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Music Royalties, Simplified
Your music earns in more ways than most artists are ever told. Here's every term: performance, mechanical, and neighboring-rights royalties, the organizations that collect them, and the codes that get the money to the right person.
Music Royalties
- Distribution
- Broadcast
- Publishing
- Performance
One play earns several royalty types. Notes registers and reconciles the songwriting side through The MLC and your PRO.
Collect everywhere
One song. Collected worldwide. Paid to you.
Your music earns through two layers. The first is distribution — the recording's streaming and download royalties, paid directly by the platforms everywhere they play it: one delivery, collected worldwide, no society involved. The second is society collections, and that's what this map shows — every territory has its own societies gathering what's earned there: performance and mechanical on the composition, plus neighbouring rights on the recording. The highlighted territories are where Notes is registered and collecting now; Notes reconciles both layers and pays it to you, with no percentage taken — and more light up as we sign them.
- Collecting now
- On the map
What a song earns
- PerformanceComposition · PROs
- MechanicalComposition · MROs
- Neighbouring rightsRecording · societies like SoundExchange
- Master recordingsPaid directly by DSPs everywhere a song streams — distribution, not a society
The map shades the society-collected layer — the part that differs by territory. Master recordings are paid worldwide through distribution, so they sit outside the map.
Distribution + collectionsMaster worldwide, societies in every territory
Notes reconcilesOne place, no percentage taken
Paid to youThe musician, in full
Collection Sources
- Albania ALBAUTOR
- Algeria ONDA
- Andorra SDADV
- Angola UNAC-SA
- Argentina SADAIC
- Armenia ARMAUTHOR
- Australia APRA AMCOS
- Austria AKM
- Azerbaijan AAS
- Barbados COSCAP
- Belarus NCIP
- Belgium SABAM
- Benin BUBEDRA
- Bolivia SOBODAYCOM
- Bosnia and Herzegovina AMUS
- Botswana COSBOTS
- Brazil ECAD
- Bulgaria MUSICAUTOR
- Burkina Faso BBDA
- Cabo Verde SCM
- Canada SOCAN
- Chile SCD
- China MCSC
- Colombia SAYCO
- Costa Rica ACAM
- Côte d'Ivoire BURIDA
- Croatia HDS
- Cuba ACDAM
- Czechia OSA
- Denmark KODA
- Dominican Republic SGACEDOM
- Ecuador SAYCE
- El Salvador SACIM
- Estonia EAÜ
- Finland TEOSTO
- France SACEM
- Germany GEMA
- Ghana GHAMRO
- Greece AUTODIA
- Guatemala AEI
- Guinea BGDA
- Honduras AACIMH
- Hong Kong CASH
- Hungary ARTISJUS
- Iceland STEF
- India IPRS
- Indonesia KCI, WAMI
- Ireland IMRO
- Israel ACUM
- Italy SIAE
- Jamaica JACAP
- Japan JASRAC
- Kazakhstan KazAK
- Kenya MCSK
- Kosovo VAPIC
- Latvia AKKA/LAA
- Lesotho LESCOSAA
- Lithuania LATGA
- Luxembourg SACEM Luxembourg
- Macau MACA
- Madagascar OMDA
- Malawi COSOMA
- Malaysia MACP
- Mali BUMDA
- Mauritius MASA
- Mexico SACM
- Moldova AsDAC
- Montenegro PAM CG
- Morocco BMDA
- Mozambique SOMAS
- Namibia NASCAM
- Nepal MRCSN
- Netherlands Buma/Stemra
- New Zealand APRA AMCOS
- Nigeria MCSN
- North Macedonia ZAMP Macedonia
- Norway TONO
- Panama SPAC
- Paraguay APA
- Peru APDAYC
- Philippines FILSCAP
- Poland ZAiKS
- Portugal SPA
- Republic of the Congo BCDA
- Romania UCMR-ADA
- Russia RAO
- Saint Lucia ECCO
- Senegal SODAV
- Serbia SOKOJ
- Singapore COMPASS
- Slovakia SOZA
- Slovenia SAZAS
- South Africa SAMRO
- South Korea KOMCA
- Spain SGAE
- Suriname SASUR
- Sweden STIM
- Switzerland SUISA
- Taiwan MÜST
- Tanzania COSOTA
- Thailand MCT
- Trinidad and Tobago COTT
- Türkiye MESAM
- Uganda UPRS
- Ukraine UACRR
- United Arab Emirates EMRA
- United Kingdom PRS for Music, PPL
- United States Collecting nowBMI, The MLC, SoundExchange, ASCAP, SESAC
- Uruguay AGADU
- Venezuela SACVEN
- Vietnam VCPMC
- Zimbabwe ZIMURA
The money your music earns, and where it comes from
Royalties
- Music RoyaltiesMusic royalties are the payments creators earn when their music is streamed, played in public, sold, or licensed.
