SoundExchange registration is one of the most commonly skipped steps for independent artists, and it is one of the easiest ways to leave money on the table. SoundExchange royalties come from digital radio style services, and your distributor and your PRO generally do not collect them. If you own your masters or you are the featured artist on a recording, this guide walks you through what SoundExchange pays, why it is separate, how to register in the right roles, and how to find recordings that are not yet claimed.
What SoundExchange pays (digital performance: internet radio, satellite, non-interactive streaming)
In the United States, sound recordings earn a special kind of royalty when they are played on certain digital services. This is called a digital performance royalty.
According to SoundExchange, it collects these royalties from services such as:
- Satellite radio, like SiriusXM
- Internet radio and webcasters
- Non-interactive streaming, meaning streams where the listener does not pick the exact song, such as radio style stations
- Cable and satellite TV music channels
What "non-interactive" means
On an interactive service, like picking a song on Spotify or Apple Music on demand, the listener chooses exactly what to hear. Those streams pay through your distributor (for the recording) and through your PRO and The MLC (for the composition).
On a non-interactive service, the service programs the music, a bit like radio. Those plays generate digital performance royalties for the recording, which SoundExchange collects.
Who gets paid
SoundExchange pays several groups for the same play:
- The sound recording copyright owner, often called the rights owner. For independent artists who own their masters, that is you or your label entity.
- The featured artist.
- Non-featured performers, like session musicians and background singers, through the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund.
The exact division is set by law and SoundExchange's policies. Check SoundExchange's website for the current details instead of relying on numbers from blog posts.
Why it is separate from your PRO and distributor
Here is the most common misunderstanding: "I have a distributor and I joined BMI, so I am covered." Not for SoundExchange.
Your distributor
Your distributor collects royalties from stores and on-demand streaming services for your recordings. Most distributors do not collect SoundExchange digital performance royalties for you by default. Some may offer related services, so check what yours actually does.
Your PRO
Your PRO (BMI, ASCAP, and others) collects performance royalties for the composition, the song itself. SoundExchange collects performance royalties for the recording. Different copyright, different collector.
The MLC
The MLC collects mechanical royalties for the composition from on-demand services. Again, a different stream.
This is why we talk about owning 200%: 100% of the song and 100% of the recording. Each side has its own collectors. See every stream on the Royalty Map.
The dual registration trap: rights owner AND featured artist
This is where many independent artists lose half of what they are owed.
If you are an independent artist who owns your masters, you are wearing two hats:
- Featured artist. The performer whose name is on the track.
- Sound recording copyright owner (rights owner). The owner of the master.
SoundExchange pays each of these roles separately. If you register only as a featured artist, the rights owner share has nobody to go to. If you register only as a rights owner, the featured artist share has nobody to go to.
How to avoid it
Register in both roles. SoundExchange has separate registration paths for performers and for rights owners. Complete both if both apply to you.
Band situations
If you are in a band, decide who the featured artists are and who owns the masters. Everyone who is a featured artist may need to register, and the entity that owns the masters registers as the rights owner.
If a label owns your master
If a label owns your recording, the label is generally the rights owner. You may still need to register yourself as the featured artist to receive the artist share.
Step-by-step registration
SoundExchange updates its site from time to time, so follow the prompts you see. Here is the general flow.
Before you start
Gather:
- Your legal name and artist name
- Your address, phone, and email
- Your tax information (SoundExchange needs tax forms to pay you)
- Bank details for direct deposit
- A list of your recordings with ISRCs
If you are unsure where your ISRCs are, read what an ISRC code is.
Registering as a featured artist
- Go to SoundExchange's website and start the artist or performer registration.
- Enter your legal name, artist name, and contact details.
- Complete the required tax form.
- Add your payment info.
- Sign the membership or letter of direction documents SoundExchange asks for.
- Submit and watch for a confirmation email.
Registering as a rights owner
- Start the rights owner or sound recording copyright owner registration.
- Enter the name of the owner. If you own your masters personally, that may be you. If you use a label entity or company, use that name.
- Complete tax and payment info for that owner.
- Sign the required agreements.
- Submit.
Consider the International Mandate
SoundExchange also offers an option to collect neighboring rights royalties from certain other countries on your behalf, sometimes called the International Mandate. Read the details on SoundExchange's site and decide whether it fits you, especially if you have listeners outside the US.
