Representing
local and international
music creators
in the Dutch Caribbean

Fair compensation
for music creators

Simple music licensing
for businesses

How It Works

Registration

Music creators and businesses that plan to use music can get started by signing up with DUCAPRO. For music creators, this includes uploading a catalogue of works.

License

If your business plans to use music, you will be able to purchase the appropriate license through our online system. This protects your business legally while supporting music creators and publishers.

Performance tracking

With the help of technology and the music creators themselves, DUCAPRO gathers data about the public performance of the music creations we represent. This ensures a fair and accurate royalty distribution process.

Royalty distribution

DUCAPRO collects license fees for the commercial use of music, then distributes those fees to music creators or affiliated international societies in the form of royalties.

FAQ

Membership

DUCAPRO is a foundation that pursues the protection of rights of all copyright protected musical works. In connection therewith, DUCAPRO licenses the public performance and communication of the world’s repertoire of copyright-protected musical works in the Dutch Caribbean. DUCAPRO uses the appropriate information about the musical works and its use to distribute royalties to its local members and affiliated international societies.

DUCAPRO cannot act as an agent for our members in pursuing copyright claims or act on their behalf in lawsuits with publishers or with distributors. Nor can DUCAPRO affect your deals with publishers, promoters, or movie production companies. We don’t publish music and we don't register your copyright.

DUCAPRO retains no earnings. All royalties it collects, less its operating costs are passed on to its local members, affiliated international societies, and for local music development.

DUCAPRO is funded through the license fees collected from businesses that use music in the Dutch Caribbean. Revenues are also received from DUCAPRO’s international peers for the use of its members’ works around the world. As a not-for-profit organization and as approved by its Board of Directors, DUCAPRO puts a large part of the monies it collects into the pockets of music creators and publishers, makes cultural deductions to support local music development, and manages its operations.

A music publisher is the business partner in a musical composition. A good music publisher has the knowledge and contacts to promote a composition. Typically, a publisher enters into a creator/publisher agreement with the creator, whereby the creator assigns ownership and control of the copyright-protected musical works to the publisher in exchange for a percentage of the income derived from the exploitation or use of the musical works. A reputable publisher never charges a fee for his/her service.

DUCAPRO does not require that you be established as a publisher for you to collect the royalties payable on the musical works you have created. If a musical work has not been assigned to a publisher, we pay 100 percent of the royalties to the creator(s). If the musical work has been assigned to a publisher, the total is divided between the creator(s) and the publisher(s). However, if you wish to join DUCAPRO as a publisher, you must first meet the requirements for membership. Criteria to determine your eligibility is here.

Your membership will be automatically renewed every two years, unless you notify us in accordance with your agreement that you wish to terminate your DUCAPRO membership.

For music creators, membership is free. Click here to apply online.

Licensing

A DUCAPRO license gives businesses the freedom and flexibility to use virtually any music they want in their business or at their public event - legally, ethically, and easily. Without DUCAPRO, businesses that use music would have to get permission and negotiate a royalty with every music creator and publisher whose work they intend to play (publicly perform) – a feat that most of us have neither the time nor the means to achieve. Instead, DUCAPRO makes this process simple by allowing music users to pay a relatively small fee which is distributed to music creators in the Dutch Caribbean and around the world through reciprocal agreements with similar societies. The fees are distributed to our members who are composers, authors, and publishers of music, according to distribution rules as set by DUCAPRO.

The performing right that DUCAPRO administers on behalf of creators of musical works and their publishers is a right granted under the Law that regulates Authors Rights.

It is the right to perform musical works in public or to communicate them to the public by telecommunication. DUCAPRO's music creators have assigned this right to DUCAPRO to administer (i.e., collect and distribute royalties) on their behalf.

By becoming licensed to use music, businesses comply with the law, ensuring that the creators of that music are fairly compensated and continue to create the music that enriches your business. By law, permission to publicly perform music in business is not automatically granted when you purchase CDs, mp3s, subscribe to online music services, stream music, etc. – doing this only allows you to use the music for private (non-commercial) purposes. Similarly, when you hire musicians to play music in your establishment or at a public event, the fees paid to them are for their performance, not to compensate the authors and publishers of the songs they perform. Even when performers play their own songs, they're entitled to separate compensation for those different efforts. Performing music and creating music are two separate types of creative work, and each deserves fair compensation, even in cases where the performers are also the creators of the music. A DUCAPRO license grants the recipient permission to use music in a specific way.

