Overview: Why You Must Do This
Songtrust explicitly states in their Terms of Service that they are "not able to actively relinquish rights to Compositions." This means they do not provide Letters of Relinquishment or actively notify collection societies that your agreement has ended.
According to their Terms of Service, you are "fully responsible for the re-registration of compositions after cancellation of the services."
What this means in practice:
Songtrust does not notify collection societies your agreement has ended
Collection societies continue recognizing Songtrust as your administrator until YOU update your information
Royalties may continue being sent to Songtrust (and they continue taking 15-20% commission) until you complete re-registration
You must contact each society individually and directly
This is the most critical and time-consuming step of the cancellation process. Once your Songtrust Exploitation Period ends, you must contact each society individually.
For ASCAP Members
How to update your information:
Log into your ASCAP account at www.ascap.com
Click Contact ASCAP
In the Category drop down selected My Catalog
In the Topic drop down select Administration or Sub-Publishing Agreement - Modify / Terminate
Submit the inqury
Request confirmation that Songtrust is no longer listed as your administrator
What to prepare:
Complete list of works previously administered by Songtrust
Your IPI number
Publisher entity information (if applicable)
Work registration numbers
Timeline:
Simple updates typically process within 3-7 business days; complex catalog updates may take 2-4 weeks.
For BMI Affiliates
How to update your information:
Log into your BMI account at www.bmi.com
Navigate to Works Registration section
Update publisher affiliation for all works previously administered by Songtrust
Submit new work registrations through TuneRegistry for faster processing
What to prepare:
List of all works to be updated
Your BMI account number
Publisher entity information
Work identification numbers
Important notes:
BMI may require separate forms for bulk catalog updates
You may need to update works individually if catalog is small
Request written confirmation when updates are complete
Timeline:
Standard updates process within 1-2 weeks; large catalogs may require 4-6 weeks.
For SESAC Members
How to update your information:
Contact SESAC directly at repertory@sesac.com
Provide list of works to be removed from Songtrust administration
Confirm your publisher entity information
Submit updated registrations through TuneRegistry for future works
What to prepare:
Comprehensive work list with titles and any SESAC work IDs
Written statement requesting removal of Songtrust as administrator
Your publisher information or new administrator details
Split sheet information for all works
Important notes:
SESAC typically requires written communication for publisher changes
They may request documentation proving your rights to the compositions
Follow up if you don't receive confirmation within 2 weeks
Timeline:
Typically 2-4 weeks for processing; complex catalogs may take longer.
For Mechanical Rights (HFA/Music Reports)
Harry Fox Agency (HFA):
Contact HFA at clientservices@harryfox.com
Request update regarding mechanical license administration
Provide documentation of works previously administered by Songtrust
Use TuneRegistry to register mechanical rights going forward
What to prepare:
List of compositions with ISWC codes if available
Publisher information
Proof of ownership/administration rights
Music Reports:
Contact Music Reports if applicable for your catalog
Notify them of the administrator change
Provide updated publisher information
Note: Not all catalogs require Music Reports interaction this depends on your specific licensing arrangements.
Timeline:
HFA updates typically take 2-3 weeks; Music Reports varies by arrangement.
For SoundExchange (Master Recordings)
Important distinction:
Songtrust does not administer neighboring rights (master recording rights), so if you own your master recordings, you may not have had them registered through Songtrust at all.
If you own your master recordings:
Register them with SoundExchange directly or through TuneRegistry
Verify** that Songtrust was never your designated agent for SoundExchange
Claim any unpaid royalties** if your recordings weren't previously registered
What SoundExchange handles:
Digital performance royalties for sound recordings
Streaming platform royalties (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)
Internet radio royalties (Pandora, SiriusXM, etc.)
These are separate from composition royalties
Note: Songtrust does not administer neighboring rights, so no removal process is needed. However, if your sound recordings weren't registered with SoundExchange at all, you should register them directly or through TuneRegistry to begin collecting these royalties.
Timeline:
New Master Sound Recording registrations through TuneRegistry to SoundExchange are transmitted immediately once the DDEX feed has been setup for your label entity. Performers are required by SoundExchange to make their claim against the Master recording directly via their SoundExchange portal.
Tracking Your Progress
Create a tracking system:
List all societies where your works are registered
Document when you submitted update requests to each
Note confirmation dates from each society
Track when Songtrust stops receiving payments
Monitor your first direct payments from each society
Follow-up checklist:
Week 2: Follow up with any societies that haven't acknowledged your request
Week 4: Verify updates have been processed
Week 8: Confirm Songtrust is no longer receiving income
Ongoing: Monitor royalty statements for 2-3 quarters to ensure proper routing
After Re-Registration Is Complete
Once you've updated your information with all collection societies:
Verify:
Log into each society and confirm Songtrust is no longer listed
Review first direct payment to ensure commissions are no longer deducted
Keep documentation of all confirmations
Going forward with TuneRegistry:
Register new works directly (3-5 business day processing)
Maintain your direct society relationships
Receive 100% of royalties with no commission
Cancel anytime with 24-hour processing (no re-registration required)
Visit our pricing page to view subscription plans and sign up.