Week 3: Business Name Research — Publishing Company & Record Label

⏱️ Block 1 · Foundation · ~3-4 hours over 2 days

🎯 Week Goal

Establish unique, legally available names for BOTH of your businesses — your publishing company and your record label — that can be trademarked and used across all digital platforms.

📌 Learning Objectives

Navigate multiple databases to verify name availability
Recognize potential trademark conflicts
Secure digital assets (URLs and social media handles)
Understand why your label name must differ from your publishing company name

⚠️ Two Names, Not One

Your label name should be DIFFERENT from your publishing company name. The industry distinguishes between publishing arms and label arms. You are researching and clearing BOTH names this week.

Publishing formats: [Your Last Name] Music Publishing, LLC · [Your Artist Name] Songs, LLC · [Creative Name] Music Publishing, LLC
Label formats: [Your Name/Concept] Records · [Your Name/Concept] Music Group · [Your Name/Concept] Entertainment

🔍 Name Research Process Flow

Brainstorm Names

Secretary of State

USPTO Trademark

PRO Databases

URL Check

Social Handles

Final Decision

📝 Step-by-Step Instructions

Brainstorm 3-5 potential names for EACH business
- Memorable, easy to spell, works on merch and marketing
Secretary of State search
- Visit your state's Secretary of State website → business entity search
- Search each potential name; document conflicts or similar names
USPTO trademark search
- Go to USPTO Trademark Search
- Check for exact matches and similar names ("No records found" means you're clear)
Copyright Office search
- Visit Copyright Public Records and search claimants using your names
PRO database search
- ASCAP Songview · BMI Repertoire · SESAC Repertory
- Your publishing name must be available in your chosen PRO's publisher database
URL availability check
- Search yourname.com at Whois.com; check .net and .music as backups
Social media handle check
- Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube — document availability for each
Make final decisions — choose the names with the fewest conflicts and full platform consistency

🚨 The Three-Place Rule (Publishing Name)

Your publishing company name must be available in all three of these places BEFORE you fall in love with it:

Your STATE's Secretary of State business registry
Your chosen PRO's publisher database (ASCAP or BMI)
As a .com domain (for future website / credibility)

✍️ Naming Worksheet — Publishing Company

Name idea 1:

Name idea 2:

Name idea 3:

Name idea 4:

Name idea 5:

⭐ FINAL publishing company name (cleared in all 3 places):

✍️ Naming Worksheet — Record Label

Label name idea 1:

Label name idea 2:

Label name idea 3:

⭐ FINAL record label name:

Available domain(s) I found:

Social handles available (list platforms):

🔗 Essential Resources

✅ Week 3 Checklist

Check off each item as you complete it.

I brainstormed at least 3 names for each business
I searched my Secretary of State registry for every candidate name
I completed USPTO and Copyright Office searches
I searched ASCAP/BMI publisher databases for my publishing name
I checked URL and social media handle availability
My final publishing name passed the Three-Place Rule
My label name is different from my publishing name
I recorded both final names in my Master Business Document

📎 Submit: Screenshots of your Secretary of State and USPTO search results for both final names.

🖨️ Print My Week 3 Report (for Canvas upload)