Recording New Use Means New Money
Most musicians know about the applicable session fees and benefits. Some know about the Special Payments Fund. Few know about the New Use of their recordings in an industry that generates millions of new dollars each year for musicians.
New Use is defined as any use of a recording other than that for which it was originally recorded. Such uses can include:
- When a CD is used in a movie. This could be anything from a low-budget documentary to a major motion picture production. The New Use generates an initial payment plus possible secondary market revenues.
- As an open track on TV. This generates new payments plus possible reuse payments.
- In a commercial.This generates an initial payment plus reuse cycle payments for every 13 weeks. When New Use occurs, the musicians (royalty and non-royalty) are entitled to be paid as if they had gone into a studio and re-recorded the music.
However, if there is no documentation on file at the Local AFM office, we have no way of making sure you receive your new use payments. Always let us know when you are going into the studio so we can make sure documentation is filed!