- Composition vs. RecordingThe composition is the song itself (melody, lyrics, chords); the recording is a specific captured performance of that song.
- Performance RoyaltiesPerformance royalties are paid to songwriters and publishers when a composition is performed publicly: on radio, TV, in venues, or via streaming.
- Mechanical RoyaltiesMechanical royalties are paid to songwriters and publishers each time a composition is reproduced, including every interactive stream and download.
- Publishing RoyaltiesPublishing royalties are everything the composition earns (performance royalties plus mechanical royalties), paid to songwriters and publishers.
- The 200% in Music RoyaltiesThe "200%" in music publishing means a composition's income is tracked as a 100% writer's share plus a 100% publisher's share: two ledgers for one pool of money, not double pay.
- Writer's ShareThe writer's share is the songwriters' half of every performance and mechanical royalty, paid directly to the writers by PROs and The MLC.
- Publisher's ShareThe publisher's share is the publisher's half of every performance and mechanical royalty. With no publisher it's still yours, once a publisher entity is registered to collect it.
- Recording RoyaltiesRecording royalties are what the master earns: the recording revenue your distributor collects, plus digital-performance royalties.
- Digital Performance RoyaltiesDigital performance royalties (neighboring rights) are paid to recording artists and master owners when a recording plays on non-interactive digital radio.
- Streaming RoyaltiesStreaming royalties are everything a single stream pays out, split across the recording (the master) and the composition (mechanical + performance).
- Neighboring RightsNeighboring rights are royalties paid to performers and the recording owner when a sound recording is publicly performed: the recording-side counterpart to songwriter performance royalties.
- Sync RoyaltiesSync royalties are paid when your music is licensed to sync with visual media: film, TV, ads, games, trailers, and fitness or creator content.
- Unclaimed (Black-Box) RoyaltiesUnclaimed or 'black-box' royalties are royalties that were generated but never matched to their owner. Over $1B goes uncollected every year.
- Content ID RoyaltiesContent ID royalties are paid when your music is used in other people's videos on YouTube; its fingerprinting system finds the use and monetizes it for you.
- Print RoyaltiesPrint royalties are paid when a composition is reproduced as sheet music or when its lyrics are printed or displayed.
- AI Music RoyaltiesHow royalties work for AI-generated and AI-assisted music, and why the human behind the music is what gets paid.
- Producer RoyaltiesProducers earn a “points” share of the master by contract, and can be paid directly from SoundExchange out of the artist's share via a Letter of Direction.
- Non-Featured Musician RoyaltiesSession players and background vocalists get a statutory 5% of SoundExchange digital-performance royalties (2.5% to musicians, 2.5% to vocalists), paid by the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund.
- International RoyaltiesRoyalties your music earns abroad come home three ways: foreign PROs via reciprocal agreements, sub-publishers, and foreign neighboring-rights societies, though the US's missing radio right can cost you some of the last one.
- Grand RightsGrand rights cover music used in a dramatic, theatrical context: musicals, opera, ballet, staged shows. They're licensed directly, not through your PRO.
- Micro-Sync RoyaltiesMicro-sync royalties are the small payments for short, often user-generated uses of your music in social video: the layer behind TikTok, Reels, and Shorts.
- Direct-to-Fan IncomeDirect-to-fan income is money fans pay you directly (Bandcamp sales, memberships, tips, subscriptions) rather than royalties collected through rights bodies.
- Royalty MatchingRoyalty matching connects each play or use of your music to the people who own it, so the money reaches you. When the match fails, royalties go unclaimed, or to the wrong person.
- Mismatched RoyaltiesMismatched royalties are paid out, but to the wrong party, because of duplicate or competing claims, stale splits, or inaccurate credits. Unlike unclaimed money, it's already gone to someone else.
- MLC Unclaimed RoyaltiesThe MLC holds mechanical royalties it can't match to an owner. Beginning in early 2027 it starts distributing the remaining unmatched royalties by market share, so getting your works matched is how you claim your share.
