Think of RapidCue music cue sheets like a library book. When you want to view or edit a cue sheet, you will check out your cue sheet like you would a library book. Once you are done viewing and/or editing your cue sheet, you will check in your cue sheet.




Like a library book, only one person can have a cue sheet checked out at a time!






RapidCue Accounts, Login, and Preferences

If you or one of your external producers needs an account set up, you can email GBH's RapidCue account administrator.

When you are given an account by GBH, you will be sent an email directly from info@rapidcue.com with your username and a temporary password assigned to you by the GBH RapidCue Administrator.

1. Go to RapidCue, and click on the RapidCue Web Edition 2.4 Link.

2. Enter your username and password. Both are case sensitive.

3. If you or your producer have access to multiple RapidCue accounts, make sure to select WGBH as the Company.

4. RapidCue will prompt you to change this password immediately after logging in for the first time.




Once you create your own password, the GBH RapidCue Administrator will no longer have access to it. If you can't remember the password at the next login, use the Forgot Password feature in the initial login screen to reset it.


5. Make sure you check your Preferences where you can: 

➜ Change your password

➜ Add a comment for resubmission

Creating Episodes

1. Click New in the lower left hand corner of your inbox. You will be given the choice to create an Episode affiliated with a Series or create a Non-Series Episode (this will bring you directly into a cue sheet). For the purposes of music cue sheets, an Episode is any audio visual content that broadcast or transmitted online.

2. If you are selecting an Episode affiliated with a Series, you will be brought to a screen to select the applicable Series. Select the Series and either double click on the Series or click Create Episode in the lower right hand corner.

The production(s) to which you have access will be displayed. You can double click the production, then click the "Create Episode" button at the bottom right corner - or double click on the production, and it will bring a new blank cue sheet into your Inbox. You will be in the Editor section of RapidCue.

3. Enter the details about your episode, including the:

➜ Production Title (this is the episode title)

➜ Version

◆ For PBS broadcast episodes, select PBS

◆ For digital only episodes, select Internet

➜ Original Air Date

➜ Duration

➜ Production Year

➜ Category (for broadcast programs, please select broadcast)

➜ Production Number

➜ Part Number (if applicable)

➜ Network (this should be WGBH)

➜ Prepared by (this should autofill with your name)

This information is required for your music cue sheet.




Make sure you click Save! You will get an error message that says you need to have at least one cue, but that will go away once you start entering in your cue information.


4. *You can add alternate/foreign language titles (AKA) to the cue sheet by clicking on the Add AKA on the bottom left hand corner of the editing screen. RapidCue will offer a screen to enter in your alternate titles by adding the title in the Name field and clicking on Add AKA (on the upper right hand side of the screen).

5. *To add an Actor or a Director, click on the Add Act/Dir button on the lower left hand corner of the editing screen. Click on Actor or Director, enter the name and click Search. If the Search Results yields No Record Found (this will be in bold red), enter in the Actor or Director information. Once you enter information in RapidCue once, it will remain in the database for subsequent searches, and you will simply search and then select it.

6. *To add a Producer or Distributor name, click on the Add Org button on the lower left hand corner of the editing screen. Click on Producer or Distributor, enter the name, and click Search. If the Search Results yields No Record Found (this will be in bold red), enter in the Producer or Distributor information. Once you enter information in RapidCue once, it will remain in the database for subsequent searches, and you will simply search and then select it.

*This information is not required for your music cue sheet, but it can be helpful for documenting your episode.


Your completed cue sheet header should look substantially similar to this. If your cue sheet does not have any music cues entered, you will get an error, and RapidCue will not let you submit the empty cue sheet. You can save it to work on later.

 If you need to reset the cue sheet to blank fields, click on the Reset button. If you created the cue sheet in error, click on the Delete button. If you are done with the header and would like to come back to the cue sheet to complete the cues later, click the Save button.


