“Founded by Musicians to Empower Musicians”
Our Mission
We are a family-run business that started out with a simple goal: To find out what happened to Dad’s and uncle’s royalties (Tierra). In the process, we realized that many of his musical peers were in the same predicament. The industry has changed drastically in the past 10 years, and new ways of tracking and recouping money are now available. David Salas, son of Rudy and an accomplished music producer with major-label credits, has always been a proponent of artist’s rights and has helped a younger generation artists collect and organize their royalties. It is our goal to help empower musical artists by utilizing the tools available to reap the financial rewards they so deserve.
Royalty Collection
There is a new type of royalty that artists might not be aware of: a Neighboring Rights Royalty. Unlike traditional radio, which pays a royalty rate to the publisher and songwriter only, digital streamers and digital radio pay a royalty rate to the artist AND the copyright owner. A.R.M.S will seek out, properly register, itemize and collect unclaimed Neighboring Rights royalties from international performing rights organizations. Some countries collect on behalf of the artist (“digital performance royalties”) and others pay only the copyright holder (the label or rights holder to the sound recording). Many countries collect on both. These organizations do not seek out the artist. They simply wait for the artist to claim the royalty. Here’s how it works:
– A.R.M.S will consult with the artist to gauge if and where royalties may be available.
– A.R.M.S researches the artist’s discography and copyright ownership.
– If the artist is eligible to collect, A.R.M.S will need just a couple of authorization forms, a royalty agreement and a valid ID to work on behalf of the artist.
– The ARTIST RECEIVES A CHECK IN THEIR NAME, DIRECTLY FROM THE PERFORMING RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. No monies go directly to A.R.M.S.
– The artist pays A.R.M.S the agreed-upon commission.
* A.R.M.S is not paid unless the artist receives money.
Recapture Copyrights
We research and file the documents needed to get your Song Copyright and Sound Copyright (Masters) back. Unlike in most countries, United States copyright law provides musicians and songwriters an opportunity to regain ownership of works that they transferred to outside entities such as record labels and music publishers. Congress established this “second bite at the apple” for authors of creative works after a period of 35 years. “Termination of transfer” is not automatic, however, and creators must take certain steps to regain the rights to their works. If you qualify, we will file a notice of termination under the 1976 Copyright Act to recapture your original masters and song copyrights. In lieu of A.R.M.S recapturing your copyright, A.R.M.S will provide you with the additional service of making your music available on all the digital platforms: iTunes, Spotify, Pandora etc. We will also seek licensing opportunities for TV, film, compilations … anywhere music is played. Our goal is to get the maximum amount of revenue on the masters you will now own!
