Loading...
Loading...
Free Guide
62% of independent artists are missing royalties. Most do not know where to register, which codes to get, or how to claim money sitting in international collection societies. This guide fixes that.
62%
of indie artists are missing royalties they are owed
4 types
of royalties — most artists only collect one
3-5 years
lookback window to claim uncollected international royalties
Free
this guide is free for every plan including free users
Most artists only earn from streaming. But there are four separate royalty streams: performance, mechanical, sync, and master. Missing any one of them means real money going uncollected. This guide walks you through all of them.
What is covered
Each section builds on the last. Work through them in order or jump to the section most relevant to where you are right now.
Before registering anywhere, know which royalties you are entitled to. Most artists only collect one or two and miss the rest.
4 steps
A PRO collects performance royalties from broadcasters, streaming services, and public venues on your behalf. You need to join one as both a songwriter and a publisher.
4 steps
An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique 12-character identifier for every recording you make. It is how royalty collection societies and DSPs track your music globally.
4 steps
Publishing admin services register your songs internationally and collect mechanical and performance royalties from collection societies worldwide on your behalf.
4 steps
Metadata errors are the most common reason royalties are misdirected or go uncollected. Fix these now before your next release.
5 steps
Many artists have royalties sitting in foreign collection societies that were never claimed. Some of these can be recovered retroactively.
4 steps
Who this is for
You have released music but never registered with a PRO
Your distributor assigned you ISRCs but you do not know what to do with them
You are earning streams but your PRO account shows nothing
You have co-written songs but never documented the splits
You suspect royalties are sitting uncollected internationally
You want a clear, actionable system — not vague advice
FAQ
A PRO (Performing Rights Organisation) is the body that collects performance royalties on your behalf when your music is played on radio, TV, streaming platforms, or in public venues. Without registering, those royalties are collected but never paid to you. In Nigeria the PRO is COSON; in the US it is ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC; in the UK it is PRS for Music.
An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique 12-character identifier assigned to each of your recorded tracks. It is how streaming platforms, broadcasters, and collection societies track and attribute plays to the correct recording. Your distributor typically assigns ISRCs automatically at distribution. You can also get them directly through your national ISRC agency.
The four main royalty types are: performance royalties (paid when your music is publicly performed or broadcast, collected by PROs), mechanical royalties (paid when your music is reproduced on streaming or physical formats, collected by organisations like the MLC), sync royalties (paid when your music is licensed for film, TV, ads, or games), and master royalties (paid to the owner of the recording, often the artist or their label).
Yes. Most collection societies allow you to claim back royalties from the past 3 to 5 years. If your music has been played and you were not registered, those royalties are held in a pool. Registering now and filing a backdated claim can recover money already earned.
No. Distributors handle master royalties from streaming, but they do not register you with PROs or collect performance and mechanical royalties from international collection societies. You still need to register separately with a PRO, a publishing administrator, and SoundExchange (for digital performance royalties in the US) to capture all four royalty streams.
Yes. The Royalty Registration Guide and the interactive checklist in the dashboard are completely free on ArtistePilot. No upgrade required. Create a free account to save your progress and track which steps you have completed.
Generate a pitch email and one-sheet for film, TV, ads, YouTube, games, and podcasts — track-specific sync pitches that music supervisors actually read
One link for all streaming platforms — Spotify, Apple Music, Audiomack, Boomplay, and more
Create a professional Electronic Press Kit with bio, streaming links, press quotes, and a shareable URL
PRO registrations, ISRC codes, publishing deals, and how to make sure you collect everything you have earned. Practical advice for independent artists.
ArtistePilot
Free for every plan. No upgrade required. Your progress is saved automatically.