Set up your royalty accounts: The MLC, SoundExchange, ASCAP & BMI

First, the mental model: your song vs. your recording

Every track is really two copyrights, and different organizations pay each one:

• The song (the composition — melody and lyrics). You collect on this as a songwriter/composer and as your own publisher.
• The recording (the specific master you released). You collect on this as the recording artist and master owner.

Get the right accounts for both hats and you capture royalties your distributor never touches. Here's each organization, what it pays, and where to sign up.

1. A PRO — ASCAP or BMI (performance royalties for the song)

A Performing Rights Organization (PRO) collects public-performance royalties for the song — when it's played on radio, TV, in venues and stores, on live stages, and the performance side of streaming. In the US you join one PRO, as both a writer and (recommended) your own publisher.

• ASCAP — free to join as a writer. Joining separately as a publisher is a one-time $50 fee, but if you join as a writer and publisher together, both fees are waived. Sign up at ascap.com.
• BMI — free to affiliate as a songwriter (per BMI's FAQ; some new affiliates have reported a one-time fee, so check the current cost when you apply). Setting up a publishing entity has a one-time fee (roughly $175 for an individual publisher, more for an LLC/corporation or partnership). Sign up at bmi.com/join.

ASCAP vs. BMI: for most independent songwriters the practical differences are small — pick one and stay consistent (you can't collect the same works through two PROs at once). SESAC and GMR (Global Music Rights) are the other two US PROs, but both are invitation-only — you can't simply sign up.

2. The MLC (mechanical royalties for the song)

The Mechanical Licensing Collective pays mechanical royalties — the money owed to the song every time it's streamed or downloaded in the US. This is a big, commonly-missed stream, and it's free to join as a self-administered songwriter (meaning you register your own works and collect directly, no publisher required).

1. Start at themlc.com/get-started and create your Member account.
2. Verify your identity and choose the role you play (songwriter, publisher, or both).
3. Register your works in the Member Hub — one song at a time, or in bulk. This step is what actually gets you paid, so don't skip it.

Note: your PRO handles the performance side of streaming; The MLC handles the mechanical side. You want both.

3. SoundExchange (digital performance royalties for the recording)

SoundExchange is the only US organization designated to collect digital performance royalties for the sound recording — paid when your master is played on non-interactive digital radio: SiriusXM, Pandora's radio mode, internet and cable radio stations. Your distributor does not collect this. Registration is free and takes about 15 minutes.

1. Register at register.soundexchange.com.
2. Choose your account type: performer, rights owner, or both. If you own your masters and perform on them, register as both — you're owed the owner share (50%) and the featured-artist share (45%).
3. Use Search & Claim to find and claim your recordings in their database.

The remaining 5% goes to non-featured performers via the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund. If you play or sing on other people's records (session work) but aren't the featured artist, register there too at raroyalties.org.

The fastest order to set it all up

1. Join a PRO (ASCAP or BMI) as writer + your own publisher.
2. Join The MLC and register your works (mechanicals).
3. Register with SoundExchange and claim your recordings (digital performance).
4. If you do session work, add the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund.
5. Then register every song at your PRO and The MLC as you release it.

Collecting abroad

The accounts above cover the US. When your music gets airplay or performance overseas, those royalties sit with foreign societies and need a sub-publisher or a neighbouring-rights administrator to collect and route them home. That's a next step once you're earning internationally — the four US accounts come first.

Then bring it all into one view

Once statements start arriving from your PRO, The MLC, SoundExchange, and your distributor, they'll each be in a different portal with a different layout. Export the CSVs and upload them to git-royal's royalties tool — it reads the columns automatically and totals everything by source, platform, and track, so you can finally see all your income in one place.

A note on accuracy

This is general, informational guidance — not legal, tax, or financial advice, and it's specific to the United States. Fees and sign-up steps change, so confirm the current details on each organization's own site before you apply, and consider a music attorney for anything involving co-writes, publishing deals, or business structure.