Connected
Missing
Not sure
Doesn't apply
- Master
- The sound recording itself. Whoever owns it collects master-side money like streaming payouts.
- Publishing
- The song as written: melody and lyrics. Earns separately from the recording, split into writer's share and publisher's share.
- Distributor
- Delivers your music to Spotify, Apple Music etc. and pays master royalties — e.g. DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore.
- YouTube Content ID
- Fingerprints your recording. Spots it in anyone's video and claims the ad revenue for you.
- SoundExchange
- Collects US royalties when your recordings play on digital radio — SiriusXM, Pandora radio, webcasters.
- Neighboring rights
- Royalties paid to performers and recording owners for radio, TV and public play — mostly outside the US.
- PRO
- Performing rights org (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR). Pays songwriters and publishers when songs are performed publicly.
- Writer's / publisher's share
- Performance royalties split in two halves, paid separately. Without a publishing entity, the publisher's half can go uncollected.
- Mechanical royalties
- Paid to songwriters each time a song is reproduced — every on-demand stream and download.
- The MLC
- Mechanical Licensing Collective. Pays US mechanical royalties from streaming. Free registration at themlc.com.
- Publishing administrator
- Collects international publishing royalties for a percentage — Songtrust, Sentric, CD Baby Pro.
- Sync
- Licensing your music to be paired with picture — film, TV, ads, games, online video.
- Cue sheet
- Document a production files listing every piece of music used. PROs use it to pay backend royalties.
- ISRC / ISWC
- ID codes. ISRC identifies a recording; ISWC identifies the song. Matching codes help royalties reach you.
- Splits
- The agreed ownership percentage each writer or owner holds — should match across every registration.