Depending what you’ve contractually agreed to and how your music is used, you’ll probably be entitled to royalties. Unfortunately these don’t just magically appear on your doorstep, so what do you need to do in order to collect them? This short video will give you a brief overview of the topic:
The first step to take in order to claim your royalties is to register yourself with your country’s ‘PRO’ or Performing Rights Organisation or society. It will be different depending on what major world territory you live in, (for example the UK has PRS) so get on Google and find out which one is applicable to you. Once you’ve signed up and become a member, you’ll be able to register your music and they will be able to trace where it is being played and pay you the appropriate royalties.
The money varies depending on what context it’s played in, but this can include:
- Radio (National, local and internet)
- Venues and clubs
- Businesses, restaurants, hotels and retailers
- Streaming services
- TV and many more… even if another artist/band covers your material
As well as the aforementioned Publishing Related Royalties, you may also be entitled to other forms such as Master Generated Royalties and YouTube Recording Royalties. If you distribute your music through a service such as Distrokid, or Tunecore, you’ll be able to collect income from streaming and downloads from all the major companies such as iTunes, Spotify and Amazon. These companies usually automatically do this for you, but don’t forget to keep track of things.
Recent Comments