How do you interpret publishing credits in CD liner notes?

[Jericho-79]

Hey everyone. I have a question about music publishing.

All CD liner notes contain publishing credits.

The following is an example.

Publishing for one particular song-

"Martin Johnson Publishing LLC (ASCAP) admin. by Almo Music Corp./Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), o/b/o itself and Anaesthetic Publishing (SOCAN) / 3 Weddings Music (BMI), all rights administered by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing / PS Publishing / Where Da Kasz At? (BMI), all rights administered by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing / MXM Music AB (ASCAP), all rights administered by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing / J Kasher Publishing / Prescription Songs (ASCAP), all rights administered by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing / Sony / ATV Tunes LLC / Kevinthecity Publishing / J Kasher Music (ASCAP)"

What do all these names indicate?

What's with all the forward slashes?

What is the meaning behind all the acronyms within the parentheses?

How can you explain the "administered by" verbiage?

And why are there so many publishing credits for just one song?

Thanks everyone.

 

[TeaForTwo]

Well, the Slashes represent tone.
.

 

[Roberteaux]

Well... you start with the Martin Johnson Publishing, a limited liability company, or LLC... and after that comes a laundry list of the various groups and organizations that likewise have a proprietary interest in the song. ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN are also involved in the collection and dispensation of royalties that might be earned by this song. If you don't know what BMI, ASCAP, and SOCAN are, just google them and be rewarded with the answer.

The forward slashes (/) are there merely to separate the various legal names of the companies involved in ownership of this song. This convention is mainly used so as to avoid clerical errors.

The o/b/o is legalese for "on behalf of", meaning that Warner-Tamerlane, which is affiliated with BMI, has a contractual relationship in which they are representing themselves (a legal redundancy) as well as on behalf of another publishing group called Anaesthetic Publishing-- which is itself affiliated with SOCAN-- which is itself a group that works with ASCAP and BMI to allow licensing to the complete library of songs that ASCAP and BMI are legally entitled to collect royalties from, should the song be used commercially.

As you can see: lots of fingers in that particular pie. Now wasn't that easy?

And that's about it.

Any further questions, please contact an attorney who specializes in media licensure.

And by the way: you now owe me fifty bucks for what I just told you. That's the fee I demand for my services as the interpreter of publishing credits. I accept paypal, Visa, Mastercard, Postal Money Orders, and ingots of palladium alloyed at 950.

(NO personal checks)

What, you think that's exorbitant? Heh! Wait until you see how much a real media licensure attorney will charge you to further sort it out!

Your invoice will arrive via PM momentarily

j/k... you don't owe me nothin'

--R