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Organizations

SoundExchange

A US digital performance rights organization that collects and distributes digital performance royalties (neighboring rights) for sound recordings played on non-interactive digital radio services such as Pandora and SiriusXM. SoundExchange pays both the featured artist and the sound recording copyright owner (label).

Articles about SoundExchange

SoundExchange vs PRO: Understanding the Difference and Why You Need Both
Music Business

SoundExchange vs PRO: Understanding the Difference and Why You Need Both

Most independent musicians and small labels leave streaming and radio money on the table because they confuse who collects what. This guide breaks down SoundExchange vs PRO so you can see exactly which organization handles sound recording versus composition royalties and gives step-by-step registration actions for artists, session players, producers, and rights owners.

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Songtrust: Business and Technology Partner to the Creative Community — How to use it for music publishing administration
Music Publishing

Songtrust: Business and Technology Partner to the Creative Community — How to use it for music publishing administration

Songtrust: Business and Technology Partner to the Creative Community provides global music publishing administration for independent songwriters and composers. This guide covers account setup, catalog registration, royalty collection from CMOs worldwide, and when Songtrust makes sense for your publishing rights.

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Music Royalty Calculator: How to Estimate Your PayoutsAugust 1, in 3 steps
Royalties

Music Royalty Calculator: How to Estimate Your PayoutsAugust 1, in 3 steps

Estimating streaming royalties is notoriously difficult because DSP payout models are opaque and rates vary by territory, subscription tier, and platform. This guide provides a three-step framework for calculating realistic payout ranges using your own streaming data.

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Publishing Administration Explained: Roles, Workflows, and Standards for Rights Management
Music Publishing

Publishing Administration Explained: Roles, Workflows, and Standards for Rights Management

Publishing administration explained covers rights management in music publishing, mapping roles, operational handoffs, and industry standards. Learn about workflows, file formats, identifiers, and integration patterns to reduce unmatched revenue and build auditable systems.

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Territory Collection Societies: A Global Guide to PROs and CMOs Worldwide
Music Business

Territory Collection Societies: A Global Guide to PROs and CMOs Worldwide

Territory collection societies form the patchwork of national and regional organizations that collect and distribute music royalties, and knowing who collects which rights in which markets is the practical difference between missing revenue and timely payments. This guide maps PROs, CMOs, neighboring rights and master rights collectors by territory, provides registration and metadata checklists for priority markets, and gives step-by-step troubleshooting and prioritization advice publishers, labels and sync teams can use to recover royalties faster.

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How to collect COSON Nigeria music royalties and international earnings through collection societies
Royalties

How to collect COSON Nigeria music royalties and international earnings through collection societies

African artists routinely miss international royalties because they lack direct relationships with foreign collection societies. A single membership in your home CMO like COSON Nigeria unlocks collection across 120+ territories through reciprocal agreements.

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How Social Media Music Marketing Royalties Generate Income Artists Are Missing
Royalties

How Social Media Music Marketing Royalties Generate Income Artists Are Missing

TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook generate performance, mechanical, and sync licensing royalties that most independent artists never collect. Billions in social media music marketing royalties sit unclaimed with CMOs worldwide because creators don't register works correctly or understand which platforms trigger which rights.

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Music Copyright vs Trademark: What's the Difference and Do You Need Both?
Copyright & Licensing

Music Copyright vs Trademark: What's the Difference and Do You Need Both?

Confused about music copyright vs trademark and which one you actually need? This article cuts through the overlap and explains what each protects, how registration works, typical costs and timelines, and the real-world consequences for streaming, sync and merchandise.

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How Performance Royalties Work: A Deep Dive for Independent Artists
Royalties

How Performance Royalties Work: A Deep Dive for Independent Artists

Performance royalties explained - a practical FAQ for independent artists who want to stop leaving money on the table. This guide lays out who gets paid for compositions versus recordings, which collecting societies handle each right, and the exact registration and metadata steps (ISWC, ISRC, IPI) you need to ensure plays are matched and paid.

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