What is a cue-sheet?

A music cue sheet is a document that lists all of the music contained in a production including the title, composer(s), publisher(s), performing rights affiliation, and use and timing of each musical cue.

The cue sheet functions like an invoice that is used by all parties in the music licensing process to determine the amount of royalties to be paid for the public performance of the music contained in the program, and to whom those royalties are paid. For example, many broadcasters require copies of cue sheets for the television programs they broadcast in order to calculate the fees they must pay to ASCAP and BMI. Without the timely receipt of music cue sheets, they may not have access to the information necessary to correctly calculate the full amount of the license fee that would otherwise be due — resulting in a loss of income to composers and music publishers. Moreover, ASCAP and BMI use a cue sheet to identify the composers and publishers entitled to receive royalties and to calculate the share of royalties they receive. The flow of music publishing royalties should be of vital concern to the producer if musical cues composed for the production are owned by the producer.

Cue sheets are submitted by the production company to the broadcast company and are filed with the applicable Performing Rights Society (BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, SOCAN, SACEM etc).

To view an example of what a cue sheet looks like please click this link.

We will be glad to assist you in the filing of your cue sheet with the performance rights organizations and can fax you a blank cue sheet form if you need one.

Please call us with any questions: Eastern time ( US & Canada ) : tel (347) 562-7405

When and how should I submit a Cue Sheet to a Performing Rights society?

If you are including tracks from our library in your film or video, and you plan to broadcast your production on television (Network, Cable, Public) a cue sheet must be filed and submitted to the broadcasting company with your production.

Broadcast of Filmtvtracks music is cleared through the performing rights society BMI or ASCAP, whose revenues are collected directly from broadcast station licensing, not from you as a producer.