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Royalty Collection

TV/Movies/Commercials/Video Games

License to Retail Stores

License for Sheet Music/Lyrics

When you are the songwriter and own publishing rights make sure that you or your publisher are registered with one of the following royalty collection agencies/associations who collect royalties from music media licensees and distribute them to the rights holders. Many royalties go unclaimed or uncollected because the songwriter or publisher has not registered the music. It's a relatively inexpensive cost for collecting what is owed you. Companies that regularly pay licensing fees are radio stations, tv programs, movies, lyric users, album art users, and many more.

Royalty Collection Organizations

SESAC

Location: Nashville, TN 37203
SESAC was founded in 1930, making it the second oldest performing rights organization in the United States. When a songwriter or publisher affiliates with SESAC, SESAC then represents the right for that music to be played in public. As a technological leader among the nation’s performing rights organizations, SESAC employs state-of-the-art Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) performance detection. SESAC utilizes BDS in conjunction with other cutting edge performance detection technology, providing SESAC’s writer and publisher affiliates with fast and accurate royalty payments. SESAC has a selective process by which to affiliate songwriters and publishers, resulting in affiliates who have personal relationships with the SESAC staff. Submissions are reviewed by SESAC's Writer/Publisher Relations staff.

ASCAP

Location: New York, 10023
ASCAP is a membership association of more than 750,000 U.S. composers, songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP protects the rights of its members by licensing and distributing royalties for the non-dramatic public performances of their copyrighted works. See their website for membership application fees.

Sound Exchange

Location: Wahington, DC 20005
Sound Exchange is a nonprofit performance rights organization, that collects and distributes digital performance royalties for featured recording artists and sound recording copyright owners when their sound recordings are performed on digital, cable and satellite music services.

BMI

Location: New York, NY 10019-3790
BMI collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been licensed.

Harry Fox

Location: New York, NY 10001
Harry Fox represents over 45,000 music publishers for their licensing needs in the US, issuing licenses as well as collecting and distributing the associated royalties.

Audiam

Audiam is a digital reproduction collection agency. Their services include licensing and collecting royalties in the U.S. and Canada, as well as ensuring that uses of your music on YouTube are monetized and paid to you.

Songtrust

Songtrust is a global royalty collection service which collects royalties from streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Songtrust offers automated music publishing administration and affordable song registration without taking any of the creator’s rights to the composition.