- SoundExchange RoyaltiesSoundExchange pays digital-performance (neighboring-rights) royalties for US plays on services like SiriusXM and Pandora. Distributors register you only as the recording owner, so your featured-artist share goes unclaimed unless you register directly.
Distribution, publishing, and how works get administered
Rights & Services
- Publishing AdministrationPublishing administration registers your compositions worldwide and collects their royalties for you, without taking ownership of your songs.
- Music DistributionMusic distribution delivers your recordings to streaming platforms and stores and collects the recording royalties they generate.
- Musician Verified CreditsVerified human credits and rights data on a track, so payment routes to the real people who made it.
- Master-Use LicenseA master-use license is permission from the recording owner to use a specific sound recording, needed for sync, samples, remixes, and any film, TV, or video use.
- Sync LicenseA sync license is permission to synchronize a composition with visual media. Using a commercial recording in a video needs this plus a master-use license.
- Production & Library MusicProduction (library) music is pre-cleared catalog music made for media to license fast. 'Royalty-free' means a one-time fee with no ongoing royalties, a different model from standard sync.
- Pre-SaveA pre-save lets fans save a release before it drops, so it lands in their library and their play counts from the moment it goes live, concentrating day-one streams.
- Distribution vs. PublishingDistribution gets your recording onto platforms and collects recording royalties; publishing covers the song itself and collects performance and mechanical royalties. You need both to get paid in full.
Covers, samples, interpolations, remixes — what you clear and who gets paid
Reuse & Derivatives
- Derivative WorksA new work based on an existing one (like a remix, arrangement, or sample-based track), which needs the original owner’s permission. (A straight cover is not a derivative work.)
- Cover SongsA cover is your own recording of someone else's song. US law lets you release an audio cover without permission; you just pay the songwriter a statutory mechanical royalty.
- SamplingSampling reuses the actual recording of another track, so it touches two copyrights: you must clear both the master (from the recording owner) and the composition (from the publisher).
- InterpolationAn interpolation re-records part of an existing song instead of using the original recording, so you only clear the composition (the publishing), not the master.
- RemixesA remix is built from an existing recording, so it's a derivative work: you need permission from both the master owner and the songwriter and publisher.
- Parody & Fair UseFair use can excuse some uses (like genuine parody) without a license, but it's a narrow, case-by-case defense, not a substitute for clearing your music.
Advances, splits, deal types, and reclaiming the rights you signed away
Deals & Your Rights
- Advances & RecoupmentAn advance is prepaid royalties: you earn nothing more until it's paid back (recouped) from your share. It's why an artist can have a hit and still see no money.
- Music Deal TypesThe spectrum of music deals, from distribution and label to 360 and publishing (co-pub vs admin), differs mainly in who owns your rights and how big a cut they take.
- Royalty Splits & Split SheetsRoyalty splits set each contributor’s ownership percentage of a song. A split sheet locks them in before release, the simplest way to avoid the most common income disputes.
- Controlled Composition ClauseA controlled composition clause is a major-label contract term that pays you below the statutory mechanical rate on songs you wrote, often 75%, capped per album.
- Copyright Termination & ReversionUS law lets songwriters and artists reclaim rights they signed away (roughly 35 years later) through a strict statutory notice window.
- Work Made for HireIf your work counts as 'made for hire,' the company that hired you is the legal author from the start: you get no copyright, no ongoing royalties, and no reversion.
Who collects each royalty — PROs, The MLC, SoundExchange
Organizations & Societies
- PRO (Performing Rights Organization)A PRO collects public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers; in the US, mainly ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.
- The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective)The MLC collects mechanical royalties for songwriters and publishers when songs are streamed or downloaded in the US.
- SoundExchangeSoundExchange collects digital-performance (neighboring-rights) royalties for recording artists and master owners in the US.
- Publishing AdministratorA publishing administrator registers and collects a songwriter's composition royalties worldwide, for a fee and without taking ownership.
The codes that make royalties match to the right owner
Identifiers
- IPI NumberAn IPI is the unique number a PRO assigns to a songwriter, composer, or publisher to identify them across the global royalty system.
- ISRCAn ISRC is the unique 12-character code that identifies one specific sound recording (the master) so its streams, sales, and plays can be tracked and paid to the right owners.
- ISWCAn ISWC is the unique code that identifies a musical composition (the song itself) across every recording of it.
- UPCA UPC is the unique code that identifies a release (an album, EP, or single) so stores, platforms, and charts can track and report it as a single product.