Adding Music Cues and Entitled Parties to Music Cue Sheets

Once you have created your Episode in RapidCue, you will be prompted by a red error message to add your music cues. To do this you will:

1.  Click Add Cue.

2. In the Cue Title bar, enter the name of the music cue that you want to add, and click Search. If the music cue already exists in the database, it will appear at the bottom of the screen under the Search Results.

RapidCue saves all music cues and entitled parties (EPs) that are entered on GBH's music cue sheets. Once a music cue or an EP is added to the database once, it is there for the next time a user needs to add it to a cue sheet. Therefore, it is always best practice to search for music cues and entitled parties BEFORE adding them to RapidCue to avoid adding duplicate entries in the database.

If there are several cues listed with the same title, you can hover your cursor over each result. The entitled parties will appear, so you can be sure that you are selecting the correct cue. If you click View, a new window will open with details about the music cue and on which cue sheets it appears.



Try this shortcut! If the Entitled Parties and their Affiliations are the same as the cue that you searched for, you can use the Copy Cue Info button to create a new music cue with the same Entitled Parties but a different Cue Title and Cue Duration. Make sure to resolve any errors (missing information), or else you will be unable to submit the cue sheet.



If you have noticed that there is a mistake or typo in the music cue, you can click on the Edit button next to the cue to get more information about that cue. Most users will have viewing access to these entires but will not be able to edit the cues themselves (as any edits made to the cue will also affect any cue sheets where that cue is used). If you need a change made to a cue, please email GBH's RapidCue Administrator.

 


3. If you have performed a Search for your cue title and have not found it in the Search Results, you can create a new one by filling out the following information on the Standard tab:

➜ Cue Title

➜ Sequence # (where it falls in the order of music cues - you can use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to move your cues around.)

➜ Cue # (the source of your license - this is required for all cue sheets.)

Cue Sources:

1 = specially composed music

2 = producer licensed the music (including sync for PBS)

3 = unpublished

4 = requesting the PBS Blanket License. (This only covers PBS broadcast and broadcast-related rights and not Home Entertainment, Foreign Rights, etc.)

➜ Usage (dropdown)

➜ Description (if applicable)

➜ Public Domain (if applicable) 

➜ Duration

➜ Theme (dropdown)

➜ Comments (RapidCue does not have a specific field for time codes for your cues. You must provide Time In and Time Out for each cue in the Comments section. This is required information.)

Make sure you hit Save when you are done entering the information!

4. Once you have created your music cue, you will need to add in the EPs. With the exception of music cleared via Public Domain, at a minimum, every music cue should have at least one Composer and at least one Publisher (you won't be able to submit the cue sheet if the music cue does not have any EPs). To add an EP, click on Add Ep. 

5. Using the Search function on the top right, search for each EP using the Writer (Composers, Authors (Lyricists)) or Publisher radio buttons. If your search yields multiple results, you can use the View button to learn more about the EP and the cues associated with them in the database to make sure that you are selecting the correct one.

6. If you have found your EP in the database, select them from the Search Results. If you have not found your EP, select the Role (dropdown). For Composers/Authors, fill in:

➜ Role (dropdown - lyricists should be listed as Authors)

➜ Last Name

➜ Middle Initial (if applicable)

➜ Affiliation (dropdown)

➜ First Name

➜ Share % (Use the Allocate Remaining % or Split % Evenly buttons as shortcuts for cues with multiple EPs.)

For Publishers, fill in:

➜ Role (dropdown)

➜ Company

➜ Affiliation (dropdown)

➜ Share % (Use the Allocate Remaining % or Split % Evenly buttons as shortcuts for cues with multiple EPs.)

Make sure to click Save after entering in the EP info!

Your completed music cue should look substantially similar to this:




Composers + Authors should add up to 100%, and Publishers should add up to 100%. The total cue should add up to 200%


Try these shortcuts!

