Royalty Guide
Demystifying the music business. Learn how your lyrics generate revenue across the globe.
The 3 Pillars of Royalties
Performance
Earned whenever your song is played publicly. This includes radio, streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music), live venues, restaurants, and TV broadcasts.
Mechanical
Generated when your song is reproduced. This happens when a user streams a song on-demand (interactive streaming) or buys a physical/digital copy.
Sync
Fees paid when your music is "synchronized" with visual media like movies, TV shows, commercials, or video games. These are often negotiated upfront.
Why Split Sheets Matter
A split sheet is a written agreement between collaborators that specifies each person's ownership percentage. Without this, you can't register your song properly, and royalties will be stuck in limbo. Pitchlyric automates this for every collaboration.
How to Register Songs
To get paid, your song must be registered with a PRO (Performance Rights Organization) and often a mechanical rights administrator. You'll need the ISRC code (for the recording) and ISWC code (for the composition).
PRO Membership Worldwide
You need to join a PRO in your country to collect performance royalties. They have reciprocal agreements to collect for you globally.