Hi there, Even if you are not planning on recording all of your songs, if you are performing them in a venue or streaming them on Facebook, YouTube, or another platform you are due royalties. If you have your own publishing company then that entity is also due royalties. If you use a publishing admin company like Songtrust, which is the one I use, you can register your set list of your songs with them and they will handle the collection of royalties through your PRO. In my case, ASCAP would collect performance royalties from my performances, whether in a live venue or live streaming on the platform I choose. I just need to submit the data via their website. Most PROS have an online submission system in place for you to enter the song information and the venue information of your performance. If I perform in a venue that has a “blanket license” with ASCAP, and I may need to ask, then I should only perform songs in the ASCAP catalog (currently around 11.5 million) because the blanket license that the venue purchased gives performers a license to perform ASCAP songs. If the venue also has a blanket license with BMI, then I would be able to perform BMI songs as well. If you are streaming other writer’s songs, make sure you stream on a platform that also has blanket licenses with the major PROs. With YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, you are covered. But, you will need to get a synchronization license for all the songs that are not yours. It is best to contact the publisher and record label directly to get that license. So, for me, I will not be streaming other folks songs for now.

On another note, I recorded the tracks of my next planned release “Hardly Hiding” so, I’m back spending my evenings in my studio! Stay well!