Copyright is the foundation of music monetization — yet most independent artists have only a vague understanding of how it works. This guide covers the essentials clearly.
You Own It the Moment You Create It
In most countries, copyright is automatic. The moment you fix a song in a tangible form — record it, notate it — you own it. You don't need to register it for it to be protected.
However, registration gives you legal advantages if someone infringes: you can sue for statutory damages and attorneys' fees, not just actual damages. Registration is cheap and worth doing.
Two Copyrights in Every Recording
Every commercial release contains two separate copyrights:
- Composition copyright — the melody and lyrics (owned by songwriter/publisher)
- Sound recording copyright (master) — the actual recorded performance (owned by whoever paid for the recording, typically the label or the artist)
When you stream a track, the streaming platform pays both. This is why songwriters get royalties even from other artists' covers of their songs.
Performing Rights Organisations (PROs)
A PRO collects performance royalties on your behalf when your music is played publicly — on radio, TV, in cafés, at live venues, and more. Register with the PRO in your country:
- Italy: SIAE
- UK: PRS for Music
- USA: ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC
- Germany: GEMA
- Norway/Sweden: TONO / STIM
Registration is free or low-cost and you should do it before you release anything publicly.
Mechanical Royalties
Every time someone streams or downloads a song, the streaming platform owes a mechanical royalty to the songwriter. In the US, these are collected by the MLC. In other countries, your PRO or a dedicated mechanical society handles it.
Use a distributor like DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby to register your ISRC codes and ensure royalties are tracked per recording.
Work-for-Hire and Co-Writing
If you create music as a freelancer and sign a work-for-hire agreement, you transfer copyright to the client. Read contracts carefully.
For co-written songs, agree on splits before you finish the session. Document everything in writing — verbal agreements cause disputes.
What to Do Right Now
- Join your national PRO
- Register your songs with ISRC codes via your distributor
- Claim your artist profiles on Spotify for Artists, Apple Music for Artists, and YouTube Studio
- Set up a publishing entity or use your distributor's publishing admin service