Easily Generate CWR Files With Music Publishing Software

The Common Works Registration (CWR) format is intended to make communication and collaboration more transparent. Used for the registration of music publishing copyrights, CWR is the standard upon which the music publishing industry is built. However, CWR is not without its headaches. The creation of CWR music files and the process of sending them to partners are notoriously time-consuming and prone to errors, but purpose-built CWR software, such as Curve, can help ease the stress. Here’s how it works.

Quality Is In Your Control

Any standard is only as good as the data that is used in it, and CWR for music publishing is no different. To reduce errors and rejected registrations when sending CWR files, the first step is to make sure you're only sending music catalogue data that is ready to be sent and meets the validations. Think of all the time you can save if you don't have to review rejections and resubmit the registrations!  

Curve ensures your music catalogue registrations only include complete information by applying CISAC's work validations to every Work in your catalogue. Any validation rules that are not met will be flagged by the software and can be reviewed in bulk. Only once Works meet these validation rules will they be included in your CWR music files, ensuring you will only send Works with complete data.

Centralised Storage Solutions

There are great benefits to using an all-around music publishing software that allows you to handle your general catalogue management as well as your CWR registrations. It's easy to lose track of your CWR registrations, especially if you're working with large catalogues or many different partners. Generating and sending your CWR files directly from your catalogue management software optimises the workflow, allowing you to generate files across your whole catalogue based on your own parameters and filters.

With centralised storage solutions, both the management of the catalogues and their delivery are effortless. The software stores the CWR history of your catalogue on each item, providing you with a quick overview of the registration status of each Work at a glance.

Integrate, Communicate, And Navigate

Software integration is the cornerstone of effective organisational collaboration. Sending CWR music publishing files isn't just about generating and sending the files: it's about metadata optimisation and two-way communication between you and your partners. Sending the CWR file is only one step in that process. While it's important to send timely and high-quality music catalogue registrations, it's just as important to accurately process the ACK files returned by PROs. ACK files include valuable information such as society work codes, which can be automatically added to the catalogue to make your metadata more complete. Other tools, such as the ISWC Resolution and Allocation Service and Curve's Spotify Search to find ISRCs, can help with other missing datapoints.

Curve understands the importance of clean, high-quality metadata. The software has various features that can clean up existing data either during or after importing it, as well as features that allow music publishers to improve their metadata by using tools to look up missing ISRCs and ISWCs. In an industry where data is everything, Curve makes it easy to improve yours.

Tools Of The Trade

Preparing, checking, and sending catalogues is one of the most time-consuming elements of music publishing. Performing Rights Organisations (PROs) often have their own preferred CWR version and way of receiving the files, which need to be adhered to by music publishers to ensure the file transfer and processing run smoothly.

On its software, Curve clients can store the preferred CWR version and delivery method for every partner they need to send a CWR file to. Files can be sent directly from within the software - no more manual emails or FTP drops! This automation reduces the risk of incorrect files being sent and frees up time to focus on other tasks.

What Next?

A CWR software has the potential to turn its creation challenges into an opportunity to improve not only your workflows, but your catalogue data itself. If you want to learn more, please request a demo to see Curve's CWR capabilities in action or get a video tour.