KEEPING TRACK OF MUSIC RIGHTS.

Byline: Marla Matzer Rose Staff Writer

You've written a song, found a publisher and are waiting for the big payoff. Here's where the money is going to go.

In a typical arrangement, the songwriter - who may or may not also be the recording artist - sells his publishing interests to a publishing company for a fee.

Some writers sign over a portion rather than the whole amount, so they remain ongoing partners in the money train their songs produce.

The record company and the artist also get paid whenever the original recording is heard, whether it be on the radio, in a movie or a commercial.

You can also buy rights, however, to a song from the publisher, hire your own singer and use the recording for something as a movie or commercial.

This is typically less expensive than using the master recording.

Sometimes, though, cost is not an issue.

ABC's Beach Boys movie used all original masters, greatly escalating production costs. The network even has to pay royalties every time it airs a commercial featuring the music. But the TV movie's producers felt the real sound of the Beach Boys was critical.

``You can't re-create the sound of the Beach Boys; that would have been a mistake,'' said Neil Meron, the executive producer.

Although the movie isn't an entirely flattering portrait of Capitol Records or of the sale that gave Rondor the Beach Boys publishing rights, the companies weren't overly concerned since ``the finger is more pointed at Murry,'' Meron said.

Turns out that Brian Wilson still lives very comfortably. He gets songwriting royalties from the publishing, royalties as an artist from Capitol Records and has other streams of music revenue.

But consider the economics.

For every dollar the publisher takes in, the rough rule of thumb is that it keeps 50 cents and gives 50 cents to the writer.

If there are two writers, each would typically end up with 25 cents of each dollar. For sheet music, the publisher usually keeps more, and there are numerous cases where, for one reason or another, this generality does not hold true.

Basically, then, a writer in Wilson's situation ends up getting 25 cents for every publishing dollar on a song he co-wrote with one other person.

Had his father not sold his publishing rights, Wilson's take would at least double.

With an enduring group such as the Beach Boys, the difference between a quarter and 50 cents adds up to millions of dollars very quickly.

Music business executives are quick to note that buying and selling other people's music publishing rights happens all the time.

Still, many musicians continue to be shocked when they find out what it actually all means for their bottom line.

They shouldn't be.

``No matter how much you talk to them, they just don't understand it,'' said attorney Jay Cooper, shaking his head. ``You actually have to fight them on it, to act in their best interest when somebody is telling them 'I'm gonna make you a star, kid.' ''