Membership (Creators)

Q: What are the Membership requirements?

Requirements for Performers and Composers: Basic Member details (e.g Name, address, email, phone, etc.) Copy of your Identification (e.g National ID Card, International Passport, NiN, or other ID. Copy of your most recent passport-sized photograph. Completed Work Registration Forms of all your works. Requirements For Publishers and Rightsowners: For a Limited Company: Copy of Memorandum and Articles of Association & Certificate of Incorporation. For a Partnership Firm: Copy of Partnership Agreement, and certificate of registration. For a Sole proprietor: a copy of the proprietor’s ID, and certificate of registration. Completed Works Registration Forms for published works.

MCSN Membership

Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN) licences and collects royalties for a range of uses of composition and recorded music in Nigeria and other countries through partnerships.

Become a Member

The Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN) exists to collect and distribute Performance, Mechanical, and Neighboring rights royalties on behalf of its members.

MCSN is the only approved Collecting Management Organization (CMO) by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to License Music Users and collect royalties for Musical Works and Sound Recordings on behalf of Music Creators (Composers, Songwriters, Performers, Producers, Publishers, Record Label, and other Rights Owners).

Affiliating yourself with MCSN and submitting your works with us allows you to receive the applicable Royalties from the use of your music in public.

Become a Member

Who can Join MCSN

If you’ve ever written, composed, performed, recorded, produced, or published anything and had it published, performed, or broadcast, you should join MCSN!

Author (Songwriter / Lyricist)

The creator or one of the creators of a text of a musical work.

Composer

The creator, or one of the creators, of the musical elements of a musical work.

Performer

Musicians, Singers, Vocalists, Backup, and other artists involved in the performance of Musical works.

Producer

Individuals or entities involved in the production of sound recordings.

Music Publishers

Entities which has acquired by agreement with a composer and/or author rights in a work for a stipulated territory and for a stipulated duration.

Record Label

Companies responsible for producing and distributing sound recordings.

Estate of Deceased Artists

In the case of deceased artists, their estates may become members to represent their interests.

Know Your Rights

Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN) is responsible for collecting different kinds of Royalties for our Members including:

Performing Rights

Performing Rights Royalties are earned by Authors, Composers, and Publishers when the Music is played or performed in Public.

Mechanical Rights

Mechanical Rights Royalties enables Authors, Composers, and Publishers earn when music is reproduced by a device or machine.

Neighboring Rights

Neighboring Rights royalties make sure Performers, Producers, Recording artists, and Record Labels get paid when their music is played in public.

Synchronization Rights

Synchronization Royalty is paid when license grants a licensee the right to synchronise either the musical composition or sound recording with visual media.

How to Join MCSN

Register Online

Begin and complete your Membership registration quickly online.

Register Offline

Download PDF signup form to complete registration offline, then mail to: members@mcsnnigeria.org or upload completed form below;

Already a Member?

If you are already a Member of MCSN, you can submit your works, update your profile, etc. below:

Submit Works Online

Notify us about your new Musical Works and Sound Recordings.

Submit Works Offline (PDF)

Download and complete PDF form to notify us of your new Works.

Submit Works Offline (Spreadsheet)

Download and complete excel sheet to populate your works, especially if you have bulky.

Update Your MCSN Profile

Let us know changes to your personal details.

Notify of Usage

Notify us where your works are being used to enable us claim royalties on your behalf.

Benefits of MCSN Membership

There are several reasons you should be registered with our Collective Management Organization (CMO):

It is free to Join MCSN

We are a non-profit organization, we do not retain a profit for our services, helping to maximise the royalties paid to members.

Diverse in Membership

Our Members range from session Composers, Musicians and emerging artists to independent and major record labels, and publishers.

Regular Royalty Payments

MCSN issues royalty payments to its members on a regular basis.

We are global

We have direct agreements with over 100 international PROs & CMOs, covering over 90% of total global performance royalty value.

Member support

Our dedicated Member Services team is available to provide you with account support and assistance.

We'll do the heavy lifting

We provide an efficient and effective service by managing your rights with other collective management organisations, saving you time and resource.

Team of experts

Our expert International team has developed strong and trusted relationships across the globe and is constantly delivering a first class, industry-leading service to our members.

Cutting edge technology

Our advanced Repertoire Database enables us to quickly and accurately identify your repertoire data and increase your global payment potential.

FAQs

Checkout some of our most frequently asked questions.

What are the Membership requirements?

Requirements for Performers and Composers:

Basic Member details (e.g Name, address, email, phone, etc.)
Copy of your Identification (e.g National ID Card, International Passport, NiN, or other ID.
Copy of your most recent passport-sized photograph.
Completed Work Registration Forms of all your works.

Requirements For Publishers and Rightsowners:

For a Limited Company: Copy of Memorandum and Articles of Association & Certificate of Incorporation.
For a Partnership Firm: Copy of Partnership Agreement, and certificate of registration.
For a Sole proprietor: a copy of the proprietor’s ID, and certificate of registration.
Completed Works Registration Forms for published works.

