- what you need to build the instrumentalist style production company
- 3 LLCs
- 3 EIN numbers
- 2-3 bank accounts
- accountant
- corporate attorney
- tax attorney
** ultimate company setup
this will set you up for the quarter million club
1. Operations LLC
2. Record Label / Publishing Company
3. Entertainment Company
*** operations company
- leasing beats
- beat sales
- selling masters to record companies
- producer royalties
- extras
- recording
- mixing
*** record company / publishing company
- beats you sold and own
- holds ownership of master / publishing
- record / streaming royalties
- publishing DBA (doing business as)
- publishing royalties (all revenue is passed through to a record company)
**** Publishing DBA
- Doing Business As refers to an alternate business name under which a company operates, rather than using its legal name
- used by songwriters, composers and independent music publishers who want to register under a specific business name for publishing rights and royalty collection instead of using their personal name or their company's formal legal name
***** Key reasons for using a Publishing DBA
1. Brand identiy
- operate under a distinct name
- brand recognition
2. PRO Registeration (Performance Rights Organization)
- ASCAP BMI, SESAC require publishers to register under a unique publishing entity name to collect royalties
- many independent songwriters use a DBA to create their own publshing company under a PRO
3. Legal & Business Structure
- allows someone to do business as teh same legal entity under a different name
- used for sole properietorships or LLCs that need a distinct publishing identity
4. Contracts & Licensing
- can be used to sign contracts, license music and register copyrights under a professional name
***** How to Register a Publishing DBA
1. check availability
2. file with local government
3. register with a PRO
4. open a bank account
5. copyright & licensing - use the DBA when
- registering copyrights
- sync licenses
- use your music when paired with visual medium
- sync mechanical rights
- reproduce and distribute a song in physical or digital formats
**** Performance Rights Organization
collects and distributes performance royalties when the music is publicly performed
1. collect royalties
- radio
- tv
- streaming services
- live venues
- bars
- clubs
- public spaces
2. distribute royalties
- based on share of ownership in the song
3. issue licenses to play copyrighted music
- radio stations
- streaming platforms
- restaurants
- event venues
4. track music usage
- radio
- tv
- live performances
- digital streaming
- background music in public places
*** entertainment company
- place to handle everything for the road up to 50k a year
