Open call: Publishers, songwriters and translators for BELEM project

Funded by the European Union, BELEM fosters the licensing, aggregation, distribution, exhibition and translation for meaning. It dramatically increases the monetisation of European lyrics and lyric translations. This significantly boosts the sustainability and exportability of European language songs for music publishers, songwriters, labels and artists, and benefits audiences, leading to increased language diversity and understanding globally, with translated lyrics crossing (and breaking) borders, both in digital and virtual, as well as in live and in-concert, formats.

The lyrics and lyric translations for meaning will be distributed globally. Virtual and in-person live shows, alongside lyric videos and lyric translation videos by European artists will be produced with subtitles, singing in their native languages, or in a mixture of languages. Songs will be able to be understood by audiences in many languages in any country.

The procedure requires each publisher to prepare a project with a total budget of up to €5 000 ($5 400), including:

• Songwriter fees for days working on the project works (e.g. this could be just the translating songwriter or a team consisting of the original writer and multiple translator songwriters).
• Studio fees (this could be a full songwriting camp scenario or just demo fees for new works created).
• Travel and accommodation fees (for working meetings between songwriters or to attend the songwriting camp).
• Per diems/meal expenses (for days working on the project).

Once a project is selected by the BELEM steering committee, the selected publishers will:

• Receive €1 500 initial payment towards the project (no invoice is needed for project payments from the EU) upon signature of the Project Support Agreement.
• Undertake the project and create the new works.
• Provide financial reporting on project execution and demonstrate up to €5 000 expenditures (this is made up of €3 000 of EU in addition to €2 000 of financing from the publisher) according to the proposed project budget.
• Provide technical reporting on how the project was implemented, including delivering new lyrics (with optional demo recordings) and LyricFind timecoding in appropriate formats as per BELEM’s instructions, as well as accompanying proof of registration with the publisher's society of choice.
• Upon approval of the reporting, the second €1 500 will be paid to the publisher.

Interested publishers, songwriters and translators should apply here before 12 March.