Has your business received an email or letter similar to this one?
I recently sent you a package of information explaining copyright licensing for the music in your establishment. Included in that package was the ASCAP license agreement and invoice for fees. I hope you have had the time to review this information.
As I explained in my first letter, the ASCAP license gives you legal permission to perform any of the over eight million titles in our repertory. That eliminates the need for you to contact the owner of each individual piece of music.
If you have not done so already, please sign the license agreement recently sent to you, and send it to us, along with fees as specified on the invoice. A fully-executed copy of the agreement will be returned to you.
It’s not a scam – it’s for real. ASCAP is one of the Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) who handle the music licensing for its members, typically songwriters, music publishers and recording labels. There is also BMI and SESAC.
ASCAP is on the lookout for business that don’t pay their fair share of music licensing royalties. They want to let business owners know about fair practices for music licensing. You can find out what kind of license your business needs and why on the ASCAP FAQ web page.
Custom Channels is a fully licensed music service. We pay ASCAP (+BMI+SESAC) when we play a song so the business doesn’t have to do it themselves. We do all the reporting and paperwork so businesses don’t have to. Music licensing is part of our low monthly fee. We make certain all the songs get reported and the appropriate fees paid for each location that streams Custom Channels’ music service.
One business owner that was contacted by ASCAP could have directly licensed ASCAP music for their restaurant but it would cost almost $900 for a year. And that was just for one service – ASCAP. Many other songs that this restaurant wants to play are licensed through BMI and SESAC so more fees would apply.
For a fraction of the cost of these required license fees, this restaurant can save money using Custom Channels for music and not have to deal with the hassle of extra paperwork and reporting, let alone having to buy their own music, create their own playlists and keep the playlists fresh. When licensing and the time/expertise required to create and update playlists is all taken into account, it makes economic sense to use the music pros at Custom Channels.