The Short Answer: Yes
Songtrust does provide a Letter of Relinquishment (LOR) when you cancel your agreement per industry standard termination procedures when your agreement ends.
However, receiving a Letter of Relinquishment (LOR) does not mean collection societies automatically update their records. Re-registration after leaving Songtrust still requires meaningful action on your part and understanding exactly what you are responsible for will help you plan a smooth transition.
What is a Letter of Relinquishment?
A Letter of Relinquishment is a document a publishing administrator provides when their agreement ends, confirming they no longer claim administration rights over your works. It is typically used to facilitate updates at collection societies.
Songtrust provides this document upon cancellation of your agreement. Once you have it, the responsibility for re-registering your works with each collection society falls to you or your new administrator.
Why Re-Registration Still Matters
Even with an LOR in hand, collection societies do not automatically update their records. Each society maintains its own database, and each must be updated individually and directly. Until you complete this process:
Royalties may continue flowing to Songtrust based on their current records
Songtrust continues collecting their commission during the post-termination Exploitation Period
Societies will nto know to direct payments to your new administrator or directly to you.
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." Songtrust will provide the LOR, but contacting each society is your task.
During the transition:
Maintain accurate contact and banking information in your Songtrust account
Keep records of all registered works and the societies they are registered with
Prepare detailed work information needed 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 administrator
Monitor which societies have completed the updates
Track when Songtrust stops receiving payments for your works
Follow up with societies that have not yet processed your updates
The Re-Registration Process
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.
Need additional assistance with preparing to use TuneRegistry? Our support team is here to help at support@tuneregistry.com or via chat in the app. See something that needs updating? Let us know we strive to ensure these articles are accurate and helpful.