If you are using the same cues and/or EPs throughout your cue sheet, you can use the Copy Cue Info and the Duplicate Work buttons to speed up cue entry. Copy Cue Info will create a new entry with the same EPs and a blank cue title. Duplicate Work will duplicate the cue (including the title) but will leave the duration blank.


You can also copy a whole cue sheet which might be very helpful for those who are working on episodic series. To do that:

1. In your inbox, select Copy.

2. In the Search view, select Copy to create a copy and jump right into the cue sheet editor, or select Copy and Stay to copy the cue sheet to your inbox (while staying in the Search list).

3. In the cue sheet editor view, select Copy Production to duplicate the cue sheet. (Add New Production will give you a blank cue sheet editor.)

You can also use the Import Cue Sheet feature to import a set of cues from another cue sheet (this will bring you to the Search view to locate that cue sheet) and the Delete Range of Cues feature to delete a set of cues from your cue sheet (especially handy if you are copying cue sheets from one episode to another). 

If your Outside Producer is filling out the music cue sheets, they should click Check-in once they have finished their work. If Workflows have been set up for that cue sheet, it will be routed directly to the GBH reviewer.



Only one person can access and edit cue sheets at a time. GBH production teams will not have access to a cue sheet until the Outside Producer checks it in.



Music Cue Sheet Workflows

RapidCue allows you to set up automated workflows between the Outside Producer entering the cues and the GBH Producer approving the cue sheet. To set up a workflow:

1. Click on the Override Workflow button.

2. Select the RapidCue user from the list of Users to add to Workflow, and then click Add. The users you have selected will be added to the Workflow Recipients section. 

3. If you need to adjust the order of the workflow or remove a workflow recipient, use the Remove, Move Up, and Move Down buttons in the Workflow Recipients section.

You can also assign a cue sheet and have it move directly into another RapidCue user's inbox.

  1. Click on the field below Assign Cuesheet, and select the RapidCue user.
  2. Click the Sent To button, and the cue sheet will be directly routed to their inbox. If you have set up a workflow for your cue sheet, once the user that you have assigned has checked in the cue sheet, it will be routed to the individuals in your workflow in the order that you have set.




GBH is responsible for the final submission to the Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) and PBS through RapidCue. GBH staff responsible for cue sheet submission should be the final name in the workflow.



Submitting and Transferring Cue Sheets

Once you (or your Outside Producer) have completed and reviewed the cue sheet, GBH staff can formally submit it to ASCAP/BMI using the Submit button. You can either do this directly in the edit screen for each cue sheet, or you can submit cue sheets from your inbox (this allows you to see cue sheets in a list which is helpful if you are working on cue sheets for a season of programs). Please note that when you click on the submit button, you are sending the final version of the cue sheet directly to the performing rights societies.

 



Only GBH staff have permission to submit music cue sheets on behalf of GBH. If an Outside Producer is creating the cue sheets, they must be reviewed by a member of the GBH production staff before they are formally submitted to ASCAP and BMI.



If your episode is being distributed via PBS, GBH staff have the additional step of transferring a copy of the cue sheet to the PBS RapidCue account. GBH is contractually obligated to deliver cue sheets to PBS via RapidCue. To transfer your submitted cue sheet:

1. In the edit screen for each cue sheet, click on Transfer Cue Sheet.

This step can also be done in the Search view:

2. Select PBS in the Eligible Recipients list, and select Add>>. Click Save Transfer.



PBS will receive a final cue sheet at this phase and will be unable to make any changes to the cues on GBH's behalf. Any required changes will result in an amended cue submission to ASCAP/BMI and an additional transfer to PBS.



Once you have submitted (and transferred as applicable) your cue sheet, you will need to download a PDF copy for the shutdown file in PIM. In your inbox or in the Search view, select the cue sheet that you want, and click Preview. Your browser will open a new window with a preview of the cue sheet that you can download as a PDF. Preview Last Submitted will give you a preview of the last version of a cue sheet that was submitted. Preview will show you the version in the cue sheet editor (including any changes that have not been resubmitted).

