Royalties
Performance Royalties
Performance royalties are paid to songwriters and publishers when a composition is performed publicly: on radio, TV, in venues, or via streaming.
Where this sits
Performance Royalties
- Distribution
- Broadcast
- Publishing
- Performance
A performance royalty is paid on the composition whenever a song is performed publicly: terrestrial radio, a TV broadcast, a bar or store, a live show, or an interactive stream. It's one of the two halves of publishing royalties (the other is mechanical). Performing Rights Organizations (PROs), meaning ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR in the US, and their counterparts abroad, license those public performances and collect the money for songwriters and publishers.
Good to know
Performance Royalties: common questions
- Who collects performance royalties?
- Performing Rights Organizations (PROs). In the US that's ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR. They license public performances and split each royalty into a writer's share (paid to songwriters) and a publisher's share (paid to the publisher).
- How do I start collecting them?
- Affiliate with a PRO and register your compositions with accurate writer/publisher splits. Notes manages the registrations so nothing slips through.
- Why is performance income described as 200%?
- Because each royalty is tracked as a 100% writer's share plus a 100% publisher's share, two ledgers for the same pool of money. It adds up to 200% on paper but is paid out once. See the 200% explainer for the full breakdown.
- PRO (Performing Rights Organization)Organizations & Societies
- Mechanical RoyaltiesRoyalties
- Publishing RoyaltiesRoyalties
- Writer's ShareRoyalties
- Publisher's ShareRoyalties
- The 200% in Music RoyaltiesRoyalties
Performance RoyaltiesHover a connected term to see how it relates.
