Dear Music Creator,
Welcome to The Mezzo!
We are thrilled that you have chosen us as your music publishing administrator to oversee your music catalog, safeguard your music rights, and ensure the collection of any unclaimed royalties owed to you.
As a valued member of our roster, we wanted to take this opportunity to address some important frequently asked questions (FAQs) to provide you with a clear understanding of what we will do for you and what we may need from you to effectively carry out our administration responsibilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to have Mezzo as my administrator?
Having The Mezzo Agency as your administrator means that you now have a dedicated support team to manage various aspects of your music journey. We will handle your song metadata, catalog organization, song registrations and resolve disputes and actively seek unclaimed royalties on your behalf. Additionally, if licensing requests are sent your way, we will assist in clearing licenses and ensuring a smooth process.
What is the timeline of Mezzo’s process? We have a Six Point Administration process below:
- Onboarding: Upon signing our administration agreement, we kindly request approximately 6-7 weeks to set up your song catalog profile effectively.
- Organization: To initiate the process, we will require your PRO (Performance Rights Organization) login information. Subsequently, we will compile and integrate all your songs metadata into our royalty software.
- Notification: We will also inform our global network of 200+ pay sources that we represent you, directing them to forward any current and/or retroactive royalties to us on your behalf.
- Registration: After we get access to your account, we will then register and/or transfer songs and issue any disputes for songs that have splits that need to be revised. (revisions usually take 3-6 months with PRO’s).
- Collection: After this, there is a waiting period of about 4-6 months for royalties to begin coming in. Once we receive royalties on your behalf, you will be notified about payment in the following quarter, and your royalty statements will be made available in your account.
- Distribution of Royalties: You will receive an email notification that your statements have posted and your payment has been scheduled to the account we have on file.
Please keep in mind that publishing royalties typically grow over time. Initially, the royalties might be modest, depending on the song’s performance. But each quarter during the term of your agreement, royalties will increase with each payout.
How often does Mezzo pay out royalties?
Statements post and payments are scheduled out on or before the following dates: March 31st, June 30th, September 30th and December 31st. Publising royalty payments will appear in the account we have on file within 2-3 business days depending on your bank. Master recording royalties from Sound Exchange pay out the following week (if eligible).
How Will I Know When My Unclaimed Royalties Are Collected?
Once royalties begin coming in for you, you will receive an invitation to your royalty portal called Curve for Artists, which will allow you to set up your account and create a new password. You will be able to access your statements, see where your money is coming from and the amount that will be deposited to your bank account (minus our 15% commission).
What if I have a song placement or plan to release my own song?
No worries! Mezzo is here to support you with getting your song(s) registered.
For Major Song Placements: If you land a placement on someone else’s project and are asked for your publishing information, please follow these steps:
- Be sure to give them your full legal name, your PRO, IPI# and your publishing company name and IPI#.
- Then provide our contact company name and email: copyright@mezzoagency.com
- Also include our PRO & IPI information as your administrator:
- Additionally, send us the metadata by filling out this form and it will be added into our queue. Information we need is below:
- Song Title
- ISRC (International Standard Recording Code)
- Artist Name
- Release Date
- Writer(s) Legal Name, PRO, IPI#, Split Share %
- Writer(s) Publisher Name, PRO, IPI#, Split Share %
- Producer(s) Legal Name, PRO, IPI#, Split Share %
- Producer(s) Publisher Name, PRO, IPI#, Split Share %
- Cover Art: To help us promote your new releases, we kindly request that you also upload the cover art. This way, we can feature your new music in our monthly newsletters and promote it on our social media platforms.
If you don’t have the above metadata, provide us the contact for your placement, a producer agreement or a split sheet and we will reach out to the label for more details.
Please allow us up to 2 weeks to complete your registration (provided we have all metadata).
For Indie Releases: We will register your song splits and promptly notify all pay sources. To get started, click here and provide the following information:
- Song Title
- ISRC (International Standard Recording Code)
- Artist Name
- Release Date
- Writer(s) Legal Name, PRO, IPI#, Split Share %
- Writer(s) Publisher Name, PRO, IPI#, Split Share %
- Producer(s) Legal Name, PRO, IPI#, Split Share %
- Producer(s) Publisher Name, PRO, IPI#, Split Share %
- Cover Art: To help us promote your new releases, we kindly request that you also upload the cover art. This way, we can feature your new music in our monthly newsletters and promote it on our social media platforms.
Please allow us up to 2 weeks to complete your registration (provided we have all metadata).
What if I receive a license request for usage of my song?
Should you receive a license request for someone to use your song, please forward it to licensing@mezzoagency.com. Our licensing team will promptly acknowledge receipt and initiate negotiations to clear the license on your behalf. Rest assured, we will always keep you informed when a license request comes in, ensuring you have the opportunity to review the request and its terms.
What if I need my songs copyrighted?
If you require copyright services, we offer them on an “a la carte” basis to help safeguard your rights as you release music. Just notify us of your needs, and we will send you an electronic invoice for either a bulk registration or a single song registration or you can click here for either:
Can I work with another publishing administrator in addition to Mezzo?
Our agreement is an exclusive administration arrangement, meaning only one administrator can collect royalties for the songs we manage on your behalf. However, you are free to engage with a different administrator for songs that fall outside our representation. Alternatively, you can choose to have us handle all your songs to better streamline the process.
What commission does Mezzo collect?
As per your administration agreement, Mezzo collects a 15% commission on all royalties or license fees we collect on your behalf.
What kinds of royalties does Mezzo collect on my behalf?
Mezzo collects various types of royalties for you, including those generated from album sales, digital downloads, streaming services, radio airplay, live performances, internet radio, youtube, mobile apps, sheet music and other avenues where your music is used that generate income for songwriters and music publishers. Payments are based on a per-use or blanket basis, as stipulated in the corresponding license agreements.
For any other inquiries or assistance, please feel free to email us at info@mezzoagency.com or reach out to your designated point of contact from our team. You can also instant message us on our website chat box or DM us on our Instagram account during normal business hours for questions or concerns.
Once again, we are truly excited to be working with you! If you have any further questions or need support, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to ensure your music receives the attention and protection it deserves.
Best regards,
The Mezzo Agency
Updated 10/15/2023