The Producer Lab
Posts
Ultimate Guide to Royalty Collection for Music Producers

Ultimate Guide to Royalty Collection for Music Producers

How to actually get paid for your music, TikTok killing AI, and a massive deal.

The Producer
September 22, 2023

Hey there! This week, we're giving you the ultimate guide to collecting royalties, TikTok killing AI content, and the track of the week. Let’s get it.

The Ultimate Guide to Royalty Collection for Music Producers

Ever get the feeling you’re not cashing in all the dollars your tracks could be making? You might be onto something! A lot of us in the music game might be leaving serious money on the table simply because we’re not clued in on all the revenue streams our tunes can create. So, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of royalties and see how you can ensure you’re collecting every penny your music earns!

Getting Down to the Basics

Every beat you make has two copyrights: the Sound Recording and the Underlying Composition. These are your keys to unlocking six main types of dough. Here’s the lowdown!

Sound Recording Copyright: Owning the Master

This is your track, your sound. If you’re independent, it’s all yours; if you’re signed, it’s the label’s property. This copyright gets you access to three revenue streams:

Interactive Streaming Royalties: Think Spotify and Apple Music. They pay out for every play. To get your share, hook up with a platform like Distrokid that automatically divides the earnings amongst all collaborators.
Digital Performance Royalties: These are from the non-interactive streaming giants like Pandora. To grab these, get yourself registered with SoundExchange.
Synchronization Fees and Royalties: When your tunes are in monetized videos, you earn from sync licenses. The companies using the tunes sort out the payment directly.

Underlying Composition Copyright: Securing the Publishing

This is about the non-recorded elements of your track, like the melodies and lyrics. It’s the foundation that can be used to create multiple Sound Recordings and it opens up three main income avenues:

Public Performance Royalties: These roll in whenever your track is played in public. To collect, get signed up with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP or BMI.
Mechanical Royalties: These come from the streams, downloads, or purchases of your tracks. To collect these, get registered with the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC).
Synchronization (Sync) Fees: These cover both the sound recording and the underlying composition copyrights when tracks are synchronized with visual media.

Extra Earnings: YouTube Royalties

Don’t forget about YouTube! Videos featuring your track also bring in royalties. Opt-in for YouTube content ID through your digital distribution company, or team up with a “YouTube monetization” company to get your cut.

Final Thoughts

Knowledge is your best friend in this game, and understanding your copyrights and getting your music properly registered will make sure you’re not missing out on any earnings.

Have any questions? Join us on Discord and let's discuss it further.

Track of the Week:

E.R.N.E.S.T.O - MONEY TALKS

Industry News: TikTok Wants to Kill AI Content?

TikTok’s making moves with a new feature aimed at maintaining transparency. They’re introducing a label for AI-generated content to keep viewers informed about what’s real and what’s been enhanced by AI.

This label is for creators using AI to elevate their content, aligning with TikTok’s guidelines on synthetic media. The platform is renaming all their AI effects to include “AI” in their names, a shift from their previous more discreet approach.

Creators can use this label to highlight the innovations in their content, applying it to anything significantly edited or completely generated by AI. TikTok won’t penalize those who opt not to label their AI-generated content, provided it adheres to existing synthetic media policies.

They’re also developing a system to automatically identify and label AI-generated content and are testing an “AI-generated” label, applied to content identified as edited or produced using AI tech.

However, TikTok is keeping the specifics of how they’ll identify AI-generated content confidential, citing concerns over potential circumvention of their detection capabilities.

What are your thoughts on this TikTok update? Let's chat about it on Discord.

Plugin Deal of The Week: Pulteq EQ - 86% OFF

Want that rich, analog sound in Daft Punk’s tracks? Well getting this EQ is not gonna make you Daft Punk, but it has been shaping the sound of popular music for over 70 years, adding that vintage warmth to vocals, drums, and synths.

It’s one of our favorites and it’s currently available at a sweet discount! If you’re looking to explore the heritage and sonic signature of this iconic EQ, now’s your chance! Check it here.

Check out the full list Home Recording Studio Essentials.