Every artist dreams of their songs playing on the radio, topping the charts, and being sold in stores. When music turned digital, it became easier to access more music — without having to pay for them but this potentially starved the labels, artists and composers.
Whenever a song is played on radio it generates a performance royalty. Depending on which copyright the royalty is generated on will determine who is owed money.
Let’s talk about the performance royalty generated from the sound recording first.
Earning Royalties From Internet Radio (Non-Interactive Streaming)
When a song is registered properly the owner (record label or indie label) and the artist receive earnings from its usage or sale, based on sound recording streams.As an artist, you can collect 100% performance royalties from the sound recording by registering your songs with the appropriate society (Sound Exchange). If you distributed your own song, you are also considered the indie label, allowing you to collect 100% as the rights owner. Not setup with Sound Exchange? We can help.
Now let’s learn about the performance royalty generated from the composition.
Earning Royalties From Terrestrial Radio (and Interactive Streaming)
When a song is played on terrestrial radio (your local radio station), restaurants/bars, live venues, and streaming, a performance royalty is generated for songwriters and producers. Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC collect these royalties and act as intermediaries between the music creators and those who want to license or use their songs. If you’re a songwriter or producer, you can collect these royalties from the PRO you’re affiliated with but the songs must be properly registered. Learn more about our PRO Setup if you are not registered to collect.
But How Are The Radio Plays & Streams Tracked?
For terrestrial radio, in order to track plays, you must submit your music to monitoring services such as Mediabase/BDS Radio to monitor a song’s airplay on radio. Soundscan tracks sales and streams. We offer Radio Registration services to save you time and ensure your songs are registered properly for tracking.
Professionally registering music seems like a lot, but that’s where we take the weight off your shoulders. Here at The Mezzo Agency, we simplify the registration process by completing it for you, ensuring that proper documentation and metadata are accurately submitted so you can get paid.
Currently representing over 2,000 songs, The Mezzo Agency is led by industry professionals with decades of experience who not only create music but have secured ownership and royalties many times over.
Ready to take the next step in getting paid for your plays? Get started by booking a Free Music Biz Assessment today.