Music on HOT SET: when someone else looks after your music

Your music has two parts, and different companies can look after each one:

  • the song: the words and melody, owned by the writers and often looked after by a publisher or a publishing administrator;
  • the recording: the track you actually hear, owned by you or by a label, and put into shops and streaming by a distributor.

Before I use any track, everyone who controls either part gives permission in writing. This page tells you who signs what.

If you use a distributor (CD Baby, DistroKid, TuneCore and others)

Your distributor gets your recording into shops and streaming services. In most cases you still own the recording, so you sign for it yourself and your distributor does not need to sign anything.

One thing to check: many distributors put tracks into YouTube Content ID, which can claim videos automatically, including players' gameplay videos with the radio on. On the Rights Questions form you tell me whether your track is in Content ID. Look in your distributor's dashboard under Content ID, YouTube monetisation or social video monetisation. You then either ask your distributor to exempt HOT SET gameplay, or agree to get wrong claims released when I tell you about them.

If you have a publishing administrator (CD Baby Pro Publishing, Songtrust and others)

Your administrator collects your song's royalties around the world. Read your administration contract, or ask your administrator, to find out whether you may license your own songs for games and video.

  • If you may: you sign the declaration at the end of the Publisher and Label Consent form, and your administrator confirms by email that it will not claim gameplay videos.
  • If you may not, or you are not sure: your administrator signs the Publisher and Label Consent form for its share.

If you have a publisher or a record label

They sign the Publisher and Label Consent form for the share they control. You still sign the agreement yourself for anything you control.

If you are only with a performing rights society (ASCAP, BMI, PRS, SOCAN and others)

That is fine, and you keep your performance royalties. Just name your society on the Rights Questions form.

The forms

Please don't sign or send anything yet. I haven't chosen any tracks. If I ask to use one of yours, I'll email you the forms with a reference number, and that's when you, and anyone who looks after your music, sign. Until then you're welcome to read them and show them to your publisher, administrator or label.

Questions: info@ritualmediapro.com