February 23, 2004

News, Singer-Songwriter, Important

BMI Writers Urged to Keep Mailing Address Current

Attention BMI songwriters and composers! You could be missing out on some of your hard-earned and much-deserved royalty payments if we don't have your current address.

Don't forfeit money that's due you just because we don't have your most recent contact information. Keeping this information up-to-date is a contractual obligation under the terms of your BMI agreement, and BMI is required by law to report your income to the IRS and to issue a 1099, making you responsible for any tax liability.

If left unclaimed, your money could become the property of the state, and you would have to go to them to get it back!

To change or update your mailing address, download the Change of Address form. Fill in the correct information, sign, and mail the form to:

BMI Writer/Publisher Administration
Attn: Change of Address
320 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

Move often? Sign up for Direct Deposit and have instant access to your royalty payments without the worry of waiting for checks to arrive, cashing them or misplacing them. You can also take advantage of The Card, a service that allows songwriters and composers who do not currently have a bank account to enjoy many of the advantages of an ATM card for access to their BMI royalties. The Card is great for writers and composers who travel frequently and need access to their money on the road, or who don't like to carry a lot of cash around with them. It can also be valuable for writers who wish to separate their royalty earnings from other income in a new, separate bank account.

Other advantages of keeping your contact information up-to-date include receiving BMI's quarterly magazine, MusicWorld, and the BMI Bulletin, a bi-monthly newsletter that features current BMI and industry news as well as other important information.

You can also sign up for BMI's Online Services, where you can view your royalty statements and your catalog online, register new works and take advantage of exclusive discounts through BMI's Platinum Privileges.

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BMI represents more than 400,000 songwriters, composers, and publishers with more than 6.5 million works.