Are you a songwriter, composer or publisher and have written songs that have the potential to be used on radio, television, the internet, in restaurants and or any of the thousands of other businesses that use music, you've come to the right place.
Joining AWESOME is a critical step in your music career. You are about to begin a process that will make you a part of one of the fastest growing family in the world and, more importantly, we will ensure that you get paid when any businesses plays your song.
There is a one time, nominal processing fee of $300.00 to apply for AWESOME writer membership and $500.00 for AWESOME publisher membership, this fee is non-refundable, but there are no annual dues.Performance and mechanical rights organizations, such as AWESOME, are businesses designed to represent songwriters and publishers and their right to be compensated for having their music performed in public, by securing a license from AWESOME.
For example, music users (i.e., television and radio stations, auditoriums, restaurants, hotels, theme parks, malls, etc.) can legally play any song in the AWESOME repertory. Without a license from a performing rights organization, music users are in danger of copyright infringement.
Who is AWESOME Limited?
AWESOME Limited was birthed from a vision to collect and fairly distribute the rightful payment of monies to it’s members. Managed by a group of professionals with expertise in intellectual property, administration, and music and video production, our Management Team is fully equipped both academically and spiritually to ensure the success of AWESOME, as they continue to strive for new innovative ways to improve our methods and technology in a view to maintain our edge over other collection agencies.
What is Copyright?
The exclusive intellectual property right owned by a person or group of people for books, records, movies, computer software and music.
What are Performance Rights?
A public performance occurs at any place open to the public, or where a substantial number of persons (outside the normal circle of family and friends) are gathered.
What are Mechanical Rights?
The reproduction of the music by mechanical means, including tapes, records and technological systems.
What are the advantages of AWESOME?
Performance and Mechanical rights organizations better known as royalty collection companies collect fees from radio and television stations each month to distribute to their members. These fees are calculated using a method called sampling. Sampling is done when a radio station reports only 3 to 5 days of all the music played for an entire month. These reports are also used to determine which members are paid royalties and how much.
The downside of this method is, if an artiste’s music was not played on those days reported by the radio stations then an artiste is not paid for their work used. In addition to an artiste’s music not being reported only members of the royalty collection company’s members are paid.
Unlike other companies, AWESOME uses a 24 hour technological recording system which logs our members’ music played by radio and television stations ensuring that every member is paid for their work.
Other benefits include:
- Royalty statements every quarter even if you are paid via cheque or bank deposit. Access to our on-line song activity report via our website.
- A higher payout of royalty to it’s members. By offering our other services to corporate clients we generate further income to sustain the company thereby reducing the amount of monies used from license fees collected.
- Networking of it’s members, Writers to Artiste, Artiste to Producers, Producers to Studios and Studios to Publishers - ensuring that members work with the best in the industry.
- Free vetting and review of music related contracts
Any person who has had their musical work performed publicly, performed live or broadcasted is eligible to become a member. A special category have been opened to musicians as well as persons who have written work/s that have not been published.
Membership Fee
A one time application fee of TT$300.00 is required by Authors and Composers whilst Publishers pay a TT$500.00 fee.
The word AWESOME is an acronym for Advancing Writers Entertainers Singers On Music Endeavours. It is located at 174 Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna, and managed by a Board of Directors. Using Media Monitoring, AWESOME has set out to do what no other copyright company has done locally, regionally or internationally by allowing members to see via our website what royalties are due to them on a daily basis.
