Royalties
Unclaimed (Black-Box) Royalties
Unclaimed or 'black-box' royalties are royalties that were generated but never matched to their owner — over $1B goes uncollected every year.
When a work is missing an ISWC, ISRC, IPI, or a correct society registration, the collector can't match the money to a person, so it sits as unmatched 'black-box' income. After a holding period it's often redistributed by market share — meaning it leaves the rightful owner entirely.
The fix is data: correct identifiers and registrations across every society and platform. Notes reviews a catalog across 50+ platforms, fills the gaps, and recovers royalties that would otherwise stay unclaimed.
Good to know
Unclaimed (Black-Box) Royalties: common questions
- Why do my royalties go unclaimed?
- Almost always a data gap — a missing or wrong identifier (ISRC/ISWC/IPI) or an unregistered work, so the collector can't match the money to you. Notes finds and fixes these.
- Can unclaimed royalties still be recovered?
- Often yes, within each society's claim window — which is why a catalog review matters. Notes registers the works correctly and claims what's recoverable.