{ "meta": { "id": "royalty-coverage-2026", "title": "Who Actually Collects Your Music Royalties", "version": "1.0.0", "as_of": "2026-08-13", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "Every cell is sourced to the named organisation's OWN published documentation — its help centre, pricing page, or official newsroom. No blog, review site or comparison article was used as the source for any cell; secondary sources were used only to locate candidate primary URLs. A cell with no primary source ships as UNKNOWN rather than inferred from a competitor's behaviour or from what the company appears to imply.", "limits": [ "Coverage changes. Companies add and remove services, and a stale cell here costs a reader money, so every cell carries the date it was read.", "UNKNOWN means we could not source it, NOT that the answer is no. Several UNKNOWN cells are probably 'no', but this dataset does not guess.", "Plan tiers change names and prices. Where a company has renamed or retired a tier, that is recorded as a trap rather than silently updated.", "This dataset covers what an organisation COLLECTS. It does not rate them, rank them, or recommend one." ], "streams": [ { "id": "master_dsp", "label": "Master streaming royalties", "help": "Your recording being streamed on Spotify, Apple Music and similar. This is the payment almost everyone means when they say 'streaming royalties'.", "qlabel": "master streaming royalties" }, { "id": "mech_us", "label": "US mechanical royalties", "help": "The songwriting side of a US stream, paid under the statutory blanket licence administered by The MLC. Separate from the recording payment above, and paid to whoever registered the WORK.", "qlabel": "US mechanical royalties" }, { "id": "mech_intl", "label": "International mechanical royalties", "help": "The same songwriting payment, collected outside the US by other societies.", "qlabel": "international mechanical royalties" }, { "id": "pro_perf", "label": "Performance royalties (songwriter)", "help": "Paid when the composition is performed or broadcast. Split into a writer share and a publisher share, and those two halves can be collected by different parties.", "qlabel": "songwriter performance royalties" }, { "id": "neighbouring", "label": "Neighbouring rights / SoundExchange", "help": "Payment for NON-interactive play of the recording — satellite radio, webcasting. In the US this is SoundExchange, and it is nobody else's job.", "qlabel": "neighbouring rights via SoundExchange" }, { "id": "yt_contentid", "label": "YouTube Content ID", "help": "Revenue when your recording is used in other people's YouTube videos.", "qlabel": "YouTube Content ID revenue" }, { "id": "yt_publishing", "label": "YouTube publishing", "help": "The composition side of YouTube revenue, distinct from the recording side above.", "qlabel": "YouTube publishing royalties" }, { "id": "sync", "label": "Sync licensing", "help": "Placement in film, TV, advertising and games.", "qlabel": "sync licensing" } ] }, "entities": [ { "id": "distrokid", "name": "DistroKid", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://distrokid.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core service. DistroKid states artists keep 100% of the master streaming royalties it collects." }, "mech_us": { "v": "addon", "note": "Not included in standard distribution. Covered only by the separate paid DistroKid Publishing product." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "addon", "note": "Same — publishing product only." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "partial", "note": "The publishing add-on collects the PUBLISHER share only. The writer share is paid by your PRO directly to you, so with no PRO affiliation nobody collects it at all." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "unknown", "note": "SoundExchange is not documented anywhere in DistroKid's published material. Treat your SoundExchange registration as your own job until they say otherwise." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "yes", "note": "Offered, with a revenue share taken on the Content ID income." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not separately documented from the recording side." }, "sync": { "v": "conflict", "note": "⚠ DistroKid's own materials both describe collecting sync income AND state the service does not include sync licensing. Their copy contradicts itself; do not rely on either sentence." } }, "traps": [ "\"Keep 100%\" describes the MASTER side only. The publishing side is a separate paid product, and Content ID income is shared.", "With no PRO affiliation, your songwriter performance share is collected by nobody — not by DistroKid, and not automatically by anyone else." ] }, { "id": "tunecore", "name": "TuneCore", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://www.tunecore.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core service." }, "mech_us": { "v": "addon", "note": "Handled by TuneCore's separate publishing administration product, not by distribution." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "addon", "note": "Publishing administration product." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "partial", "note": "Publisher share only, stated in plain text in TuneCore's own documentation. The writer share continues to be paid to you by your PRO." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "TuneCore explicitly disclaims SoundExchange collection. Register yourself." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "yes", "note": "Offered as part of its YouTube monetisation service." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "addon", "note": "Via the publishing administration product." }, "sync": { "v": "addon", "note": "Represented through the publishing side rather than distribution." } }, "traps": [ "Distribution and publishing administration are two different purchases. Buying the first does not start the second.", "TuneCore is one of the clearer companies here: it states the publisher-share-only rule outright rather than leaving it implied." ] }, { "id": "cdbaby", "name": "CD Baby", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://cdbaby.