A song you wrote in your bedroom is streaming in 50 countries right now. Each country has its own collection society, its own tax rules, and its own mechanical royalty system. If you only registered with your home PRO, you are collecting a fraction of what you earned. The rest is sitting in foreign societies waiting for someone to claim it.
Your music is streaming in Brazil, playing on radio in Germany, and used in a cafe in Japan right now. Each of those plays generates royalties. But if your metadata is wrong, your registrations are incomplete, or you are not registered with the right societies, that money sits in foreign banks and never reaches you.
Neighboring rights pay performers and recording owners when music is played on radio, TV, and in public venues internationally. Learn what they are, where they apply, who qualifies, and how to start collecting.
Compare ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR side by side. Learn what PROs do, how they differ in cost, payment speed, and international reach, plus step-by-step registration instructions for songwriters and publishers.
Registering your music with a Performing Rights Organization is how you collect royalties every time your songs are played publicly. This guide walks through the process step by step for ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR, plus international options.
A complete guide to music publishing deals, royalty splits, songwriter rights, and how publishing income works for artists and creators.
The Rights Workshop is a San Francisco-based music supervision, licensing, and creative clearance company founded in 2002 by Brooke Wentz. Provides rights clearance for film, television, streaming media, corporate events, and performing arts, with expertise in complex international licensing and talent negotiation.
JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers) is Japan's largest and oldest performing rights organization, founded in 1939 and based in Tokyo. In fiscal 2025, JASRAC distributed a record 151.8 billion JPY (over 1 billion USD) in royalties to 119,298 creators and 3,330 publishers, with 4,066,661 works under management. It distributes through 121 foreign societies worldwide.
SAMRO (Southern African Music Rights Organisation) is South Africa's primary performing rights organization, founded in 1961 in Johannesburg. In the 2025 financial year, SAMRO distributed R630.2 million in royalties to music creators, representing over 28,000 members with 89 reciprocal agreements across 150 countries. Application fee R100 (composers) or R500 (publishers). 25% cost-to-income ratio. 23 distributions in 2025.
