This is written for independent artists: you own your songs and recordings, or you're working with a distributor rather than a label. If you're signed, your label or publisher handles much of this, and your contract decides who does what. What "independent" really means is its own conversation.
What should you do before registering anything?
Get a split sheet done. It lists every writer, their percentage of the song, their publisher if they have one, their performing rights organization (PRO), and their IPI number, the ID their PRO gives each writer. Every registration below asks for the same facts. If they don't match from one place to the next, the money gets stuck.
The usual advice is to sign it before anyone leaves the room. That's how it should work, not how it does. A song is rarely done when the session ends. People keep writing, a verse gets rewritten, another writer gets brought in weeks later, and a song can change a hundred times between the first demo and the final recording. And if you're the person pushing paperwork on writers who've been at it all day and are trying to get home or to a gig, you may stop getting the call.
Stuart's take
There's the way things should be, and the way things are. Most people aren't trying to screw you. They just don't know what they're doing.
So aim for the point when everyone involved agrees the song is done. Mixing is the cherry on top. Mastering is the sprinkles that tell you the sundae is about to go out. Splits need to be settled before mastering, because that's when it's leaving the kitchen. It gets easier the more you do it and the better you know the people you write with.
What's the difference between an ISRC and an ISWC?
They're the two codes that match money to the two copyrights in a song.
| Code | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| ISRC identifies one recording (the master) | Usually your distributor |
| ISWC identifies the song (the composition) | Your PRO, when you register the song |
| UPC identifies the release (single, EP, album) | Usually your distributor |
Distributors handle the recording side. They don't register your song with a PRO, so the ISWC is on you or your publisher. Put the ISRC on your song registrations wherever there's a field for it. That's what lets the two sides find each other.
Where do you need to register a song?
| Where | What it collects |
|---|---|
| 1. Your distributor Master | Your share of streams and downloads. Gives you the ISRC and UPC. |
| 2. A PRO: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or GMR Composition | Performance royalties from radio, TV, venues, and streaming. Register as a writer, and as a publisher if you self-publish. This is where the ISWC comes from. |
| 3. The MLC Composition | US mechanical royalties from streaming and downloads. Free for self-administered songwriters. Your PRO does not collect these. |
| 4. Mechanicals outside The MLC Composition | Physical copies of your song made by others, 13.1¢ per song per copy in 2026, and mechanicals earned outside the US. Usually collected through a publisher or an admin company. |
| 5. SoundExchange Master | Internet and satellite radio like Pandora and SiriusXM. Register as the featured artist and, if you own the master, as the rights owner. |
| 6. US Copyright Office Both, registered separately | Pays nothing directly, but you need it to sue for infringement in the US. |
| 7. YouTube Content ID Both | Ad money from other people's videos that use your music. The recording side usually goes through your distributor, the song side through a publisher or admin. |
| 8. Lyrics: Musixmatch, LyricFind Composition | Licensed lyrics on streaming apps and search. Small money. |
US-focused. Outside the US, recordings also earn "neighboring rights" through local societies such as PPL in the UK.
Why do mechanical royalties get missed?
Stuart's take
Mechanicals are the most overlooked money compared with how much they matter.
Part of the reason is that nobody collects them for you by default. Your distributor pays the recording side. Your PRO pays performance royalties. Mechanicals, the royalty for copying the song onto a stream, a download, or a record, come through a third door, and plenty of independent songwriters never open it.
In the US, streaming services pay those royalties to The MLC, which matches them to registered songs. In one 2026 payout, it matched a little over 83% of what services reported. The rest waits for someone to claim it.
It won't wait forever. Starting in April 2027, The MLC plans to begin paying out remaining unclaimed royalties to rightsholders based on market share, so most of that money goes to the biggest catalogs.
If your song isn't registered, your money still gets paid. Just not to you.
Are lyrics worth registering?
Stuart's take
Lyrics are overlooked too, but they're probably not going to pay you a ton of money.
Lyrics services such as Musixmatch and LyricFind license lyrics to streaming apps and search engines and pay publishers, who pay songwriters. Some distributors and admin companies submit lyrics for you.
Should you register everything yourself or use an admin company?
You can do the US side yourself. A PRO account and a free MLC membership cover most of it, plus SoundExchange for the recording side. What's hard to reach alone is mechanicals and publisher money from other countries, along with keeping registrations up to date as you release more.
A publishing administrator registers your songs worldwide and collects for a commission, and you keep ownership. Whether it pays for itself depends on how much your songs earn outside what you can collect yourself. It's the route Stuart takes for his own songs.
In what order should you do it when you release a song?
- 1. Split sheetOnce everyone agrees the song is done, and before it's mastered.
- 2. DistributorUpload the release and get your ISRCs and UPC, ideally a few weeks before release day.
- 3. PRORegister the song with every writer, split, and the ISRC.
- 4. The MLC, or your admin companyRegister the song and connect the recording.
- 5. SoundExchangeOnce, as an artist and as a rights owner. New releases follow from there.
- 6. US Copyright OfficeWithin three months of release, to keep statutory damages and legal fees available if someone copies it. Current fees are $45 for a single application and $65 for a standard one. An increase was proposed in 2026, so check copyright.gov before you file.
- 7. Content ID and lyricsThrough your distributor, admin company, or the lyrics services directly.
How do you check whether money is already waiting for you?
Search your name and song titles in The MLC's public search, your PRO's repertory search, and SoundExchange's unclaimed search. If a song you wrote shows up with missing writers or no ISWC, or doesn't show up at all, that's money that isn't finding you.
Registering makes sure the money can find you. The next question is how much there actually is, and where it goes before it reaches you.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I need to register a song?
For independent artists in the US: a split sheet, your distributor, a PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or GMR), The MLC, SoundExchange, the US Copyright Office, YouTube Content ID, and lyrics services. A publishing administrator can cover mechanicals outside the US.
Does my distributor register my song with a PRO?
No. Distributors handle the recording side and usually give you an ISRC. The ISWC comes from your PRO when you register the song.
What is the difference between an ISRC and an ISWC?
An ISRC identifies a recording and usually comes from your distributor. An ISWC identifies the song itself and is assigned by your PRO when you register it.
Does my PRO collect mechanical royalties?
Not in the US. US streaming and download mechanicals are paid to The MLC, which is free for self-administered songwriters. Physical and international mechanicals usually need a publisher or admin company.
What happens to royalties for songs that are not registered?
They sit unmatched. The MLC plans to begin paying out remaining unclaimed royalties to rightsholders by market share starting in April 2027, so most of that money goes to the biggest catalogs.
When should I register my copyright?
Within three months of release keeps statutory damages and legal fees available if someone infringes. Current fees are $45 for a single application and $65 for a standard one, with an increase proposed in 2026.