What are mechanical royalties?
Mechanical royalties pay for the reproduction of the composition — on every stream, download and physical sale. They are the second, often overlooked income source next to master royalties: if you only collect through your distributor, you are leaving the composition side on the table.
How the money flows on the composition side
Streaming services pay for the composition to collecting societies — GEMA in Germany, ASCAP/BMI in the US, PRS in the UK — and to music publishers. From there the money flows to the registered songwriters. Without a membership (or a publishing deal), your share sits at the societies or gets distributed to others. Distribution does not cover this side: your distributor accounts the master side; the composition side needs its own registration.
When joining a collecting society is worth it
Rule of thumb: as soon as your music is streamed regularly, played on radio or performed live, joining pays off — the entry fee recoups quickly through royalties. What matters is clean work registration with all co-writers and shares; they should match your royalty splits on the master side, or payouts will contradict each other.
Frequently asked questions
Does my distributor pay out my collecting-society royalties?
No — the distributor accounts the master side (the recording). Mechanical and performance royalties run through your collecting society or publisher and require your own membership/registration.
Do I need a publisher?
Not necessarily: as a collecting-society member you receive your writer share without a publisher. A publisher is worth it when they actively deliver sync deals, co-writes and international collection — in exchange for their share.
Enough theory — get going.
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