CWR
CMRRA is pleased to announce that we will soon be loading CWR files directly into our new Licence and Distribution System (LDS). CWR (Common Works Registration) is a standard format used by mid to large sized publishers for the registration and revision of musical works ownership information. The CWR format is intended to replace labour-intensive formats such as paper catalogues and e-mail registrations. It provides an efficient means of tracking registration status and expedites communication between publishers and CMRRA.
The capabilities of LDS for managing the CWR data will bring a vast improvement over CMRRA’s legacy processes. LDS has advanced auto-matching protocols that will enable us to more quickly and efficiently validate musical works information for licensing and royalty distribution, including, where appropriate, identifying and merging share information with existing data in our system from previous registrations as well as other ownership participants. In the next few weeks, CMRRA will be reaching out to current CWR submitters to provide more details about this change.
If you have recently taken the steps to become a CWR submitter, please reach out to CMRRA and we will be glad to assist you. Please contact us at [email protected]. Kindly note CMRRA does not provide CWR software; third party music publishing software that produces CWR compliant registration files is available commercially.
NEW CSI CLAIMS WEBSITE
In March, CMRRA-SODRAC Inc. (CSI) announced the launch of a new Claims Website for unpaid royalties associated with Post-2012 major label releases. The Claims Website provides music rightsholders with the ability to review the list of musical works for which royalties have been disbursed into a newly established trust account managed by CSI (“Licensing Trust”) and created pursuant to the 2010 settlement of the Canadian class action lawsuit dealing with unpaid major label mechanical royalties. CSI’s Claims Website contains song and recording details related to unidentified, unlicensed or otherwise unpaid ownership shares for products released in Canada from January 1, 2013 onward by Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada, and Warner Music Canada.
Please register now and start preparing for the claims phase which will commence later this spring.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING CMRRA DIRECT
Later this year, CMRRA will be launching an updated version of CMRRA Direct that will link directly into the data in our new Licence and Distribution System (LDS). The new portal will provide many new and efficient self-serve functions to our clients. We will provide more details in the coming months. Please note, however, that the royalty statements and licence data now accessible via the current version of CMRRA Direct will only be available until November.
