The Short Answer: No
Songtrust explicitly states in their Terms of Service that they are "not able to actively relinquish rights to Compositions." Unlike traditional publishing administrators who issue termination letters, Songtrust places full responsibility on you to re-register your works with each collection society after cancellation.
What Songtrust's Terms of Service Actually Say
According to Songtrust's current Terms of Service, they explicitly state they are "not able to actively relinquish rights to Compositions."
This means:
Songtrust does not issue Letters of Relinquishment
They do not provide termination letters to collection societies
They do not actively notify societies that your agreement has ended
You are fully responsible for updating your publisher information with each society
Why This Matters
Until you successfully re-register with each society (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, HFA, Music Reports, etc.) and they update their records, Songtrust may continue receiving income as the most recent administrator of record. They will continue taking their 15-20% commission on any income received during this transition period.
Practical implications:
Collection societies don't automatically know your Songtrust agreement has ended
Royalties may continue being sent to Songtrust until you update your information
Songtrust continues taking their commission on anything they receive
The transition period can last months depending on how quickly you act
Each society has its own process and timeline for updating publisher information
Your Responsibility During and After Cancellation
According to Songtrust's Terms of Service, you are "fully responsible for the re-registration of compositions after cancellation of the services." This means you must:
During the transition:
Maintain accurate contact and banking information in your Songtrust account during the transition
Keep records of all your registered works
Document which societies your works are registered with
Prepare detailed work information for re-registration
After cancellation:
Contact each collection society individually and directly to update your publishing information
Register your works directly with each society under your new administration arrangement
Monitor which societies have completed the updates
Track when Songtrust stops receiving payments for your works
Follow up with societies that haven't processed your updates
The Re-Registration Process
Without a Letter of Relinquishment from Songtrust, you must:
For each work in your catalog:
Log into your account with each collection society (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc.)
Update the publisher information from Songtrust to your new administrator (or yourself)
Submit updated registration forms
Request confirmation that the update has been processed
Verify that the society has updated their records
For multiple societies:
Repeat this process for ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (performance rights)
Repeat for HFA and Music Reports (mechanical rights)
Repeat for SoundExchange (if applicable for master recordings)
Each society has different processes, timelines, and requirements
How Long Does This Take?
The re-registration process typically takes:
3-7 business days per society for simple updates (if you're re-registering as yourself)
2-8 weeks per society for more complex updates (if transferring to another administrator)
3-12 months total to complete all societies and confirm updates
This timeline varies based on:
The number of works in your catalog
How many societies your works are registered with
Each society's processing speed
Whether you encounter any issues or discrepancies
How TuneRegistry Handles Cancellation Differently
When you cancel TuneRegistry:
Takes less than 24 hours to process
Requires no re-registration of compositions
Leaves your direct society relationships intact
You remain the publisher of record throughout
No post-term collection period
No continued commissions after cancellation
This fundamental difference reflects different business models: Songtrust's revenue depends on retaining your catalog, while TuneRegistry's subscription model means our revenue depends on providing ongoing value.
Visit our pricing page to view subscription plans and sign up.