FAQ

Q: How do I go about licensing music from the PHMI Music catalogue or one of it affiliate writers/composers?

A: Send us an e-mail to licensing@phmimusic.com. Be sure to include the name of the song/track, catalogue number, the writer,

and length of song that you would like to use. We also need to know what type of project the music will be used for, i.e.,

an album, demo, film/movie, commercial, etc. We will get back with you at our earliest convenience with a license fee quote.

Q: I’ve heard that you can put your music in an envelope and mail it to yourself to copyright your music, is that true?

A: Copyright registration is $45 per submission for the normal paper submission. There is a new e-copyright submission process now

available on the Library of Congress website. E-copyright is only $35 per submission. Although this could get pretty expensive if you

send in each song, there is a way you can submit multiple songs with one submission and pay one fee for a “collection” of your works.

Simply give your collection of songs or instrumentals a title, i.e. “Songs By John Doe Vol. 1”, and you can submit that complete volume

as one submission. Again you can find this information on www.copyright.gov.

Q: I’ve heard that you can put your music in an envelope and mail it to yourself to copyright your music, is that true?

A: This is called “Poor Man’s Copyright”. If you don’t have the budget to pay for an official copyright, it is ok to do this for minor

protection. The only problem is that you still will not have a federal registered document in the event a court case

arises. I strongly recommend submitting your work to the Library of Congress. You can find this information on

Q: How much do you charge for your services?

A: Depends on the details of the project, how much work has to be put into it, how soon the client needs to have the project

finished, whether or not we need to bring in extra musician

Q: Isn’t publishing and copyright the same thing?

A: No. Copyright and publishing are two separate functions of the music business. Copyright deals with the rights to a particular

song, publishing deals with the administration, exploitation, collection, protection, and acquisition of the copyrights to a song

or group of songs.

Q: What are the necessary steps that I need to take to copyright my music?

A: First organize your music then register your works with the U.S. Library Of Congress. You can find more information on

copyright registration at www.copyright.gov.

Q: Do I need to set up my own publishing company?

A: Setting up and running your publishing company requires time to do administrative work. If you have the time and ability to do it

then I recommend you do it yourself, but if you are not too good with administrative and paperwork, I advise you to find an

already established company to help you.

Q: How do I go about getting my songs published?

A: You have to become registered with a PRO (i.e, ASAP, BMI, SESAC, etc.) and begin registering your titles with them.

Q: What is publishing?

A: Simply put, publishing is the administration of the copyrights to a song. A publisher is responsible for the administration of your

copyrights, exploitation of your songs, and collecting performance royalties owed to the songwriter.

Q: Are you looking to sign new artists?

A: We are always looking for new talent. Our main focus is publishing and production so we are more so on the lookout for

“songwriters” vs. artists. Although “signing” artists and giving out record deals is not our main focus, we are always open to

helping out with consultation and advice to help further your career so feel free to send us an e-mail with your question(s) to

Q: What is PHMI Music, and what type of services does the company offer.

A: We are a full service music publishing and media production company that serves as a one-stop for all of your music production

and music business needs. We offer everything from publishing services, song administration, music/album production,

television/film music production, sound design, web design, and graphic design.

FAQ