists with regard to legislative issues in which corporate and artists' interests conflict, and to address other public policy debates that come before the music industry.

RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (RIAA)
www.riaa.com

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that supports and promotes our members' creative and financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States.

ROCK THE VOTE
www.rockthevote.org

Rock the Vote encourages young people, 18-24-year-olds, to become involved in the political process by exercising their right to vote. Founded in 1990 by members of the recording industry, the group is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

SESAC, INC.
www.sesac.com/home.asp

SESAC is the performance rights organization for songwriters and publishers with headquarters in Nashville, New York, Los Angeles and London. SESAC licenses, collects fees and distributes royalties for the public performance of its affiliates' works. SESAC represents its members in the AHRA Musical Works proceedings regarding the “Publishers” and “Songwriters” subfunds.

SONY/BMG
www.sonybmg.com/missingroyalties/

SONY/BMG has a page on their website, “ SONYBMG Missing Royaltor Look-up” where royalty participants who believe that they are entitled to an accounting from SONY/BMG or have moved without notifying SONY/BMG can check to see if royalties are due to them. This page also contains instructions as to how to claim these royalties.

SOUNDEXCHANGE
www.soundexchange.com

SoundExchange is a nonprofit performance rights designated by the U.S. Copyright Office to collect and distribute statutory royalties to sound recording copyright owners and featured and nonfeatured artists. SoundExchange is the principal administrator of the statutory licenses under Sections 112 and 114 of the Copyright Act. SoundExchange participates in each periodic rate making proceeding under the Section 112 and 114 licenses to establish rates that appropriately compensate copyright owners and performers for the exploitation of copyrighted sound recordings.

UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING GROUP
www.umusicpub.com/royalty_central.aspx

The Universal Music Publishing Group has a Royalty Central section on their web site where you can update your contact information for royalty payments; read frequently asked questions about royalties, payments, statements, and more; visit a number of useful industry links; or contact UMG directly with any questions concerning your statements.

U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE
www.copyright.gov

The Copyright Office is a branch of the U.S. Library of Congress that oversees the implementation of the federal copyright laws, including issuing regulations and processing applications for the registration of copyrights. The Copyright Office collects the US hometaping royalties.

WARNER MUSIC GROUP
www.wmg.com/royalties/index.jsp

The Warner Music Group has a page on their website where royalty participants who believe that they are entitled to an accounting from WMG or have moved without notifying WMG can check to see if royalties are due to them. This page also contains instructions as to how to claim these royalties.