Music royalties · Independent artists · 2026 guide
The Complete Guide to Music Royalty Registrations for Independent Artists in 2026
If you release music independently, your royalties flow through at least five separate organisations. Most independent artists have registered with one or two of them. The rest — SoundExchange, The MLC, YouTube Content ID, and often even their PRO — are either missing entirely or set up incorrectly.
This isn't a niche problem. The MLC is currently holding an estimated $500 million in unmatched mechanical royalties — money collected from Spotify and Apple Music streams that nobody has claimed yet. SoundExchange distributed over $1 billion in digital performance royalties in 2024, with hundreds of millions going uncollected because performers weren't registered.
This guide covers every registration an independent artist needs, what each one covers, exactly how to sign up, and how to check if money is already waiting for you right now.
Your complete registration checklist
- Distributor — DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby. Covers master recording streams on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon.
- PRO registration — BMI or ASCAP (pick one only). Covers performance royalties from radio, TV, and live venues.
- SoundExchange — Free registration at soundexchange.com. Covers digital radio: Pandora, SiriusXM, iHeart.
- The MLC — Free registration at themlc.com. Covers mechanical royalties from on-demand streaming.
- YouTube Content ID — Covers ad revenue when your music plays in user-uploaded videos.
Most independent artists have only the first one or two checked. Each unchecked item is a separate income stream your distributor and PRO do not collect on your behalf.
---1. Your distributor — master recording royalties
Your distributor collects master recording royalties — the streaming income from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and most other on-demand platforms. This is the royalty most artists know about.
What your distributor does not collect: performance royalties (PRO), mechanical royalties (The MLC), digital radio royalties (SoundExchange), or YouTube ad revenue (Content ID). These are entirely separate and require separate registrations.
↗ Common issue: 60–90 day reporting lag means a zero balance doesn't mean nothing was earned. Earnings from month one typically appear in month two or three.
- Sign up with one distributor — DistroKid ($22.99/yr unlimited) is recommended for frequent releasers, CD Baby (one-time per release) for occasional releases.
- Upload music, set your artist name and ISRC codes carefully — these identifiers are used by every other royalty organisation to match your recordings.
- Check your dashboard monthly, not daily. Reporting lag is normal.
2. PRO registration — performance royalties
A Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) collects performance royalties on your behalf — money earned when your music plays on radio, TV, in bars and restaurants, at live venues, or on streaming services as a songwriter.
Critical: you can only be a member of one PRO. BMI and ASCAP both cover the same royalty type. Pick one and stick with it. ASCAP has a one-time $50 songwriter fee. BMI is free to join.
↗ Common mistake: registering your songs with your PRO but not registering as a publisher too. If you self-publish, you need to register as both songwriter AND publisher — otherwise 50% of your performance royalties go unclaimed.
- Go to bmi.com or ascap.com and create a songwriter account.
- Register each of your songs in their works database — include co-writer splits if applicable.
- Also register as a publisher if you self-release — this captures the publisher's share (50% of performance royalties).
- Submit setlists after live performances to claim live performance royalties.
3. SoundExchange — digital radio royalties
SoundExchange is the only US organisation designated by the government to collect digital performance royalties for sound recordings played on non-interactive digital radio — Pandora, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, and internet radio stations.
This is entirely separate from your PRO (which covers songwriting) and your distributor (which covers on-demand streams). If your music plays on Pandora and you're not registered with SoundExchange, that money is uncollected — nobody is holding it for you.
SoundExchange pays two parties: 50% to the sound recording copyright owner (usually you, if you self-release) and 45% to the featured artist. If you're a self-releasing artist, register as both to collect 95% of what's owed to you.
↗ Estimated value: an artist with 500,000 monthly Pandora plays earns approximately $1,300/month — $15,600/year — in SoundExchange royalties, assuming they're registered. Unregistered: $0.
- Go to soundexchange.com and click Register.
- Choose "Both" — register as Performer AND Sound Recording Copyright Owner if you own your masters.
- Submit your catalog with ISRCs — these must match your distributor's ISRCs exactly for royalties to be matched correctly.
- Search for unclaimed royalties already in their system at soundexchange.com — enter your artist name to check.
- Complete a W-9 (US) or W-8BEN (non-US) for payment processing.
4. The MLC — mechanical royalties from streaming
The MLC collects mechanical royalties — money owed to songwriters every time their song is reproduced via an on-demand stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and similar services.
When you stream a song on Spotify, two royalties are generated: a master recording royalty (collected by your distributor) and a mechanical royalty (collected by The MLC). These are separate payments for separate rights. Your distributor collects one. The MLC collects the other — but only if you're registered.
