The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers
(Guild of Songwriters)
Sovereign House
12 Trewartha Road, Praa Sands, Penzance, Cornwall TR20 9ST England.
Telephone: 01736 762826 - Fax: 01736 763328 - Email: songmag@aol.com

Website:www.songwriters-guild.co.uk

Website: www.myspace.com/guildofsongwriters

THE GUILD OF INTERNATIONAL
SONGWRITERS & COMPOSERS

SONGWRITING - The Guild's website introduces you to the UK's premier songwriting organisation - The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers and outlines some of the many aspects of songwriting, composing and the music industry.

The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers is a UK songwriting organisation based in England UK serving the international songwriting, composing and performing artiste community. The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers members are songwriters, composers, lyricists, poets, performing singer songwriters, musicians, groups, DJs, music publishers, studio owners, managers, music industry personnel, etrc., of many categories from many countries throughout the world.

The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers has been publishing Songwriting & Composing Magazine since 1986, which is issued free to all Guild members throughout their membership. The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers offers advice, guidance, assistance, protection, information, encouragement and services to Guild members with regard to helping members try to achieve their aims, ambitions, progression and advancement in respect to the many different aspects of the music industry. Information, advice and services available to Guild members throughout their membership includes assistance, advice and help on many matters such as but not limited to:

How to get your money, royalties and income streams from the music industry, how to earn royalties from songwriting, composing and performing, copyright protecting your songs, lyrics and instrumental themes from being stolen, songwriting song assessments, promoting songs and songwriting talents to music publishers and your songwriting and performing talents to record companies and management companies.

Who requires songs and instrumental themes for music publishing and recording, getting a publishing deal, getting a record deal, setting up your own music publishing company, setting up your own record company and label, songwriters' songwriting collaboration register for lyricists and composers, contact information for music publishing companies seeking songs and songwriters, record companies, management companies, artistes and music industry personnel, recording, music publishing, management, producer contracts, distribution and licensing deals, internet promotions and releases, etc.

Understanding terms, conditions, clauses and statements in contracts, Equity and the Musicians' Union (MU), Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS)(PRSforMusic), Performing Right Society (PRS)(PRSforMusic), Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), Video Performance Limited, (VPL), Royalty collection organisations outside the United Kingdom.

How songwriting royalties are collected and paid, who pays the songwriting and performing money (royalties), songwriting and the Internet, setting up a home recording studio, songwriting song contests, songwriting and songwriters legal issues, promoting and marketing instrumental themes, Music industry contact information, releasing records on your own songwriting label and the Internet, music publishing your songs yourself, guarding against being ripped off, avoiding the sharks, recording old songs in public domain, songwriting and composing for radio, television, film, audio-visual and advertisements, recording demos, sub-publishing your songs in foreign territories, pitching and plugging songs, songwriting promotion opportunities, licensing your recordings to companies for release, distribution (digital and physcal) , getting a songwriting partner, songwriting partnership agreements and how they work, MP3 and music on the web, digital downloads, Digital Service Providers (DSP's), Internet aggrgators, and much much more, these are just some of the many diverse aspects of the music industry and songwriting, composing and performing.

The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers aim is to assist and help its members to gain knowledge of the songwriting, composing and performing aspects of the music industry and to help maintain the rights of The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers members, being the new, amateur, semi-professional and professional songwriters, composers, lyricists, poets, performing songwriters, musicians, home, semi-pro, professional studio owners, music industry personnel, etc, working within the music industry, especially with the marketing and placement of Guild members' songs, instrumental themes, performances and copyright material, thus trying to assist Guild members to achieve commercial success and financial reward for their songs and songwriting.

This website introduces you to the premier UK songwriting music industry organisation The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers and also outlines some of the many aspects of songwriting, composing and the music industry.

Songwriting

A successful 2011 for songwriters' songwriting royalties

MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic) royalties increased 45.3% in 2011 to £38.5m

Over £545m of songwriting and publishing royalties were paid to PRSforMusic songwriter, composer and publisher members in 2010. For the first time PRSforMusic's revenue has topped £600 million, which is an amazing achievement. PRSforMusic’s record results have seen: Licensing revenue growth of 8% on 2009. Double digit growth in three of our four licensing areas effective licensing of new online services Growth of 9% in net distributable revenue on 2008.

The PRSforMusic's July 2011 distribution totalled just over £91million. In total the PRSforMusic July 2011 distribution contained more than 2,274 separate usage sources, generating 126million transactions. There were some 35million unique performanmces during the quarter made up of 674,905 distinct works to include Guild members works.

The PRSforMusic October 2011 royalty distribution totalled just over £127 million to its publisher and writer members. In total the October 2011 royalty distribution contains more than 2,400 separate usage sources, generating 109 million transactions. There were some 37 million unique performances during the quarter, made up of more than 8000,000 distinct works.

MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic) who represents 85,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK saw royalty collections rose 3.2% to £630.8m last year after a surge in revenues from overseas and digital services. As part of this uplift money from services including itunes , Spotify, Amazon and we7 increased 45.3% in 2011 to £38.5m and made up a record 6% of total PRS collections. The licensing of new digital services enabled PRSforMusic to pay additional royalties to their members last year.

Newly-announced figures also reveal there was a big increase in money collected for the use of UK music overseas with this sum rising 10.6% to £187.7m. The lift came on the back of successes by British songwriters such as Adele, Taio Cruz and Coldplay last year as well as improvements in working with overseas collecting societies to collect what was owed.

Royalties from live music were up 8.2% to £225.5m, helped by the likes of the UK festival market and Take That’s Progress Live stadium tour, while money brought in from businesses such as shops, pubs, hotels, restaurants and work places for publicly playing music went up 0.9% to £131.4m. Broadcast income increased 1.2% to £149.0m with the only area of business experiencing a fall being recorded media. Here royalties fell 13.3% on the year to £101.6m with royalties from CDs, DVDs and covermounts all dropping.

The licensed digital market is now delivering a significant income stream for MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic's) writer, composer and publisher members.

Songwriting and publishing royalties are a substantial source of income.

Guild members link to the Guild as a friend on myspace - visit: myspace.com/guildofsongwriters

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