How to Register a Song Everywhere It Earns

If you want to know how to register a song so it actually pays you, here is the short answer: you do not register it once. You register it in several places, because each type of royalty is collected by a different organization. Uploading to Spotify through a distributor is only the first step. This guide walks you through how to register your music everywhere it earns, in the right order, in plain English.

Most independent artists stop after distribution. That is the single biggest reason money goes missing. The streams are real, the plays are real, but the royalties sit somewhere waiting for a registration that never happened.

Let's fix that.

Why one upload isn't enough

Every song you release is really two copyrights bundled together:

1. The composition. The melody and lyrics. This is owned by the songwriters and their publishers.
2. The sound recording (the master). The specific recording of that song. This is owned by whoever paid for or made the recording, which for most independent artists is you.

Each of those copyrights earns different kinds of royalties, and each kind has its own collector. Your distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, and others) collects the master side of streaming money from the platforms. That is a big piece, but it is not the whole pie.

Your distributor generally does not collect:

• Performance royalties for the composition (those go through a PRO like BMI or ASCAP).
• Mechanical royalties for the composition from US streaming (those go through The MLC).
• Digital performance royalties for the recording from non-interactive services like satellite and internet radio (those go through SoundExchange).

If you are not registered in those places, nobody is collecting that money on your behalf. It does not automatically flow to you just because your song is on Spotify.

This is what we call the 200% idea: you own 100% of the composition and 100% of the master, and you need to claim both. If you want to see every stream visually, open the Royalty Map.

The 8 places a song earns money

Here are the main places a song can earn for an independent artist in the US. Not all of them apply to every song, but you should know they exist.

1. Your distributor. Collects master royalties from streaming stores and downloads.
2. Your PRO (BMI or ASCAP, or another PRO). Collects public performance royalties for the composition from radio, TV, venues, and streaming.
3. The MLC. Collects US mechanical royalties for the composition from streaming and download services.
4. SoundExchange. Collects digital performance royalties for the recording from satellite radio, internet radio, and similar services.
5. The US Copyright Office. Not a royalty collector, but registration gives you legal protection and the ability to sue for infringement.
6. Your publisher account at your PRO. If you do not have a publisher, you can often register as your own publisher so you collect the publisher share too.
7. The AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund. Pays non-featured musicians and vocalists from certain royalty pools.
8. Chart and data services like Luminate. They do not pay you directly, but correct data helps your releases get counted.

Want a fast gut check on which of these you have missed? Try the free Missed Royalties Check. It takes about two minutes.

Step 1: ISRC + distribution

Everything starts with your recording's ID code, the ISRC (International Standard Recording Code). It is a 12 character code that identifies one specific recording. Every other registration will point back to it.

Most artists get their ISRC from their distributor when they upload a release. That is completely fine. Some artists buy their own registrant code so they can issue ISRCs themselves. Either way, the key rule is this: use the same ISRC everywhere. Never make up a new one for a different registration.

When you distribute, also note your UPC, which identifies the release (the single or album) rather than the individual track.

For a full breakdown, read our guide on what an ISRC code is and how to get one.

What to save after distribution

• Your ISRC for each track
• Your UPC for the release
• The exact song title and artist name as delivered
• Release date
• Writer names and splits

Keep this in one place. You will type the same details into every registration that follows.

Step 2: The MLC

The MLC (The Mechanical Licensing Collective) was created by the Music Modernization Act. It administers the blanket mechanical license for streaming and download services in the United States. When a song is streamed on an on-demand service in the US, a mechanical royalty is owed to the songwriters and publishers of the composition.

If you write your own songs and do not have a publishing administrator, you can become a member of The MLC as a self-administered songwriter. Membership is free, according to The MLC.

To register your works at The MLC you will need:

• Song title
• All writers and their ownership shares, adding up to 100%
• Writer IPI numbers (you get these when you join a PRO)
• ISRCs of recordings of the song, which help match usage to your work

We cover the whole process in our MLC registration guide.

Step 3: Your PRO (BMI or ASCAP)

A Performing Rights Organization collects performance royalties for the composition. In the US, the two biggest are BMI and ASCAP. You can only belong to one PRO as a writer at a time.

When you join, you get an IPI number, which is your unique songwriter ID. You will use it at The MLC and elsewhere.

After joining, you must register each song with your PRO. Joining alone does not register your catalog.

Writer share and publisher share

Performance royalties are split into a writer share and a publisher share. If you have no publisher, you may be leaving the publisher share uncollected or relying on how your PRO handles it. Many independent artists set up their own publishing entity with their PRO so they can claim both sides. Rules differ by PRO, so check BMI or ASCAP directly.

Not sure which to pick? Read BMI vs ASCAP: which PRO should you join.

Step 4: SoundExchange

SoundExchange collects digital performance royalties for sound recordings from non-interactive digital services like satellite radio and internet radio. This is master side money that your distributor does not collect.