Adding your catalog
Membership alone is not enough. SoundExchange needs to know which recordings belong to you.
What to submit for each recording
- Track title
- Featured artist name
- ISRC
- Album or release title
- Release date
- Label or rights owner name
The ISRC is the key. SoundExchange uses it to match plays to your recordings. Use the exact same ISRC your distributor delivered to stores.
One recording at a time or in bulk
Small catalogs can often be entered one track at a time. Larger catalogs may be submitted in bulk using a spreadsheet format SoundExchange provides. Double check every ISRC before uploading.
How Royalty Lock helps
Royalty Lock stores your track titles, ISRCs, artist names, and release dates from your one upload. The AI preps a SoundExchange ready catalog file from that data, so you are not retyping codes. You submit it under your own SoundExchange login. We never log into your account and never touch your royalties. See How it works.
How to check for unregistered recordings
If your music has been played on internet or satellite radio before you registered, SoundExchange may already be holding money for you.
Search the artist lookup
SoundExchange offers an artist search where you can see whether royalties are being held under your name. Search:
- Your artist name
- Your legal name
- Old band or project names
- Common misspellings
If you find yourself
Register right away in every role that applies. SoundExchange has rules that allow unclaimed royalties to be released after a period of time, so money not claimed can be gone.
Check other places too
While you are searching, check The MLC and the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund. Our guide to unclaimed music royalties covers each one, and the free Missed Royalties Check walks you through them in two minutes.
Keeping your SoundExchange account healthy
- Add every new release as soon as you have ISRCs.
- Update contact, tax, and bank info whenever it changes.
- Review statements for recordings you know get radio style plays but show nothing.
- Recheck the artist search once or twice a year for anything unclaimed.
A few minutes of upkeep can catch problems before money sits too long.
For the full order of registrations, start with the pillar guide on how to register a song everywhere it earns.
Common SoundExchange mistakes
Registering only one role
As covered above, owners of their own masters usually need both the featured artist and rights owner registrations.
Different artist names
If your distributor lists you as "J. Rivers" and SoundExchange lists "Jay Rivers," matching can suffer. Keep your artist name consistent everywhere.
Wrong or missing ISRCs
A missing or mistyped ISRC can leave plays unmatched. Copy and paste from your distributor.
Assuming your distributor handles it
Unless your distributor clearly says it collects SoundExchange royalties for you, assume it does not.
A real world example
Picture an independent artist named Dre who records and releases his own music through a distributor. He owns his masters and performs as the featured artist.
- Dre registers as a featured artist with SoundExchange using his legal name and his artist name "Dre Vale."
- Dre registers as a rights owner. He uses his label name, Vale Records, because that is the name he has used to release his music.
- Dre adds his catalog, listing every track with the ISRC his distributor delivered.
- Dre searches the artist lookup and discovers plays on internet radio from before he registered. He follows SoundExchange's steps to claim them.
- Dre adds new singles as soon as they come out, so there is never a gap.
Along the way Dre also makes sure his compositions are registered at his PRO and at The MLC, because SoundExchange only covers the recording side. If his song features a session guitarist, that player may be paid through the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund.
What SoundExchange does not cover
To keep your expectations clear, SoundExchange generally does not collect:
- On-demand streaming royalties for your recording. Your distributor collects those.
- Performance royalties for your composition. Your PRO collects those.
- US mechanical royalties for your composition. The MLC collects those.
- Terrestrial AM and FM radio royalties for recordings. In the US, traditional AM and FM radio has not historically paid performance royalties for sound recordings, though it pays composition royalties through PROs.
Every one of these streams needs its own registration.
FAQ
What does SoundExchange pay artists for?
SoundExchange pays digital performance royalties for sound recordings played on non-interactive digital services, such as satellite radio, internet radio, and radio style streaming. It pays the rights owner, the featured artist, and non-featured performers.
Do I need SoundExchange if I have a distributor?
In most cases, yes. Distributors typically collect royalties from stores and on-demand streaming, not SoundExchange digital performance royalties. Check what your distributor offers, but most independent artists need to register with SoundExchange directly.
Is SoundExchange registration free?
SoundExchange's website describes how registration works and any costs. Check the official site for current details before you sign up.
Should I register as an artist or a rights owner?
If you own your masters and you are the featured artist, register as both. Each role is paid separately, and registering in only one can leave the other share unclaimed.