Every indie artist knows that what happens after you release your music is what really determines how far you’ll go and how much you’ll earn. Learning how to promote your work and collect your royalties is key to your success. After all the time and energy you put into creating, registering, and distributing your music, the real rewards come when you connect with the right audience and get paid for every stream, download, and performance. 

Mastering promotion and royalty collection isn’t just about getting paid—it’s about building a long-lasting, successful career. So, let’s dive into the steps you can take to kickstart these stages and set yourself up for true impact!

Why Collecting Matters

Collecting royalties isn’t just about receiving payments, it’s about ensuring your music career remains sustainable. Missing out on royalties can mean leaving money on the table, so it’s essential to stay organized and informed about your rights. Properly tracking and collecting royalties can also give you a clearer picture of how your music is performing, helping you make smarter marketing decisions for your future releases.

Let’s dive into the steps you need to take to start collecting for your work: 

How To Collect:

1. Track Your Streaming Royalties

Your music is being streamed on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL, which means you’re earning royalties every time someone listens to your song. To collect these earnings, your distributor will handle the payouts, but it’s essential to check in regularly to ensure everything is accounted for.

• Log in to your distribution platform (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, etc.)
• Monitor your earnings and track how much you’re making per stream
• Verify that your ISRC codes and metadata are correct to avoid missing any payments

2. Collect Performance Royalties‍

These royalties are earned when your music is played on the radio, TV, in venues, or streamed in public spaces. To collect performance royalties, you’ll need to stay registered with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.

• Log into your PRO account and check your performance earnings
• Make sure your songs are correctly registered and linked to your PRO account
• If your music is getting airplay or used in public spaces, track your earnings and submit any usage data if needed

3. Collect Mechanical Royalties

‍Mechanical royalties are earned every time your music is downloaded or streamed. These are handled by agencies like The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) for U.S. streams and downloads, so you don’t need to worry about collecting them directly, as long as your music is properly registered.

• Sign up with The Mechanical Licensing Collective at www.themlc.com (if you haven’t already)
• Ensure your song is registered and that all relevant metadata is submitted
• Review your earnings reports regularly to make sure you’re receiving your share of mechanical royalties

4. Collect Master Royalties (Sound Recording Royalties)

‍If you own the master rights to your recordings, you’re entitled to master royalties every time your music is played on platforms like Pandora or satellite radio. These royalties are collected through services like SoundExchange.

• Create an account with SoundExchange at www.soundexchange.com
• Register your master recordings to track your royalties
• Monitor your account for any payments or usage reports

5. Track and Collect Publishing Royalties (Optional)

‍If you’ve set up publishing administration, either independently or through a publishing administrator like Songtrust, you’ll be entitled to publishing royalties. These royalties are earned whenever your music is performed publicly, covered by other artists, or used in films or TV shows.

• If you’re using a service like Songtrust, log in to track your publishing earnings
• Monitor any royalties from sync placements, performances, and streaming platforms
• Make sure your songs are registered with the correct performing and mechanical royalty organizations

6. Check Your Earnings Across All Platforms

‍With multiple sources of income coming from streaming, performances, downloads, and syncs, it’s important to regularly check all platforms to ensure that you’re getting paid what you’re owed.

• Set up direct deposit or payout options for all of your accounts
• Check reports monthly to track your growth and ensure all payments are received
• If you notice discrepancies, contact your distributor, PRO, or licensing agency to resolve any issues

Understanding how to track and collect your payments is a vital step in sustaining your music career as an independent artist. With this knowledge, you can confidently invest in growing your audience and increasing your income. Start collecting every cent you deserve for your work! 

Tools To Amplify Your Promotion

Understanding how to collect your royalties is essential, but equally important is making sure your music reaches the right audience. This is where Songtools comes in and helps simplify the promotional process for all types of artists. Our tools are designed to make marketing effortless, helping you expand your reach and, in turn, increase your royalties so you have more to collect over time. 

You can always start with our three powerful, free tools to amplify your presence and create engaging content that truly connects with your audience:

• SongPage: Impress your fans with a personalized and adaptive landing page that requires zero coding or design work. 
• SongBlog: Publish an SEO-optimized blog for your song and engage with your fans. 
• SongFolder: Store important assets in the cloud and access millions of images and videos to promote your music. 

Once you are ready to expand your reach even further and drive real growth in listeners, streams, and followers, our two exclusive paid tools provide unparalleled opportunities: 

• PlaylisterClub: Connects your music with over 20,000 playlist curators, increasing your chances of landing on playlists to significantly boost your streams and listeners.
• Songfly: Automates digital ads and runs highly targeted campaigns on social media, helping you grow a dedicated fanbase that will support your future releases.

Promoting your music and collecting your earnings go hand in hand, and our tools are here to make both processes easier. Beyond promotion, we’re committed to providing valuable resources to help you navigate every stage of your music release journey. One of our most handy resources is our Music Release Guide: Getting Your First Thousand Listeners, which covers all the necessary steps to properly release your music and get paid. With the right tools and knowledge, you can focus on what matters most: creating more music and celebrating every milestone along the way!