Keep Your PRO Catalog Updated ☕️

As an artist or songwriter, registering with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP or BMI is a critical step toward getting paid for your music. But what many creators overlook is that joining a PRO is only the beginning — keeping your catalog updated is just as important. If your songs aren’t properly registered, you could be leaving money unclaimed.

What Is a PRO Catalog?

Your PRO catalog is the official record of your musical works. It includes:

  • Song titles
  • Writers and composers
  • Publishing entities
  • Ownership splits
  • Release details

PROs use this information to track when your music is performed publicly — on streaming platforms, radio, TV, live venues, and more — and to distribute royalties accurately. If a song isn’t in your catalog, your PRO can’t pay you for it. Music lives everywhere now. Songs are streamed, shared, performed, and synced across platforms daily. If your catalog isn’t current:

  • Royalties may be delayed
  • Payments may be misdirected
  • Publisher shares may go unclaimed
  • International collections can be missed
  • Collaborations can create split disputes

Even one missing registration can result in lost income, especially as your reach grows.

When Should You Update Your Catalog?

You should update your PRO catalog whenever:

  • You release a new song or project
  • You collaborate with another writer or producer
  • Ownership splits change
  • You start or register a publishing entity
  • A song is placed in film, TV, or digital media
  • You begin performing songs live

A good rule of thumb: register your song as soon as it’s finished, not after it’s released.

The Bigger Picture: Professionalism & Protection

Keeping your catalog updated isn’t just about money — it’s about professionalism. A clean, accurate catalog:

  • Protects your intellectual property
  • Strengthens your negotiating position
  • Makes licensing and placements easier
  • Shows industry partners you’re serious
  • Ensures your legacy is properly documented

As your career expands, these details become even more important. Your music is your intellectual property. Treat it like the asset it is. Staying on top of your PRO catalog ensures that every play, performance, and placement works for you. The more visible your music becomes, the more critical accurate registration becomes.

Don’t let success outpace your paperwork. You deserve to be compensated well and it starts with your catalog.

Let’s Talk Masters ☕️

A lot of artists don’t realize this…
Your MASTERS are the real wealth of your music career.
Not the streams.
Not the features.
Not even the shows.

Your master recording is the ORIGINAL file of your song — the version everything else is made from.
Whoever owns the master controls:

~how the song is used
~where it gets placed
~licensing opportunities
~film/TV/ads placement
~remixes and sampling
~long-term earnings
~who needs permission for what
~check/money

If you don’t own your masters, you don’t control your music. Where many first lose it is understanding the beats they are purchasing. There are 3 ways to get beats if you aren’t making them yourself:

  1. Buying a Lease- limited rights. You can use the beat, upload it, maybe perform it, but the producer still owns the beat. They can sell it to 10 more artists the same day.
  2. Exclusive rights- gives you more power but STILL may not be full ownership. No one else can use the beat, but the producer may still own part of the master unless the contract says otherwise. It may still require:
  • royalty splits
  • credit requirements
  • publishing splits
  • limitations on sync licensing
  • usage caps

READ your paperwork.

  1. Work-for-Hire- the only clean path to FULL OWNERSHIP, the kind that labels and TV shows respect. Always make sure you secure a signed Work-for-Hire Agreement that specifies price paid and that you have ownership. No need for lengthy contracts here. You don’t even have to credit the beat maker unless you offer that in the agreement. Basically,

~YOU own the beat
~YOU own the master
~YOU control the song
~YOU decide how it gets used
~YOU get the licensing checks
~YOU dictate the future of the record

If you want long-term freedom in this industry, protect your masters and understand your rights. Most major artist has had to learn this lesson the hard way. Don’t wait until you’re already popping to find out somebody else owns your biggest record. And it is perfectly okay to use all 3 methods, as there are times when it makes sense, but know what you’re doing and what it means. #EmmeBossed #IndependentArtistTips #MusicBusiness101 #OwnYourMasters #ArtistEmpowerment