Become a Copyright Member

Hey there! Are you a composer, author or music publisher? We can help you get paid for your work. Royalties are essential for keeping the music industry alive and well.

There are two different types of memberships available for Copyright:

Writers – These are original creators of musical works. They hold the roles of authors, composers, or both.

Publishers- are registered entities that have publishing agreements with various songwriters.

COTT Copyright Membership Application Form

COPYRIGHT MEMBER DISCLAIMER

We’ve made it easier for you to join us with our new online application. But before you proceed, we need to highlight some important points!

As a member you assign your performing rights and reproduction rights to us to administer on your behalf. COTT will licence, collect, and distribute music royalties earned by you for public performances and reproduction of your musical works locally, and through our reciprocal agreements with affiliated societies, we also ensure that you get paid when your works are used anywhere in the world.

Applicants should be aware that your Membership Agreement is a legal document concerning the transfer of certain rights to COTT. The Membership Agreement, which you need to sign, will only take effect if your application for membership is successful. You will be assigning to COTT certain rights, therefore, if you have any doubt as to what this entails, you are advised to seek independent legal advice before signing it.

COTT reserves the right to disclose to authorised organisations information concerning any of your works.

COTT is not obligated to make royalty payments to you for performances of your works which took place prior to admission to membership. The effective date of your admission is the date your application is approved by the Board of Directors.

We will communicate any important notices through the email address you supply in your application (except where law requires us to communicate otherwise).

Select Membership Type

CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP COMPOSER /AUTHOR (WRITER MEMBER)

You must have either created or co-created at least one musical work. You don’t need to be signed to a publishing company, but you do need to be the copyright owner of a musical work.

Your work(s) must be active – meaning they have been broadcast, publicly performed, or streamed via a paid streaming service.

A one-time non-refundable fee of TT$150.00 is required for first-time applicants.

Once all the required documents are received and correctly filled in, the process can take two (2) weeks to a month. Upon approval of your application, COTT will issue to you, your signed membership agreement, a copy of our Bye-laws and Distribution rules.

Before you proceed make sure you have the following documents close by

Copy of one form of identification
Proof of performance of your work (s) (ticket stub, flyer, newspaper listing or advertisement, etc.)
Copy of musical work(s) in MP3 format.
Copy of songwriters’ agreement, if applicable
Credit / Debit card

There are two options for the payment of the Membership Application Fee, you can pay online via PayPal (at the end of this form) or via your preferred financial institution (see our Banking info below) and submit the receipt to us via e-mail at membership@cott.org.tt

Bank Name: RBC Royal Bank (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited
Bank Address: 55 Independence Square, Port-Of-Spain
Swift Code: RBTTTTPX
Beneficiary Name: Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad & Tobago
Beneficiary Account No:100088017875274

PUBLISHER CRITERIA

You must be able to provide evidence of your status as a music publishing company and that you carry on, or intend to carry on, a bona fide publishing business in which you undertake to use reasonable endeavours to exploit the works for the benefit of the work’s writers and interested parties.

Under For Sole proprietorship

One form of identification
Certificate of Registration

Bank Name: RBC Royal Bank (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited
Bank Address: 55 Independence Square, Port-Of-Spain
Swift Code: RBTTTTPX
Beneficiary Name: Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad & Tobago
Beneficiary Account No:100088017875274

A one-time non-refundable fee of TT$500.00 is required for first-time applicants.

Before you proceed make sure you have the following documents close by

Company’s name clearance form
Proof of copyright ownership (contracts) with respect to each musical work claimed by you in support of your application.
Copy of commercial recordings in MP3 format.
Credit/Debit card.

For Incorporated Companies:

Copy of the Articles of Incorporation
Certificate of Incorporation

For Partnership:

One form of identification for each partner
Certificate of Registration

For Sole proprietorship:

One form of identification
Certificate of Registration

If you are human, leave this field blank.