How to collect songwriter royalties as an independent writer

Songwriter royalties come from four major sources in the US — PRO performance royalties (BMI, ASCAP, SESAC), The MLC mechanical royalties (from digital streams), SoundExchange digital performance royalties (from non-interactive radio + satellite), and foreign society royalties (from streams + performances outside the US). Collecting all four requires registering with each separately or working with a publishing administrator that handles them in one place.

Steps

1. Affiliate with a PRO (BMI / ASCAP / SESAC) — Choose one US Performing Rights Organization. BMI and ASCAP are free to join; SESAC is invite-only. Submit your songwriter info + tax form, get your IPI number (used by all other registrations).
2. Register as a Songwriter Member with The MLC — Go to themlc.com, complete the songwriter signup, link your IPI number, register every work you have written. Free to join.
3. Register with SoundExchange (if you also recorded performances) — SoundExchange pays digital performance royalties to recording artists + featured performers. If you are only a songwriter (not a performer), skip this step. soundexchange.com.
4. Register your works for foreign collection — Foreign collection societies (PRS in UK, GEMA in Germany, SACEM in France, etc.) collect royalties when your songs play overseas. Direct registration with each is impractical — use a publishing administrator that has reciprocal agreements with foreign societies.
5. Register your works in CWR format — CWR (Common Works Registration) is the music industry standard for sending work registrations between publishers, PROs, and CMOs. Most independents do not file CWR directly — a publishing admin handles this.
6. Audit + claim quarterly — PRO and MLC statements are issued quarterly. Audit them against your release calendar — unmatched royalties happen when registrations are incomplete or splits are wrong. File claims as needed.

FAQ

How much do songwriter royalties pay?

Depends on stream volume + sync placements. PRO royalties average $0.001-0.005 per US stream (per song); MLC mechanicals average ~$0.0003 per stream. Sync placements pay $500-$25,000+ per placement. A song with 1M streams typically earns $4,000-8,000 across all collection types when fully claimed.

What does Producer Tour charge for royalty collection?

20% of recovered royalties, no monthly fee. We register works, file claims, audit statements, and pay out via Stripe or Wise. Apply at https://producertour.com/apply.

Do I need a publishing administrator?

Not legally required — you can register with each PRO/CMO directly. Practically, the foreign society side (40+ international CMOs) and CWR/work registration are hard to do independently. A publishing admin like Producer Tour covers everything for a percentage.