Releasing a Song and Collecting Every Royalty
Updated 10/27/2026
Releasing a finished track to streaming platforms through a distributor such as DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby delivers the audio file to listeners and collects only one stream of revenue: the Sound Recording (Master) payout from interactive streams and downloads. Four additional registrations are required to protect the song legally under federal copyright law and to collect the remaining composition and digital radio royalties.
Every recorded song contains two separate legal copyrights:
- The Musical Composition (
©/ Performing Arts): The underlying melody, chord progression, rhythm, and lyrics, owned by the songwriter(s) and music publisher(s) and tracked globally by an ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code). - The Sound Recording or Master (
℗/ Sound Recording): The specific recorded audio performance bounced from your DAW, owned by the performing artist(s) or record label and tracked globally by an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code).
In this module
- The Two Copyrights in Every Song - Composition vs Sound Recording
- US Copyright Office Registration - Single vs Album and Group Rules
- Performing Rights Organizations - ASCAP vs BMI and Writer vs Publisher Shares
- Distributors, The MLC, and SoundExchange - Closing the Royalty Gaps
Master overview of organizations and registrations
| Organization | What It Covers | Code Minted or Used | 2026 Cost | What It Pays or Protects | What It Does NOT Do |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
U.S. Copyright Office (copyright.gov, Library of Congress) | Composition (©) and/or Sound Recording (℗) | Federal Registration Number (PA, SR, PAu, SRu) | $45 Single (1 song, 1 sole creator/owner) $65 Standard (1 song, co-writers) $85 Group Unpublished (up to 10 works) $65 Group Album (GRAM, 2 to 20 tracks on same album & date) | Required to file a federal copyright infringement lawsuit (17 U.S.C. § 411) and to claim statutory damages up to $150,000 per work plus attorney's fees (17 U.S.C. § 412) | Does not distribute music to Spotify/Apple Music and does not collect royalties |
Digital Distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Symphonic) | Sound Recording / Master (℗) | Mints ISRC (per track) and UPC (per release) | ~$23 to $40/yr (DistroKid) or per-release fee (CD Baby) | Delivers audio to Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon, and YouTube Music; collects Master Streaming and Download Royalties (~50% to 55% of total streaming pie) | Does not register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office and does not collect PRO or MLC publishing royalties |
Performing Rights Organization (PRO) (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) | Musical Composition (©) Public Performance | Mints IPI / CAE (writer/publisher ID) and ISWC (composition ID) | ASCAP: $0 Writer ($50 separate Publisher) BMI: $75 Writer ($0 with student/org waiver) | Collects Public Performance Royalties (AM/FM radio, TV broadcast, live concert venues, bars, and the performance share of streams); splits 50% Writer Share + 50% Publisher Share | Does not register federal copyright, does not collect mechanical royalties (The MLC), and does not collect master royalties |
The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective, themlc.com) | Musical Composition (©) Digital Audio Mechanicals | Links your ISWC (from PRO) to your ISRC (from Distributor) | $0 (Free by federal statute under the Music Modernization Act; 0% commission) | Collects U.S. Interactive Streaming Mechanical Royalties (17 U.S.C. § 115) from Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music and pays 100% to the publisher / self-published songwriter | Does not collect public performance royalties (PRO), physical CD/vinyl mechanicals, or international mechanicals |
SoundExchange (soundexchange.com) | Sound Recording / Master (℗) Non-Interactive Digital Radio | Uses your ISRC (from Distributor) | $0 (Free registration for Featured Artists, Rights Owners, and Session Musicians) | Collects Statutory Non-Interactive Digital Performance Royalties (SiriusXM satellite radio, Pandora non-interactive radio, webcasters, cable music channels): 45% Featured Artist, 50% Master Owner, 5% Session Musicians | Does not collect interactive on-demand Spotify/Apple Music streams (paid via Distributor) or composition royalties |
Sources
- U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 1: Copyright Basics, Circular 4: Copyright Office Fees, Circular 50: Copyright Registration for Musical Compositions, Circular 55: Copyright Registration for Unpublished Works, Circular 56: Copyright Registration for Sound Recordings, and Circular 58: Copyright Registration for Works on an Album of Music (GRAM) (
copyright.gov/circs/). - Title 17 of the United States Code (
17 U.S.C. §§ 102, 114, 115, 411, 412, 504) and Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations (37 C.F.R. § 202.4(c)and§ 202.4(k)). - Donald S. Passman, All You Need to Know About the Music Business, 11th ed. (Simon & Schuster, 2023), Part II (Record Deals), Part III (Songwriting and Music Publishing), and Chapter 15 (Copyright Basics).
- Bobby Borg, Business Basics for Musicians, 2nd ed. (Hal Leonard, 2020).