A DUCAPRO license grants the recipient permission to use music in a specific way. Businesses may need more than one license, depending on how they use music (i.e., one for background music, one for music on hold, etc.).

Businesses may need more than one license, depending on how they use music (i.e., one for background music, one for music on hold, etc.). DUCAPRO tariffs and the associated fees take into consideration the value of music to a particular business. If music is integral to your operation (i.e., dance club, concert venue), then it's worth more to your business. The rates set by DUCAPRO reflect this value. Therefore, there are different tariffs that correspond to different ways you can use music. Through reciprocal agreements with international performing rights organizations, DUCAPRO issues licenses for all music used in public by businesses in the Dutch Caribbean, regardless of which society the music creators belong. DUCAPRO then distributes the corresponding monies between its members and the appropriate society outside of the Dutch Caribbean.

Yes, a DUCAPRO license gives you permission to use copyright-protected music from anywhere around the world. Through reciprocal agreements with international performing rights societies, DUCAPRO issues licenses for all music used in public by businesses in the Dutch Caribbean, regardless of which society the music creators belong. DUCAPRO then transfers the corresponding monies to the appropriate society, and vice versa.

DUCAPRO is a not-for-profit organization and the funds collected by DUCAPRO through the issuance of licenses is distributed as royalties to its music creators and the members of DUCAPRO’s affiliated international societies. DUCAPRO’s operating costs are also covered at a rate approved  by DUCAPRO’s board of directors.

This matter is not regulated by law; however, DUCAPRO license fees and structures are comparable to others in the industry.

When you hire a band or a DJ, you are paying for their services as performing artists but not for the public performance of the music. Performing music and creating music are two separate types of creative work, and each deserves fair compensation, even in cases where the performers are also the creators of the Songs.

When you buy a CD or download music from a legal site, you gain the right to play music in private but not in public. Only a DUCAPRO license allows you to perform that music in public.

Yes, they are also responsible. If the promoter of an event doesn’t obtain the necessary license, the owner of the venue can be held responsible for the unlicensed performance.

A musical work enters the public domain 50 years after the year of the death of the last surviving composer/author of the work. No fees are typically due if all the works in a performance are public domain.

If you have further questions about DUCAPRO licensing, please contact DUCAPRO at licenses@ducapro.com.

Royalties

You can register the song, indicating the division of ownership shares and we will distribute your portion to you. Your co-creator will, unfortunately, not collect until he or she joins DUCAPRO or is a member of another performing rights society.

Music copyright belongs to the creator of the song. Typically the producer is paid for their work and does not share royalties. Royalties accrue as a result of exploitation or use of the song.

Yes. You can claim shares if the work is in the public domain. DUCAPRO'S rules for distributing royalties provide for credits that may vary depending upon the nature of the arrangement.

DUCAPRO makes royalty payments to its members on a quarterly basis.

Tell us how you want the royalties allocated between the parties, and we will make sure the royalties are sent in the percentages you have agreed and advise DUCAPRO.

DUCAPRO distributes royalties collected from all commercial use or performance of music.

While DUCAPRO works on your behalf to acquire all the necessary data to make royalty payments for performances of your music, it is possible that we do not always receive complete information. You can assist us by notifying DUCAPRO of any radio, television, concert, or international performance of your music.

DUCAPRO license fees are set preferably by agreement with the commercial music user. If no agreement is obtained it will probably be the Courts of Law that would set the ultimate fees since this matter is not regulated by law in the Dutch Caribbean.

Your distribution statement includes information about the source of music performances. For additional details, please contact DUCAPRO at members@ducapro.com

No processing fees are charged on incoming monies received from international societies.

If you have further questions about how DUCAPRO pays royalties, please contact DUCAPRO at or members@ducapro.com.

Copyright