Copyright transfer

As a writer of music you can choose to join a collecting society like PRS or Sacem. You sign a contract with such an organization. A contract always has two sides: it gives rights and obligations. This is also true if you buy something. The seller delivers something, gives you the ownership and guarantees the good quality of the product, you pay and take the delivery.

The same applies to an operating contract. To PRS or Sacem the author transfers the rights to his music, not only of existing repertoire, but also of future repertoire. These organizations exercise and enforce all rights, anywhere in the world. In practice, they are the ones to give or refuse permission to make music public or to reproduce it, they determine the conditions and take action against infringements of music copyright. In return PRS and Sacem are obliged to pay received monies to the connected musicians.
As a composer you also have to ensure that you dispose of all rights and it is forbidden to give the idea or the impression that you or someone other than  PRS or Sacem may exercise and enforce  music copyright to the repertoire.

In short, PRS and Sacem act in your place and as a composer you have nothing more to tell about your music. If you want to give an outdoor concert  you have to have permission to play your own songs, the same goes for recording your own CD.