What is a music cue sheet?

A music cue sheet is a document prepared by you the producer, that lists all of the music contained in a production including the titles of each track (or cue), composer(s), publisher(s), lyricist (if any), performing rights affiliation, and use (theme, performance, background, etc.) and timing of each music track. The cue sheet is used by all parties in the royalty distribution process to determine the amount of royalties to be paid for the public performance of the music contained in the program. The information contained in the music cue sheet also determines whether a fee must be paid to a performing rights society. Instructions for completing a professional music cue sheet are available at the PBS website, here. For more information about music cue sheets and music reporting requirements, please visit the ASCAP or BMI websites. In fact, the ASCAP website has an excellent FAQ on the subject, called Cue & A.