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Membership

Gold Membership
Gold membership allows those just starting out, or those on a limited budget, to take advantage of our basic services:

$60 per year (an average of $5 per month)

Access to our interviews and advice columns with songwriting greats

Discounts on our songwriting workshops, social and networking events

Access to the Writer's Lounge (forums, chat rooms and learning modules) where you can post your music business questions, read educational and motivational articles written exclusively for the SGA and post your songs for critique

Monthly e-newsletters

An SGA T-Shirt

Platinum Membership
Our Platinum membership is for unpublished songwriters that are farther along in their writing careers (or just more serious about getting published):

$84 per year (an average of $7 per month)

Full access to our interviews and advice columns with songwriting greats

More substantial discounts on our songwriting workshops, social and networking events

Access to the Writer's Lounge (forums, chat rooms and learning modules) where you can post your music business questions read educational and motivational articles written exclusively for the SGA and post your songs for critique

Monthly e-newsletters and biannual printed newsletters

Entry to song pitch events with critiques by professional music publishers - those with songs found pitch worthy

Gain access to our song pitch database - updated monthly with contact information of publishers who need songs now

Multiple entries in our regional songwriting competitions (entry fee required)

An SGA T-Shirt and cap

Diamond Membership*
Our Diamond Membership is for the published songwriter. At $225 per year we offer all of the services in our previous two categories, PLUS:

Contract review for those using a contract other than the SGA’s

Publisher audits

Royalty collection

Catalog evaluation and administration

Copyright renewal and termination

Estate management

Group medical insurance and more (some services, extra)

An SGA T-Shirt and cap

* This membership is ideal for those seeking to make a contribution to the songwriting community while protecting their own earning-potential. This membership is also available to families of songwriters receiving royalties. Contact us for more information on this professional-level membership.

Click here to join SGA.

Click here to renew your membership

History of SGA

In 1931, due to the inequities in the music industry, the songwriter community came together to form the Songwriters Protective Association (SPA), known today as The Songwriters Guild of America.

In 1932, the SPA issued the first Standard Uniform Popular Songwriters Contract. Few publishers accepted it; many resisted bitterly. The writers stood firm and in time were rewarded with acceptance.

The Copyright Act of 1976 is the Guild's most outstanding example of success. The Guild took a leading role in shaping this bill, spending time, energy, and money to educate Congress about songwriters. Those efforts paid off in many ways, three of which include:

1. Term of Copyright - Writers of songs compsed after January 1, 1978 (the date the 1976 Act went into effect) no longer have to live with the danger that works not renewed on time will fall into the Public Domain.
2. Contract Termination - The Act provides that contracts can be terminated as to United States rights after a specific period of years (usually 35 years). The purpose of this provision is to correct any imbalance against the writers.
3. Statutory Mechanical Rate - The rate was frozen at 2 cents per song per record sold. Determined to have this rate raised, the Guild mounted a campaign on behalf of songwriters. Twenty years later, the Copyright Act of 1976 set a new rate of 2.75 cents. In 1980, the Guild waged battle to raise the rate to 4 cents, amd established a timetable of increases. Since then, the rate has increased with the Consumer Price Index. The current rate is set at 9.1 cents.

The Guild continues to take a stand on every issue of importance to songwriters and the music industry in general, including home taping, source licensing, derivative rights, authors' moral rights, the deductibility of business expenses, compulsory license, copyright registration fees and, most recently, infringement of royalty payment due to digital/Internet piracy.

Our president and board members spend considerable time and energy talking to the media, lobbying, negotiating, coordinating with other industry groups, and raising the funds needed to get the songwriters' message through. True to its history, the Guild maintains its efforts to advance, promote, and benefit the profession of songwriting.

New York
1560 Broadway, Suite 408
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 768-7902
Email: ny@songwritersguild.com

Nashville
209 10th Avenue South
Suite 321
Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 742-9945
Fax: (615) 742-9948

Los Angeles
Office relocation in progress