🎵 How Unsigned Artists Can Protect Their Music & Build a Professional Foundation

(A guide you can share with artists)

Whether you’re brand new or already releasing music, there are a few essential steps every independent artist should take to protect your work, earn royalties, and operate like a professional—even before a label ever comes calling.

✅ 1. Register Your Music With a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)

If your music is not registered with a royalty collection agency, you’re essentially leaving money on the table.

In the U.S.

• BMI

• ASCAP

• SESAC (invite-only)

In the UK

• PRS for Music

• MCPS

• PPL

Why this matters:

✔️ Protects your music legally
✔️ Makes you eligible for royalties when your songs are played
✔️ Allows radio stations, TV, venues, streaming platforms, or YouTube to pay you properly
✔️ Establishes you in the global publishing ecosystem

👉 Tell artists:
"If your song isn't registered, the world can play it — but you won’t get paid for it."

✅ 2. Register as a Writer and a Publisher

Most artists don’t know this.

To earn 100% of your available royalties, you should register:

• as a Songwriter/Composer

• AND as a Publisher

If you don’t create a publishing entity, the PRO keeps the publisher’s share.

This takes 10 minutes and is often free or low cost.

✅ 3. Consider Setting Up an LLC (US) or Ltd Company (UK)

This is a major step in becoming a serious professional.

Benefits:

✔️ Tax advantages, especially if you spend money on music gear, studio time, travel, videos, etc.
✔️ Looks stronger to labels, radio, media, and promoters
✔️ Cleaner accounting — separates your personal life from your business
✔️ Helps you register a publishing company (also a big credibility boost)
✔️ Allows you to hire collaborators, vocalists, session players legally
✔️ Protects your personal assets

Tell artists:

"If you treat your music like a business, everyone else will too."

✅ 4. Use a Professional Email Address (Not Gmail or Hotmail)

Nothing screams “new artist” more than:

artistname1234@gmail.com

Instead, encourage them to use:

🎧 music@bandname.com

🎤 contact@artistname.co.uk
🎸 press@bandname.com

This looks dramatically more professional and is easy to set up.

Benefits:

✔️ Easier to get playlist, radio, and PR attention
✔️ Shows promoters and industry teams you’re serious
✔️ Builds long-term brand identity
✔️ Helps with website and domain SEO

Domain emails cost about $2/month but instantly raise your credibility.

✅ 5. Copyright Your Work Properly

Although copyright exists automatically when you create a song, official registration…

✔️ Gives you stronger protection
✔️ Helps in theft/plagiarism cases
✔️ Adds legal clarity for streaming and licensing
✔️ Makes sync placements easier

✅ 6. Tell Artists That SSR Cannot Play AI-Generated Music

This reinforces real musicianship.

Artists should know SSR is committed to:

• authentic artistry

• real vocals

• true composition

• human creativity

And that PRO registration protects THEIR real, original work from being scraped and reused by AI tools.

✅ 7. Encourage Artists to Keep Good Records

They should keep:

• split sheets

• credits

• producer agreements

• beat licenses

• publishing info

• release metadata

This prevents 90% of future legal headaches.

📣 A Suggested Message You Can Send to Artists

Copy/paste this to them:

“As an independent artist, the best thing you can do right now is protect your music and set yourself up like a real business.
Register with BMI/ASCAP/PRS, secure your publisher registration, copyright your songs, and consider forming an LLC or Ltd company.
And please — get a professional email address tied to your artist name!
These steps help you get paid properly, look professional to radio and promoters, and build a long-term career foundation.”