Why signup with MCSN?

If you were involved in its creation as an artist, session musician or producer, you are entitled to payment.

At MCSN, we recognise the diversity of artistic contributions involved in productions. This is why we distribute remuneration for a wide range of different types of contributions, including from:

Musician, Singer, Producer, Conductor, Actor/actress, Dance, Imitator, Puppeteer, Mime, Storyteller, Lyric artist, Dj, Choir Director, actor, stage director, instrumentalists, etc.

What are Neighbouring Rights?

“Neighbouring Rights” also called “Related Rights” are called as much because they ‘neighbour/sit next to the song copyrights. It is a sound recording royalty for any performer who has made an audible contribution to a recording, and to the rights holder who owns the recording.

How long does it take for me to hear back from MCSN once I've submitted my application?

You will receive information from MCSN regarding your online application almost immediately upon submission.

After a successful application, one is required to wait for not more than 10 days for the approval process to be done and a membership number is issued through an official confirmation letter.

How much do I get paid and where does the money come from?

The amount which you may receive is determined by your reported airplay/usage for that distribution year against the total amount of the airplay/usage received by all other recordings registered. These funds are collected from Recorded Music MCSN licensees such as broadcasters, public performance venues or special use compilers and production houses.

After you have registered your music with MCSN and have had some success getting your music out there, you will get paid! Most of the time you will have to wait 6-9 months to receive first royalty payment. Then, every quarter subsequently. International royalties take even longer because of the different pay schedules. Be patient, and watch the royalties slowly increase as you become more established.

Does MCSN collects royalties abroad?

Has your music been played abroad? If so, register your music with us as soon as possible. The sooner, the better. We will then take immediate steps to collect the payment due to you from abroad.

Music transcends national borders. Given that Nigerian music is also popular abroad, it’s important that your rights are managed beyond those borders as well. MCSN manages your rights both at home and abroad.

Can I still be a member if I live overseas?

You can join MCSN from anywhere in the world – it doesn’t matter where you’re based. Simply follow the application process and we’ll let you know of any extra documentation we might need as you complete the form.

MCSN collects and distributes mechanical royalties to Members when their works have been copied or reproduced

We represent and license mechanical rights in Nigeria on behalf of our Members (songwriters, composers, lyricists, music publishers, and publishing administrators) and collect royalties for the reproduction of their works. This includes works that are:

commercially released by a record company on a CD, DVD, or LP
recorded and used by a radio or TV program
recorded and used for an audiovisual or multimedia production
used online (streaming or downloading)

Learn More about Mechanical Rights and Royalties...

Why join Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN)?

Affiliating yourself with MCSN and registering your songs with us allows you to receive the applicable publishing royalties or recorded music royalties (as applicable) from the use of your music in public.

If you are a musician and you write or perform your own music, it is important to be a part of MCSN. We collect “backend royalties” and distributes them to you. For example, if your music is used on TV, radio, streaming services, etc. you will receive royalties. You can also receive performance royalties from playing your own songs at a live venue and claiming them.

We have 150+ collection agreements with PROs and CMOs in other countries throughout the world. When your music is played in those countries, MCSN will facilitate payments for those royalties along with your Nigerian based collections. We distribute to our members, assignors and licensors all the royalties that it collects, after deducting only bare costs of administration.

Our Members comprise: Writers, Composers, Publishers, Sub-publishers, Record Labels, Artists, Performers, Producers, Arrangers, Editors, and proprietors of copyrighted musical works. Where a member is deceased, this term also refers to any successor including; any spouse, child, next of kin, beneficiary, personal representative, trustee, publisher or proprietor.

You’ll need to match one or more of the following criteria:

Your music is being streamed or downloaded.
Your music is broadcasted on TV, Radio, or Online.
Your music is performed live.
Your music is played in a public space (e.g. shop, parks, venues, restaurant).
Your music is used in film.
Your music is released by a record company on a CD or vinyl.
Your music is recorded and used for an audiovisual or multimedia production.
You (or your business, partnership, organization, etc.) are actively engaged in the music publishing business.

How to Join as a Composer

Do you compose, write, perform, arrange, or produce musical works that are used in public? Joining MCSN as an Composer means you can earn money when your music is used.

You don’t need to be signed to a record label, but you do need to be the copyright owner of a musical work.

Requirements:

Copy of your Identification (e.g National ID Card, International Passport, NiN, or other ID.
Copy of your most recent passport-sized photograph.
Fully completed Application Form. (SEE HERE)
Completed the Deed of Assignment. (SEE HERE)
Completed Work Registration Forms of all your works. (SEE HERE).

How to Join as a Publisher

You can earn royalties through the performing and mechanical rights of musical works if you have at least 5 works in your catalogue by at least two different composers, and you can provide evidence of your status as a music publishing company or a Record Label