What To Do When Your Song Is Among Copyright Office’s 60M Notice Of Intent To Use Filings

This week SoundExchange subsidiary SXWorks launched a free database that allows songwriters and publishers and songwriters to search more than 60 million address unknown Notice of Intention to Use (NOI) song filings made to the U.S. Copyright Office by Spotify and other music service.  But what do you do when you find your song there? 

SoundExchange offers these tips:

What Does It Mean if I Find my Song in the NOI LOOKUP?

If you find your musical work (song) in the NOI LOOKUP, it simply means that a service has made a filing with the Copyright Office claiming that at the time of the filing, the service could not identify the copyright owner or co-owner of that particular musical work in the registration or other public records of the Copyright Office.

Even if your work is listed in the Copyright Office NOI filings, it is possible that a service has secured a license to reproduce your musical work and you may have received mechanical royalty payments in connection with that authorization. You should check your records and check with any co-owners or administrators of your copyrights to determine whether a license has been issued.

Once I Have Found My Songs and Downloaded the NOI Filing Data, What Do I Do Next?

Once you locate your songs and download the NOI filing data, you should check your records and those of any co-owners or administrators of your copyrights to determine if a copyright registration for the song has been previously filed or if a license has been issued to the user. If you have no record of a license or payment, you may wish to contact the service in question and provide them the relevant ownership data.

SXWorks intends to offer additional premium services soon to help songwriters and publishers research and manage claims for use of their works, including the matching of NOI sound recording information to the applicable musical works. If you are looking for assistance in this area, please contact us. Our website is https://www.sx-works.com/

MORE: SoundExchange Launches Free NOI Loookup Of 60M Songs