You can also click Email to email yourself (or anyone else) a PDF copy.



If your content is being distributed by APT or any other distributor, you are responsible for emailing a copy to that distributor. And if your music cue sheet lists APM music, you must also send an excel export of the cue sheet to APM (follow these instructions).





My project is not being broadcast. Do I still need to do a music cue sheet?

Yes! If your content is audio visual and uses any music, you need to enter your music cue sheet into RapidCue. 

Help! I just checked in my cue sheet, and now I can't find it!

  1. Click Search in the menu bar at the top.
  2. Look for your production in the Production Title field.
  3. Click on the box next to Row # of the cue sheet that you want to check out.
  4. Click on Checkout (which will put it in your inbox) or Checkout and Edit (which will put it in your inbox and navigate you directly into the cue sheet) at the bottom of the page.
  5. If the Checkout box is grayed out, it means that someone else already has it checked out. If you hover over the Status, RapidCue will tell you which inbox the music cue sheet is currently in.  Contact GBH's RapidCue Administrator if you need assistance getting the music cue sheet checked in.


What happens if I made a mistake on my music cue sheet?

While it is very important to make sure that the music cue sheets are accurate and complete (and each should be reviewed by the GBH production unit before submission in RapidCue), we are all human. If you discover a mistake on a music cue sheet, work with your GBH producer (if you are an Outside Producer) to make the correction and resubmit your cue sheet. This should be done as soon as possible to ensure that the entitled parties are able to receive their revenue shares in a timely manner.

I created a cue sheet by accident. How do I delete it?

If you have accidentally created a cue sheet or unintentionally duplicated a cue sheet, please mark include "DELETE" in the title of the extraneous cue sheet. The GBH RapidCue Administrator will periodically delete such cue sheets to keep the system clean.

What if I can't find the Affiliations for my EPs?

Many of the performing rights organizations (including ASCAP and BMI) have freely accessible and searchable repertoires online which can be used to research missing affiliations for Entitled Parties. However, there is an option for Unknown and PD in the dropdown menu for the Affiliation field in the cue sheet editor which can be used sparingly if necessary.

Do I need to list music cues for music that is in the Public Domain or that was cleared via Fair Use? 

The music cue sheet should list music that is in the public domain (you can designate the cue as public domain. If you have cleared your music via fair use (and such clearance was approved by the GBH attorney assigned to your production), you do not need to list the cue on the music cue sheet.

How do I handle shows made up of multiple segments?

If you are working on a segment show for which two (or more) producers are entering cues into RapidCue, you can submit separate cue sheets for each segment. Label each with NOLA#A, NOLA#B, etc.

How do I enter cue sheets for digital only projects?

If you are entering in assets that are digital only, please select the "version" as "Internet."

Is there a way to upload an excel music cue sheet into RapidCue?

Unfortunately, no. BMI has been working on an upload-able cue sheet but has not yet released it to RapidCue users.

I keep getting red error messages. Do I need to worry about those?

RapidCue will give error messages when the music cue sheet is missing key information and users will be unable to click Submit until those errors are resolved. The error messages will appear right under the Add Cue button and will look like this:

  

Common errors are:

  • The cue sheet header has been created but the music cues are missing.
  • A music cue is missing Entitled Parties.
  • The Production Title starts with "[Copy Of]" (this happens when you use the Copy Episode feature)
  • The sum of the cue durations is longer than the Production's duration.

How do I get more help for RapidCue?

RapidCue has a number of training videos on their website (these require an Adobe Flash Player to view) if you need additional support for the cue sheet process. You can access these on the homepage for RapidCue. If you need extra help, you can contact the GBH RapidCue Administrator, or click, on the Help link on the lower right hand corner of your RapidCue Inbox (this will open an email to the RapidCue help desk).