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core service." }, "mech_us": { "v": "no", "note": "⚠ CD Baby Pro Publishing was DISCONTINUED in August 2023. The current CDB Boost product does not replace it." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "no", "note": "Not collected since Pro Publishing ended." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "no", "note": "Not collected since Pro Publishing ended. Join a PRO directly." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "partial", "note": "The only company in this group that collects any SoundExchange money — and it collects the 50% RIGHTS-OWNER share only. The 45% featured-artist share still requires your own SoundExchange registration." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "yes", "note": "Offered." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "no", "note": "Not collected since Pro Publishing ended." }, "sync": { "v": "no", "note": "Not collected since Pro Publishing ended." } }, "traps": [ "★ The single most out-of-date belief in music distribution: CD Baby Pro Publishing ENDED in August 2023, and a large share of blogs, videos and comparison articles still describe CD Baby as a full publishing administrator. If you signed up expecting publishing collection after that date, you do not have it.", "Its partial SoundExchange collection is genuinely unusual and genuinely partial. Collecting the rights-owner share is not the same as collecting your artist share." ] }, { "id": "unitedmasters", "name": "UnitedMasters", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://unitedmasters.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core service." }, "mech_us": { "v": "addon", "note": "Through its publishing offering rather than base distribution." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "addon", "note": "Publishing offering." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "partial", "note": "Publisher share only. Your PRO still pays your writer share." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "Treated as a third-party matter — your SoundExchange registration is your own." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "yes", "note": "Offered." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not separately documented." }, "sync": { "v": "yes", "note": "Sync placement is a core part of the UnitedMasters proposition." } }, "traps": [ "\"Keep 100%\" again describes the master side. Publishing and UGC are where the share is taken." ] }, { "id": "ditto", "name": "Ditto Music", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://dittomusic.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core service." }, "mech_us": { "v": "addon", "note": "Through the separate publishing product. Whether that includes direct MLC registration is not documented." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "addon", "note": "Publishing product; the specific societies are not named in its published material." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "partial", "note": "Publisher share only, stated plainly in Ditto's own documentation." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "Explicitly disclaimed. Register with SoundExchange yourself." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "yes", "note": "Offered; the commission rate is not clearly published." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "addon", "note": "Publishing product." }, "sync": { "v": "addon", "note": "Publishing product." } }, "traps": [ "⚠ Ditto publishes TWO DIFFERENT commission rates on two different official pages (15% in one place, 10%/20% in another). When a company contradicts itself on price, get the rate in writing before signing." ] }, { "id": "amuse", "name": "Amuse", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://www.amuse.io", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "100% on all paid tiers — except YouTube Content ID. ⚠ If your subscription lapses, a 25% commission applies to keep releases live." }, "mech_us": { "v": "unknown", "note": "The MLC is named nowhere in Amuse's published material. Its international partner's rollout is described as covering the world OUTSIDE the US, so the US gap appears unaddressed — but Amuse has not said so, and this dataset does not infer it." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "yes", "note": "Via an announced partnership with the global digital collection society AMRA, covering 200+ territories. Commission rate and current live status are not published." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "no", "note": "Stated outright: Amuse pays the artist, NOT the writers. Join your PRO directly." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "unknown", "note": "SoundExchange and neighbouring rights appear nowhere in Amuse's published material." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "partial", "note": "Included at no cost on the two higher tiers; a 15% fee applies on the entry tier. The release must also be delivered to YouTube Music or nothing is collected." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not separated from the recording side anywhere in its documentation." }, "sync": { "v": "no", "note": "Not offered on self-serve plans." } }, "traps": [ "\"100% royalties\" carries an admitted carve-out: Content ID ad revenue is cut 15% on the entry tier.", "The pricing page says music stays live with no extra payments when you downgrade. The support documentation says a 25% commission applies once a subscription lapses. The music stays up; a quarter of the money does not.", "⚠ Tier names in nearly every comparison article are STALE. The older tier names are no longer purchasable, and existing subscribers on them cannot add new artists.", "Content ID is unavailable for exactly the artist most likely to buy the entry tier: non-exclusive beats, samples, toplines, remixes, mashups, stock and AI-generated music are all ineligible." ] }, { "id": "ascap", "name": "ASCAP", "type": "pro", "url": "https://www.ascap.