If you own your masters and you are the featured artist, you should register in two roles:

1. As the featured artist
2. As the sound recording copyright owner (the rights owner)

According to SoundExchange, royalties are divided between the rights owner, the featured artist, and non-featured performers. Registering in only one role means leaving the other share unclaimed.

You will list your recordings with their ISRCs, so having those saved from Step 1 makes this much easier.

Step 5: Copyright

Registering with the US Copyright Office does not collect royalties. What it gives you is legal proof and power. In general, you need a registration before you can file an infringement lawsuit in the US, and timely registration can make certain damages and fees available.

You can register online through the Copyright Office's electronic system. Depending on what you own, you might register the composition, the sound recording, or both. Fees and form choices change, so check copyright.gov for the current options.

Composition or recording?

• If you wrote the song and own the recording, you can often cover both in one application when the same people own both.
• If different people own the composition and the recording, you usually need separate registrations.

When in doubt, read the Copyright Office's own guidance or ask an attorney.

The right order to do it in

Order matters because each step creates a piece of data the next step needs.

1. Write down your splits. Agree on writer percentages with every co-writer before anything else. Put it in writing.
2. Distribute and get your ISRC and UPC. Save them.
3. Join a PRO (if you have not) to get your IPI number. Set up your publishing entity if you choose to.
4. Register the song at your PRO.
5. Register the work at The MLC, using your IPI and ISRC.
6. Register the recording at SoundExchange as featured artist and rights owner.
7. File copyright registration at the Copyright Office.
8. Check performer funds and chart data so you are counted and paid everywhere else.

That looks like a lot, and done by hand it is. You type the same title, splits, and codes into five or six different websites, and one typo can stop a match.

How Royalty Lock helps

Royalty Lock was built for exactly this. You upload one song and confirm your ownership once. The AI then preps every registration: it builds the files and fills in the forms for each destination. You press submit under your own login at each organization. We never log into your accounts, and we never touch your money. The royalties go straight from each organization to you.

See the full flow on How it works, and check which registries allow direct submission today on our roadmap.

A real world example

Picture an independent artist named Maya. She writes a song with one co-writer, records it in her home studio, and releases it through a distributor. Here is what registering everywhere looks like for her single.

1. Splits. Maya and her co-writer agree on 50% each and put it in a short written split sheet that both sign.
2. Distribution. Her distributor assigns an ISRC to the track and a UPC to the single. Maya copies both into her notes.
3. PRO. Maya is already a BMI writer, and her co-writer is with ASCAP. That is fine. Each registers the song at their own PRO listing both writers and the 50/50 split.
4. The MLC. Maya registers the work at The MLC with both writers, both IPI numbers, 50/50 shares, and the ISRC.
5. SoundExchange. Because Maya owns the master and is the featured artist, she registers the recording in both roles with the same ISRC.
6. Copyright. She files one registration covering the song and the recording, since she and her co-writer own the composition and she owns the master. If ownership were split differently, she would check which forms apply.

Notice how every step reuses the same title, splits, and codes. That consistency is the whole game.

Mistakes that stop the money

Even artists who register everywhere lose money to small errors. Watch for these.

Different titles

"Summer Nights," "Summer Nights (Radio Edit)," and "Summernights" can look like three songs to a computer. Use one exact title, and add alternates on purpose.

Guessing your splits

Registering 100% for yourself when a co-writer exists does not get you more money. It creates a conflict that can freeze payment for everyone until it is resolved.

Forgetting older songs

Registration is not only for new releases. Your back catalog may still be earning. Go back and register songs you released years ago.

Only registering one role at SoundExchange

If you own your masters, you are both the featured artist and the rights owner. Register both.

Letting details go stale

Moved? New bank? New email? Update your info at every organization. They cannot pay you if they cannot reach you.

How much time does this really take?

Doing it all by hand, the first song can take a few hours, mostly spent creating accounts, finding codes, and learning each site. After your accounts are set up, each new song gets faster, but you are still typing the same data into several places.

That repetition is where mistakes creep in. A tool that keeps your song data in one place and fills it into each form for you cuts both the time and the error rate. That is the job Royalty Lock does: it preps, you submit.

FAQ

How do I register my music for royalties?

Distribute your song to get an ISRC, join a PRO like BMI or ASCAP and register the song there, register the composition at The MLC, register the recording at SoundExchange, and file a copyright registration. Each organization collects a different type of royalty, so you need all of them.

Is distribution the same as registering my song?

No. Your distributor collects master royalties from streaming stores. It generally does not collect composition performance royalties, US streaming mechanicals, or SoundExchange digital performance royalties. Those require separate registrations.

Do I need to copyright my song before releasing it?

Your song is protected by copyright the moment it is fixed in a recording or written down. Registering with the US Copyright Office is optional but gives you important legal rights, including the ability to sue for infringement. Many artists register around release time.

How long does it take to register a song everywhere?

The paperwork itself can take an afternoon per song if you do it by hand. Confirmation times vary by organization, from days to several weeks. Payments usually follow the organization's regular distribution schedule, so the first check can take months.