Unmatched mechanical royalties are held for three years and then redistributed based on market share. This is the 3-year clock that makes this registration particularly urgent.
↗ The MLC currently holds an estimated $500M+ in unmatched royalties. Search your name at themlc.com/unmatched-royalties right now to see if any belongs to you.
- Go to themlc.com and create a Creator Portal account.
- Register as both songwriter and publisher if you self-release.
- Add your works — song titles, co-writers, publisher splits.
- Check the unmatched royalties database at themlc.com/unmatched-royalties.
- Submit a claim if you find your works listed without a connected payee.
5. YouTube Content ID — ad revenue on user videos
YouTube Content ID lets you claim ad revenue from any video on YouTube that uses your music — including videos uploaded by other people. When someone uses your song in a YouTube video and that video runs ads, YouTube collects the ad revenue. If you're registered with Content ID, that money flows to you. If not, it stays with YouTube.
Content ID is managed through your distributor. DistroKid includes it in their plan or as an add-on. TuneCore and CD Baby both offer it. Check your distributor settings to confirm it's enabled for your releases.
- Log into your distributor account and check Content ID settings for each release.
- Enable Content ID — the distributor handles the technical registration with YouTube.
- Check YouTube Studio periodically for claimed videos and earnings.
- Decide your claim policy — monetise (take the revenue) or track only (see where your music is being used).
What each registration actually covers
| Organisation | Royalty type | Platforms covered | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distributor | Master recording streams | Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Tidal | $0–$23/yr |
| BMI / ASCAP | Performance (songwriting) | Radio, TV, live, streaming | Free–$50 |
| SoundExchange | Digital radio performance | Pandora, SiriusXM, iHeart | Free |
| The MLC | Mechanical (songwriting) | Spotify, Apple, Amazon streams | Free |
| YouTube Content ID | Ad revenue on UGC videos | All YouTube videos using your music | Free via distributor |
How much are you actually missing?
The honest answer is: it depends entirely on your stream counts and radio presence. But here are rough benchmarks to estimate your gaps:
| If you have... | Estimated missed SoundExchange | Estimated missed MLC mechanicals |
|---|---|---|
| 100k Pandora plays/mo | ~$260/mo | — |
| 500k Pandora plays/mo | ~$1,300/mo | — |
| 500k Spotify streams/mo | — | ~$1,500–2,500/yr |
| 1M Spotify streams/mo | — | ~$3,000–5,000/yr |
The most common mistakes independent artists make
Only registering as a songwriter with their PRO — not as a publisher
If you self-release, you are both the songwriter and the publisher. Performance royalties split 50/50 between these two roles. If you only register as a songwriter, the publisher's 50% sits uncollected. Register as both.
Assuming the distributor handles everything
Your distributor collects master recording royalties from on-demand streaming. That's it. SoundExchange, The MLC, and your PRO are all completely separate registrations your distributor doesn't handle. They won't remind you either.
Using inconsistent artist names or ISRCs across registrations
Royalty matching depends on metadata. If your name is "DJ Example" on DistroKid but "DJ Example." (with a period) on SoundExchange, royalties may go unmatched. Use identical names and ISRC codes everywhere.
Not registering until the music is already earning
Registration should happen before or at the time of release — not months later. Retroactive registration can still capture future royalties, but historical plays that went unregistered are typically gone.
Missing the 3-year MLC deadline
The MLC holds unmatched royalties for three years. After that, they're redistributed by market share — meaning major publishers collect money that should have gone to independent artists. If you released music in 2022 or earlier, check the MLC's unmatched database immediately.
Your action plan — do this today
Step 1 — Check The MLC's unmatched database right now. Go to themlc.com/unmatched-royalties and search your artist name and song titles. Takes 30 seconds. If you find your works listed, create an account and submit a claim before the 3-year clock expires.
Step 2 — Register with SoundExchange if you haven't. Free, takes 20 minutes. Register as both Performer and Sound Recording Copyright Owner. Submit your catalog with ISRCs.
Step 3 — Check your PRO registration is complete. Log in and confirm your songs are registered in the works database — not just your artist account. Confirm you're also registered as a publisher if you self-release.
Step 4 — Enable YouTube Content ID in your distributor settings. Log in and check each release. If it's not enabled, turn it on. Content ID is retroactive — YouTube will find and claim videos using your music going back years.
Step 5 — Audit your ISRCs for consistency. Download your distributor's catalog report. Make sure the ISRCs match exactly what you submitted to SoundExchange and The MLC. Inconsistencies cause unmatched royalties.
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