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "no", "note": "ASCAP licenses compositions, not sound recordings. Members grant it only the right to license non-dramatic performances of their musical works." }, "mech_us": { "v": "no", "note": "Stated by ASCAP itself: mechanical royalties from streams, downloads and physical sales are NOT collected by performing rights organisations. ASCAP runs a page whose whole purpose is telling members to join The MLC separately." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "no", "note": "Its foreign agreements are performing-rights reciprocals only." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core function. Distribution is 50% writer share and 50% publisher share, paid four times a year, including international via reciprocal agreements with foreign societies." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "A master-side right, outside ASCAP's grant of rights entirely." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "no", "note": "Content ID is a sound-recording tool. ASCAP holds no master rights." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "partial", "note": "YouTube pays ASCAP a licensing fee for the performance of members' music. This is the PERFORMANCE slice only, not the YouTube reproduction/mechanical component." }, "sync": { "v": "no", "note": "ASCAP does not license synchronisation. It collects the performance royalties that arise from a sync placement being broadcast, never the sync fee itself." } }, "traps": [ "★ Joining a PRO does NOT get you your mechanicals. This is the single most common and most expensive misunderstanding in independent music.", "Joining as WRITER ONLY leaves the 50% publisher share of every performance uncollected. ASCAP waives its $50 publisher fee if you join as writer and publisher at the same time, so the cost of doing it right is zero if done at signup.", "\"ASCAP handles my sync\" is false. It collects only the downstream performance." ], "note": "Free for writer members. $50 one-time publisher-only application fee, waived on simultaneous writer+publisher signup." }, { "id": "bmi", "name": "BMI", "type": "pro", "url": "https://www.bmi.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "no", "note": "BMI royalties are performing-right royalties on musical works." }, "mech_us": { "v": "no", "note": "BMI states plainly that mechanical royalties and synchronisation fees are paid directly to the copyright owner, not through BMI." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "no", "note": "Its foreign reciprocals cover performance only." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core function, including international through reciprocal agreements with foreign societies. Foreign performance money lags 12 to 18 months." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "A master-side right, not a BMI function." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "no", "note": "Outside BMI's rights." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "partial", "note": "BMI licenses internet streaming as public performance. Performance slice only." }, "sync": { "v": "no", "note": "Synchronisation fees go directly to copyright owners and publishers, not through BMI." } }, "traps": [ "★ Same headline trap as ASCAP: performance only, zero mechanicals.", "BMI's publisher affiliation fee is materially higher than ASCAP's ($175 to $500 versus $50) and is NOT waived for simultaneous writer signup. Most comparisons miss this real cost difference.", "Foreign performance royalties lag 12 to 18 months. A first-year artist concluding BMI is not paying them is usually just early." ], "note": "Free for songwriters and composers, no annual dues. Publisher fees $175 individual, $250 corporation or LLC, $500 partnership, non-refundable." }, { "id": "sesac", "name": "SESAC", "type": "pro", "url": "https://www.sesac.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "no", "note": "Licenses public performance of non-dramatic musical works. Compositions only." }, "mech_us": { "v": "partial", "note": "Not by SESAC itself. The Harry Fox Agency is a separate company under the same parent and a NON-EXCLUSIVE mechanical agent with its own eligibility bar. Since the MMA, US digital mechanicals run through The MLC's blanket licence regardless." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not addressed in SESAC's public material." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core function." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not addressed in its own materials." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not addressed." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Implied by scope but not itemised anywhere public." }, "sync": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Its grant is non-dramatic performance. No sync terms are published." } }, "traps": [ "★ SESAC is NOT an option for most artists. It is INVITATION ONLY and does not accept unsolicited applications, so comparison articles listing it as a third choice alongside ASCAP and BMI are misleading.", "The claim that SESAC covers mechanicals through HFA is over-stated: HFA is a separate affiliation with a commercial-release requirement, it is non-exclusive, and post-MMA the US digital blanket mechanical goes through The MLC anyway.", "SESAC is for-profit and does not publish its rates, so you cannot model your income before signing." ], "note": "Invitation only. No public rate card." }, { "id": "soundexchange", "name": "SoundExchange", "type": "society", "url": "https://www.soundexchange.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "no", "note": "Covers NON-interactive services only: satellite radio, webcasting, digital cable. On-demand Spotify and Apple Music streams are licensed directly by labels and distributors and are outside SoundExchange entirely." }, "mech_us": { "v": "no", "note": "A composition right, not SoundExchange's remit." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "no", "note": "Same." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "no", "note": "Explicit and unambiguous in its own FAQ: SoundExchange does not collect or distribute royalties for songwriters or publishers." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core function, and the only US body that does it. The split is set by statute, not by policy: 50% to the sound recording owner, 45% direct to the featured artist, 2.5% to non-featured musicians and 2.5% to non-featured vocalists." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "no", "note": "Explicitly excluded. SoundExchange does not collect for videos or other visual media including YouTube." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "no", "note": "Same exclusion, and songwriters are out of scope entirely." }, "sync": { "v": "no", "note": "Statutory non-interactive performance only." } }, "traps": [ "★ The 45% featured-artist share is paid DIRECT to the artist and is legally unreachable by labels, distributors and aggregators. No distributor can collect it for you, by design.", "You are not auto-registered. Artists and recording owners MUST register to receive anything.", "Unclaimed royalties EXPIRE after three years.", "Nothing on on-demand Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube generates SoundExchange income. Artists routinely misattribute their streaming income here." ], "note": "Free to register. Administrative fee of 4 to 6%." }, { "id": "mlc", "name": "The MLC", "type": "society", "url": "https://www.themlc.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "no", "note": "The MLC states it is not involved in record royalties, public performance, or synchronisation." }, "mech_us": { "v": "yes", "note": "Sole core function. The blanket mechanical licence for US interactive audio streaming and downloads." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "no", "note": "United States only. It does not collect from DSPs outside the US." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "no", "note": "Explicit: The MLC does not administer performance rights or collect performance royalties." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "A master right, excluded as record royalties." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "no", "note": "A master-side tool, entirely outside scope." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "partial", "note": "YouTube MUSIC, the interactive audio service, is covered by the blanket licence. Standard YouTube video, UGC, TikTok and Facebook reproduction royalties are NOT, and need a publishing administrator." }, "sync": { "v": "no", "note": "Explicitly excluded." } }, "traps": [ "★ It is genuinely FREE and takes NO commission. Its costs are funded by the DSPs through an assessment set by the Copyright Royalty Board, so 100% of collected royalties pass through. There is no financial reason not to join, and the only cost of inaction is the money itself.", "The mirror image of the PRO trap: The MLC pays no performance royalties at all.", "US ONLY. An artist with global streams who thinks MLC membership covers worldwide mechanicals is wrong.", "Registering with a DSP or a distributor does NOT trigger MLC payment. The only route is membership, or authorising a publisher or administrator to collect for you.", "★ Unmatched royalties are held about three years, then distributed to publishers on a MARKET SHARE basis. Unregistered independent money ends up with major publishers." ], "note": "Free, and uniquely takes no commission." }, { "id": "songtrust", "name": "Songtrust", "type": "admin", "url": "https://www.songtrust.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "no", "note": "Master-generated royalties are handled by distributors, not by Songtrust." }, "mech_us": { "v": "yes", "note": "Registers works with The MLC. Falls in its 20% commission bucket." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "yes", "note": "Worldwide mechanical, 60+ collection societies, same 20% bucket." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "partial", "note": "Songtrust is explicitly NOT a PRO. It administers the PUBLISHER share; your PRO still pays your writer share directly. You still need ASCAP or BMI." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "A master right. Songtrust collects no master-generated royalties." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "no", "note": "Recording side, not administered." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "yes", "note": "Offered as part of worldwide publishing administration, on the composition side." }, "sync": { "v": "partial", "note": "Takes no exclusive sync rights and does NOT pitch or place. It forwards inbound requests and charges its standard rate if asked to administer the licence." } }, "traps": [ "Songtrust does not replace your PRO. You still need one, and Songtrust takes the publisher share only.", "Its mechanical commission rose from 15% to 20% effective 1 January 2025, so every older review is stale.", "Zero neighbouring rights. SoundExchange remains a separate registration you make yourself." ], "note": "$100 one-time fee per songwriter. 15% on performance, 20% on mechanical." }, { "id": "kobalt", "name": "Kobalt / KOSIGN", "type": "admin", "url": "https://www.kosignmusic.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "no", "note": "Kobalt Music Publishing is a publishing company. The recording-side business was divested." }, "mech_us": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Marketed as global registration across territories and platforms, with no per-royalty-type breakdown published." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "partial", "note": "Sourced only at the level of global registration across territories. Its own collection society licenses DSPs directly and globally, but no itemised breakdown is published." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not itemised on the public page." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "Kobalt's neighbouring rights division was SOLD to Sony Music along with AWAL. Kobalt no longer has one." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not published." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "partial", "note": "Cites direct global licences with major streaming and social platforms." }, "sync": { "v": "unknown", "note": "The full-service tier has a sync team. No published self-serve terms." } }, "traps": [ "★ AWAL IS SONY MUSIC, not Kobalt. Anyone researching Kobalt distribution is looking at a Sony-owned company.", "Kobalt's famous neighbouring-rights arm went with it, so the belief that Kobalt handles your satellite-radio money is now FALSE.", "Not open signup. It screens on projected earnings.", "Widely-quoted \"Kobalt takes 10%\" figures date to 2015-era press. The published self-serve rate is 20%." ], "note": "Application required. 80/20 split in the songwriter's favour." }, { "id": "symphonic", "name": "Symphonic Distribution", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://symphonic.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core service." }, "mech_us": { "v": "partial", "note": "Only if you separately take publishing administration, which is delivered THROUGH SONGTRUST. Not included in plain distribution." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "partial", "note": "Same Songtrust-powered add-on." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "partial", "note": "Via the same opt-in add-on, not via distribution." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "partial", "note": "Opt-in enrolment, and it can collect the recording OWNER share only. Symphonic states outright that SoundExchange does not allow any third party to claim the featured-artist portion." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "partial", "note": "Opt-in, requires Symphonic distribution, reviewed by their team and can be rejected. Symphonic typically retains around 30% of Content ID revenue." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Falls under the publishing add-on and is not itemised." }, "sync": { "v": "partial", "note": "Offered via a separate brand as an approval-gated add-on at separate rates." } }, "traps": [ "\"Earn 100% of royalties\" applies ONLY to DSP distribution. Content ID takes around 30% and every rights add-on is separately priced.", "★ Symphonic's publishing administration IS SONGTRUST white-labelled. Signing up for both pays twice for one pipe.", "Even with Symphonic enrolled on SoundExchange, the 45% featured-artist share is legally unreachable by them. You must open your own account." ], "note": "Starter tier $29.99/year. Add-ons separately priced and approval-gated." }, { "id": "stem", "name": "Stem", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://stem.is", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "Core distribution business." }, "mech_us": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not obtainable from public primary sources." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not obtainable." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not obtainable." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not obtainable." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Third-party listings claim an integration, but no primary source was found, so this is not recorded as a yes." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not obtainable." }, "sync": { "v": "unknown", "note": "Not obtainable." } }, "traps": [ "★ Stem is NOT a DIY option any more. It exited mass-market DIY distribution in 2019 and is application-gated.", "Widely-cited 5% commission figures are the pre-2019 legacy rate, and Stem publishes no current public rate card.", "★ Stem is now CONCORD-OWNED as of March 2025, which materially changes the independent-distributor framing most comparison articles still use.", "⚠ Everything below the master line is unverifiable from public primary sources. This row is mostly UNKNOWN on purpose rather than filled in from review sites." ], "note": "Application-gated. No current public rate card." }, { "id": "believe", "name": "Believe", "type": "distributor", "url": "https://www.believe.com", "read_on": "2026-08-13", "cells": { "master_dsp": { "v": "yes", "note": "100+ streaming platforms." }, "mech_us": { "v": "partial", "note": "Distribution alone does NOT collect them. Its artist-facing subsidiary works directly with The MLC only for publishing-administration clients, and only once compositions are registered in the publishing dashboard." }, "mech_intl": { "v": "yes", "note": "With publishing. Its network collects performance, digital and mechanical royalties in over 200 territories." }, "pro_perf": { "v": "partial", "note": "Publisher share only. The writer share is paid directly by your local PRO." }, "neighbouring": { "v": "no", "note": "Its artist-facing subsidiary describes SoundExchange as something you may be eligible to collect YOURSELF. No collection service is offered." }, "yt_contentid": { "v": "yes", "note": "Operates Content ID across YouTube and Meta with a dedicated team." }, "yt_publishing": { "v": "yes", "note": "Flags explicitly that YouTube reproduction royalties are OUTSIDE The MLC and must come via publishing administration." }, "sync": { "v": "yes", "note": "Actively pitches. Its DIY tier pitches at a 50% commission on the licence fee." } }, "traps": [ "★ The 50% SYNC COMMISSION on its DIY tier is the most under-noticed number in this matrix. It more than doubled in 2023 and can be opted out of in the publishing dashboard.", "Distributing does NOT get you your MLC money. That needs the separate paid publishing product.", "Nobody in this stack does SoundExchange for you. You are told to go collect it yourself." ], "note": "Believe proper is deal-negotiated with no public rate card. Its DIY publishing tier is $75 per writer plus 20%, and 50% on sync." } ] }