How to Start Collecting Royalties from Your Original Music
If you write, record, and release your own music, the creative work is only half the process. The other half is registration: making sure your songs are connected to systems that can actually pay you when your music is performed, streamed, broadcast, sold, or licensed.
Legal Disclaimer: For educational purposes only. Leerecs does not provide legal, tax, financial, or compliance advice and is not responsible for legal or procedural discrepancies. Always verify current requirements with official organizations and consult a qualified professional where needed.
The Big Idea: Two Systems You Must Set Up
- Copyright registration: documenting ownership of the creative work and/or sound recording.
- Royalty collection registration: connecting your works to organizations that collect and distribute royalties.
Step 1: Register Your Copyright
Understand the difference between a musical work (composition and lyrics) and a sound recording (specific recorded performance). These may have different owners.
Step 2: Join a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)
In the U.S., ASCAP is one major option for collecting qualifying public performance royalties. Create your writer profile with accurate legal and publishing details.
Step 3: Register Every Work Correctly
Joining a PRO is not enough by itself. Register every original song with complete metadata: title, writers, splits, publisher, and release identifiers where available.
Important: ASCAP Does Not Collect Every Royalty Type
There is no single service that collects everything. Depending on your situation, you may also need The MLC, SoundExchange, your distributor, and/or publishing administration support.
Independent Musician Checklist
- Document song ownership and recording ownership.
- Register copyright in your jurisdiction.
- Join a PRO if eligible.
- Register each original work accurately.
- Keep IPI, ISRC, UPC, and release data organized.
- Review registration and earnings records regularly.