Hi Nick, a few remarks. Why deal with publishers if you already got your deal, especially with a video or film company? All i ever got from their publishing dept was an empty bucket of promises; was something i really regretted i did when i was a rookie - greenhorn way back, cost me at least some 10.000 bucks over the years, maybe more even. If you register with BMI or ASCAP, mark your filmscores as "classical, jazz or blues", you might get higher royalties that way. Most money you make is from mechanical rights BTW, that is when they print DVD's etc, don't sign them away cheap if they want you to. Get advice and assistance from s specialized (oops) lawyer when it's a large thing, worth every cent. - Nout

Quotes from CNI web site.
BMI requires that radio stations submit airplay logs on a regularly scheduled basis. BMI notes that it includes only a portion of the submitted logs for distribution purposes. The stations do not know if they are part of the selected group. Computer-generated song rotational systems provide hour and minute listings of these airplay schedules. Other stations fill out handwritten logs days after the actual performances have taken place.

Quotes from BMI web site.
We use performance monitoring data, continuously collected on a large percentage of all licensed commercial radio stations, to determine payable performances.

We use our own digital tracking technology to identify performances of your songs that aired for less than 60 seconds. We create a separate quarterly royalty pool for these brief uses.

BMI uses a “follow-the-dollar” payment process for commercial music services. Royalties for services like DMX,
Muzak, Music Choice and PlayNetwork are calculated using data that each service provides us. Royalties are then
paid out to our writers and publishers whose music is used on each service.

Interesting that they say they "require" stations to submit playlists. Of the eleven stations I polled in my immediate area when releasing my CD, none confirmed that they report to anyone.

I am an ASCAP writer and publisher. I only deal with BMI when licensing; however, the info you provided still confirms what I said. They don't pay for every play. Which reinforces what I originally told Tom, Properly registering your works doesn't guarantee payment, but not registering guarantees that you won't get paid.

No truer word were spoken!

Reminds me of the old Thibodeaux joke were he goes to church to ask God for a winning lottery ticket. (I'll tell the short version)

After several weeks of asking without success, He challenges God as to why he has not won the lottery.

A big voice comes down from on high and says,

"Thibodeaux, buy a ticket!"