Set it up yourself
Free to join most of them. Takes a few hours and some paperwork. The full map is below.
Show me howGet Paid
Your song can't pay you until it's registered.
Streams, radio plays and YouTube uses can each earn royalties, but only if your song and recording are set up with the right organizations. Miss one and that money has nowhere to go.
We set it all up for you
No forms, no guessing, nothing missed. We register your song and recording everywhere it needs to be.
Don't have the time or patience for paperwork? That's what we're here for.
How to set it up yourself
Money streamWho pays itWhat you needOr we do it
- Pays master streams and downloads to the master owner.
- Company says ·Spotify pays only past 1,000 streams in 12 months.
Spotify for Artists: royalties guideAs of 2026-11-04
Spotify: track monetization eligibilityAs of 2026-11-04
Streaming mechanicals
The MLC
A free MLC account and your song registered.
- Free to join.
- Pays streaming mechanical royalties.
- Self administered songwriters can join directly.
The MLC: membershipAs of 2026-11-04
Performance royalties
PRO (ASCAP or BMI)
Writer and publisher membership, song registered.
- Pays public performance royalties to songwriters and publishers.
- ASCAP and BMI say partly AI songs with sufficient human creativity can be registered, and fully AI generated works cannot.
ASCAP, BMI and SOCAN AI registration policyAs of 2026-11-04
ASCAP joining
- Writers join free under a temporary waiver.
- Publisher only joining costs $50, waived when joining as writer and publisher together.
ASCAP: joining and feesAs of 2026-11-04
BMI joining
- Publisher fee: $175 individual, $250 LLC or corporation, $500 partnership.
- No annual dues.
- Check BMI for current writer terms.
BMI: join as a songwriter or publisherAs of 2026-11-04
- Free to join.
- Pays digital performance royalties on non interactive plays, such as satellite and internet radio.
- Split: 50% rights owner, 45% featured artist, 5% non featured musicians and singers.
- Does not pay on Spotify on demand plays.
SoundExchange: digital performance royaltiesAs of 2026-11-04
- Eligibility requires exclusive rights and platform review.
YouTube Help: qualify for Content IDAs of 2026-11-04
Two copyrights
The song
Lyrics and melody: PRO, The MLC.
The recording
Master: distributor, SoundExchange.
Rather we just handle it?
Royalty Setup $399This map explains who collects what. It isn't legal or tax advice. We never promise earnings, income amounts, stream counts, copyright registration or PRO acceptance. Rules change, so each card links to its source.