How To Register With Soundexchange

By Adam Freedman & Alyssa Minnec

What is SoundExchange?

You're probably already familiar with registering your music with organizations like ASCAP, BMI, Harry Play tricks Agency, etc., who collect PUBLISHING royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers. However, SoundExchange is the merely rights organization in the United states of america that collects royalties for the MASTER side of commercial music.

Most countries around the world (EXCEPT FOR THE US) actually provide for a general public functioning royalty on the master side – called "Neighboring Rights" – in addition to the royalties on the publishing side.

Yet, in the US, this domain is covered past SoundExchange, only for some reason (don't ask us why), it's limited specifically to royalties generated from DIGITAL, Non-INTERACTIVE STREAMING. SoundExchange doesn't collect all digital streaming royalties – merely those generated from "NON-INTERACTIVE" platforms – where consumers tin can't choose what song they want to heed to. These platforms include Pandora Radio, Spotify Radio, etc. On the other hand, Spotify Premium and Apple Music are interactive considering yous tin choose your music.

How Do I go my Money from SoundExchange?

On the registration section of SoundExchange'due south website, there will be option to select what type of business relationship you are registering for: ane) performer, 2) the sound recording copyright owner, or three) both.

ARTIST SHOULD Register Equally BOTH, just to cover your bases.

If you lot release music on a label, the label volition most likely exist the owner of the audio recording here. However, in that location may also be situations where you release music independently, and therefore will be acting as both the performer and copyright owner, and want to register as both.

If you have previously only registered as a performer, register as a sound recording copyright owner as well (if that applies to you). If yous don't, you'll only exist receiving 45% of your total money. SoundExchange's breakdown for payment is 45% to the featured artist, fifty% to the sound recording owner (this is by and large the label, or you, if yous released the music yourself), and 5% to "non-featured artists." So, for yous independent artists out there who own 100% of the copyright in your work, it is upward to you to register your songs yourself to make sure you're seeing the results of that 100% ownership.

Side by side, SoundExchange will ask you to submit a full catalog of your work. When yous practise this, accept a few days to get your music itemize organized in an Excel spreadsheet and brand sure that you lot submit all of the necessary information about your work.

After y'all have reviewed your account information later registering, proceed to the "Search & Claim" department under the "My Catalog" tab to claim recordings you should be paid for. "Search & Claim" enables y'all to notice recordings in SoundExchange's database that take not nonetheless been associated with your business relationship. Search for your recordings, add them to your cart, and submit the cart with your merits information. If y'all do not find a recording in the database, that means it has non been submitted to SoundExchange yet by a rights owner or it has not been reported and therefore has not accrued whatever royalties.

If you are not in the United states of america, yous do not need to sign up for SoundExchange. Instead, you tin sign upward for your state'due south Neighboring Rights System.

How Do I become my Money from SoundExchange as a Producer?

As a producer on an artist's album, if agreed upon, you lot are entitled to a share of the artist's SoundExchange royalties, in addition to royalties coming from the label.

Even so, the mode SoundExchange'southward website is set upwardly, this is achieved by having the artist execute a "Letter of Direction" (LOD), instructing SoundExchange to pay a percent of his or her royalties to the producer.

Soundexchange requires that you lot utilise their specific LOD form, which you can find here – https://www.soundexchange.com/artist-copyright-owner/registration-membership/.

If you, equally a producer, are non registered with SoundExchange, y'all should still collect and submit signed LODs in the concurrently. One time you lot practice sign upwards, all of the LODs that SoundExchange received should automatically populate in your business relationship.

There is one of import aspect to note regarding artists and their producers and featured artists: SoundExchange tin can't pay royalties to producers or featured artists or producers if the main artist isn't signed upwardly for SoundExchange. Even if you have a signed letter of direction, you take to get the creative person to sign upwards themselves in order to receive your money.

Getting the artist to sign upwards with SoundExchange isn't always easy; you might take to stay persistent with their team or the label and stay on superlative of things in order to receive what'southward owed to you. Regardless, check out the website and register. If you have registered, make sure your catalog and/or letters of directions are submitted to brand sure you receive your money.

If your music is bachelor on any of the digital distribution platforms and you are not registered with SoundExchange, y'all are most likely missing out on some income that you should take received. So, if yous are the featured creative person on a track or anthology, and/or own the chief recordings of your songs, you probably have royalties waiting for y'all. SoundExchange will release whatever unclaimed digital functioning royalties later on three years of being unclaimed, and so that's why it is important to become a member of SoundExchange as soon every bit you have music bachelor through whatever of the usual digital service platforms.

Contact usa at the Law Part of Adam C. Freedman, PLLC to learn more about Soundexchange and making certain your music is properly registered