Artist Try This To Make Sure You Get All Your Money

Artist Try This To Make Sure You Get All Your Money

If you're releasing music, you might be missing out on some of the money you’ve already earned — especially if you’re not signed up with SoundExchange.

In this post, you’ll learn what SoundExchange is, how it works, and what royalties they collect on your behalf — so you can stop leaving money on the table and start collecting every dime you deserve.

0:00 – Intro

So many independent artists are grinding hard but not getting paid what they should. And one of the reasons is that they don’t know how to collect all types of royalties.

That’s where SoundExchange comes in.

0:23 – (Transition Into Main Topic)

We’re diving right into how to set yourself up with SoundExchange and make sure you're collecting what’s yours.

0:32 – What Is SoundExchange?

SoundExchange is a nonprofit organization that collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of recording artists and master rights owners.

This is different from what ASCAP or BMI collect — SoundExchange focuses on non-interactive streaming, such as:

  • Pandora

  • SiriusXM

  • Internet radio

If your music is being streamed or broadcasted, you may be owed money right now — and SoundExchange helps collect it.

0:58 – Types Of Collection

SoundExchange collects digital performance royalties. There are two key types:

  1. Featured Artist Royalties – paid to the main artist

  2. Sound Recording Owner Royalties – paid to the master owner (which may be you or a label)

Both of these streams can bring in passive income, especially if you have music getting playtime on platforms you don’t even know about.

1:22 – Royalties Components

Each time a song is played on a qualifying service, royalties are divided into:

  • 45% to the featured artist

  • 5% to non-featured musicians (via unions)

  • 50% to the sound recording copyright owner (the label or the artist if independent)

That means if you’re both the artist and the owner, you could be collecting 95% of that payout!

1:59 – Music Unions

The 5% allocated to non-featured musicians is distributed through unions like:

  • SAG-AFTRA

  • AFM (American Federation of Musicians)

If you’ve worked with session players or are one yourself, this 5% might also apply to you.

2:16 – Master Owner

This part is crucial: if you own your masters, you are the one eligible to collect the master share of the royalties.

You must register with SoundExchange as both the artist AND the rights owner to ensure you receive all your money.

2:35 – Why You Need SoundExchange

Most artists think ASCAP, BMI, or DistroKid is enough — but those don’t collect the specific royalties SoundExchange handles.

If your music is on:

  • SiriusXM

  • Pandora

  • Internet radio stations

  • Any non-interactive digital streaming service

... then you’re likely owed money right now.

And guess what? SoundExchange doesn’t charge you to sign up.

Final Thoughts

SoundExchange is one of the most overlooked platforms when it comes to artist revenue. If you want to make sure you’re really getting paid from all angles of your music, signing up is a no-brainer.

✅ Sign up as a performer and rights owner
✅ Register your tracks
✅ Start collecting your digital performance royalties

🎥 Watch the full video here: Artist Try This To Make Sure You Get All Your Money

 

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