Lately, I've gotten a little obsessed with music rights. Over and over, I see the same thing: most indie artists only grab one or two kinds of royalties they're owed, while the rest just sits there collecting dust until it disappears for good.
Here's what most people are missing:
- SoundExchange
This one's for digital performance royalties. Any time your song plays on platforms like Pandora, SiriusXM, or internet radio, SoundExchange collects money for you. If you don't sign up, the cash just sits there for three years — after that, it gets handed off to other artists. You never see a dime. Registering is free and takes maybe 15 minutes at soundexchange.com.
- The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective)
Here's where things get confusing. When your song streams on Spotify, Apple Music, or similar services, your distributor pays you for the actual recording. But there's a second, totally separate royalty for the song's composition. That's what the MLC handles. A lot of indie artists don't even realize these are two different things. It's free to sign up at themlc.com.
- A PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC)
These are the performance rights organizations. They collect royalties for whenever your music plays on radio, TV, live venues, or some streaming services. If you aren't a member and haven't registered your songs, that money just vanishes into the void. Once you join, registering your tracks is free.
- Neighbouring Rights
If your music is getting any play on digital radio outside the US, there's a good chance some international collection society is holding money for you. Most indie artists never go after this at all. If you see international plays popping up, talk to a publishing administrator who can handle neighbouring rights. It's usually worth it.
- Sync Licensing
Think TV, film, commercials, video games, YouTube videos. Most indie musicians never even pitch their music for sync. That's a miss, because these placements pay way more than streaming. If your songs are ready for production music libraries, try Musicbed, Artlist, or Musicosm. Even small placements add up fast.
Every year, about 75% of the world's music royalties go uncollected. Most of that money belongs to artists who just never registered their songs.
The top three above are completely free to set up. Together, it takes maybe an hour. If you've been putting out music and haven't covered all these bases, you probably have money waiting for you right now.
Got questions on any of this? Drop them in the comments.