Empowering Every Musician – Membership Categories Explained

(A). Prospective Membership


All new NASCAM membership applicants are automatically given the status of Prospective Members.

Applicant Membership

Once Prospective Members have completed all the requirements for membership, they are promoted to Applicant Status. The requirements are as follows:

Composer/Authors – Requirements for promotion


Completed Application for Membership

Copy of Identity Document

Signed declaration

Notification of Works Form

Proof of Copyright

Must have a Correspondence Address

Must have a Residential Address

Must have a Next of Kin( beneficiary)

Members bank account and branch code, account cannot be cross referenced

Publishers – Requirements for promotion

Completed Application for Membership Form with clear details

Company/Corp Certificate or Firm/Partnership and if possible with the duration term of the agreement

Agreement/Contract Copy with your partner/ record lable and copy of the Identity card

Signed declaration

Publisher Notification of Works Form

Publisher Deed of Assignment

Must have a Correspondence Address

Must have a Residential Address

Members account cannot be cross referenced

Applying for NASCAM Membership


Here’s a play-by-play walk-through of what’s required to apply for NASCAM membership.

Download and complete the membership application form from our downloads section.
Complete the Notification of Works form that lets us know which works you’re claiming ownership of.
Provide us with the Deed of Assignment.
Give us a copy of the recording you wish to claim ownership of, e.g CD/ DVD or written manuscripture
Give us proof of identity in the form of a certified copy of your ID document.


(B). Applying for NASCAM Membership as a Publisher


Here’s a play-by-play walk-through of what’s required to apply for NASCAM membership as publisher.
1. Download and complete the membership application form.
2. Complete the Notification of Works form that lets us know which works you’re claiming ownership of.
Provide us with the Deed of Assignment.
Give us a copy of the recording you wish to claim ownership of.
Give us proof of identity in the form of a certified copy of your ID document.
If your music is owned by a partnership, private company or CC, please supply copies of relevant agreements, founding statements and memoranda or articles of association.


(C). Nominee Interim Membership


To be promoted from Applicant to Interim-Nominee, your musical works must at least have been broadcast or performed in public enough to earn reasonable royalties. To make it worthwhile for NASCAM to manage your Performing Rights.

Once we’ve confirmed this, we’ll change our Membership Status on our Royalty Administration system from A (applicant) to I (Interim-Nominee). At this stage the NASCAM Deed of Assignment comes into play. We need this to present your application to the NASCAM board for approval.


(D). Elected Ordinary Membership


If everything checks out and your application is given the green light by NASCAM’s board, your membership status will change to Elected Ordinary Membership. This means you can now enjoy the following benefits:

Participate fully and equally in royalty distributions.
Participate in Non-Royalty Revenue distributions to the extent of a pre allocation subject to royalties having been earned in the previous distribution.
As member you will receive our Directors’ and Financial reports each year as well as regular correspondence.

Have the right to attend and vote at General Meetings.
NASCAM Social Benefit contributions paid by NASCAM to (Member/first wife or husband/first 5 children).
NASCAM RETIREMENT ANNUITY FUND – contributions paid by NASCAM based on the current year rate.


(E). Full Membership


Only Members with a category status of Author, Composers and Publisher are selected for full membership. Members with Membership status equal to ‘Deceased’ and ‘Terminated” are not selected for promotion.

Members are eligible for election to Full Membership, provided that they must have been a Member of the Co-operative or an Affiliated Society for 10 (ten) or more years.

Members with the highest point values are the most eligible to be considered for promotion. The Board then determines a cut off points value for election to Full Membership; and/or a limited number of Members to be elected to Full Membership, with the Members with the highest points score being eligible for ‘promotion’.