4d • General discussion
Story Time (missing cue sheets)
There’s a show I composed music for—my tracks were used throughout the entire season. At some point, I realized no cue sheets had been filed… which meant no backend royalties were being paid. With the level of usage, we’re talking hundreds, if not thousands, left on the table.
And the wild part? This happens way more often than people think.
I followed up with ASCAP and was told I had to wait 6 months after the final air date before they could investigate. I waited. Still nothing.
Then I was told ASCAP had been trying to reach the network (a major one) with no response. Even after I provided airtimes, air checks, and detailed proof of usage—what was used, when, and for how long—they still couldn’t process anything without official cue sheets submitted by the network.
I eventually tracked down the music supervisor, who sent me cue sheets for the full season… but they were labeled as drafts—what had been sent to the network for approval. Since they weren’t final, ASCAP couldn’t accept them.
So now the responsibility somehow fell on me to get final cue sheets from a network I had zero contact with—not just for my music, but for every composer involved in the show.
After months of back channeling, I finally got the finalized cue sheets and submitted them—over a year after the show aired. Only now can the process even begin for writers to receive their royalties… and it’ll still take months from here.
It’s honestly crazy how difficult it can be for creatives to get paid what they’re owed.
Stay on top of your cue sheets. Always.
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Story Time (missing cue sheets)
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