Do I Need to Register My Music? A Guide for Self-Releasing Artists
Yes, you do. And no, your distributor doesn't do it for you.
If you're releasing music independently through DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Amuse, or any other platform, you've handled distribution — getting your recording onto Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services. But distribution is not the same as registration. Registration is what tells collection societies who to pay when your music is played, streamed, performed live, or used in a film, advertisement, or podcast. Without it, those royalties can sit unclaimed for years. Last updated: April 2026.
This guide walks through what registration actually means, why it matters even if you wrote and produced everything yourself, and exactly what you need to do — step by step.
What Registration Means in Plain Language
Registration is the process of submitting information about your song — the composition, the writers, the ownership splits — to the organisations responsible for tracking usage and distributing royalties. These organisations are called PROs (performing rights organisations) and CMOs (collective management organisations).
When your music is played on radio, streamed on Spotify, performed live at a venue, or used in a TV show, the platform or venue reports that usage to a collection society. The society then matches that usage to the registered work and distributes royalties to the rightful owners.
If your work isn't registered, the society has no way to match the usage to you. The money sits in an unmatched pool. If no one claims it within a certain period, it gets redistributed to other members or absorbed as administrative costs.
The Distributor Gap Explained Simply
This is the part that confuses almost everyone at first.
When you upload your music to DistroKid or TuneCore, you're delivering the sound recording — the specific version of the song that you recorded — to digital service providers like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. The recording is identified by an ISRC code, which is like a barcode for that particular audio file.
That process gets your music onto streaming platforms. It does not register the underlying musical work — the composition, the melody, the lyrics — with the organisations that collect performance and mechanical royalties.
The work is a separate entity. It has a separate identifier called an ISWC. And it needs to be registered separately with your PRO.
DistroKid = recordings to Spotify. Registration = compositions to collection societies.
Both steps are necessary. Your distributor handles the first. You — or a tool like Ambler — handle the second.
"But I Wrote It All Myself — Do I Still Need to Register?"
Yes.
Even if you wrote the song, produced it, recorded it, and released it entirely on your own, the work still needs to be registered with a collection society so they know to pay you when your music is used.
If you don't register, the royalties generated by your song — when it's streamed, played on radio, performed live, or used in a sync placement — will sit unclaimed. The collection society has no way to know you exist or that you're the person who should receive those royalties.
This applies even if you're the sole creator. Registration isn't just for collaborative works. It's for every piece of music that generates usage.
Step-by-Step: What to Register, Where, How
Here's the process, broken down into clear steps.
Step 1: Join Your CMO or PRO
Before you can register works, you need to become a member of a collecting society — usually the one in the country where you live. These organisations go by different names depending on territory: collective management organisations (CMOs) is the global term, performing rights organisations (PROs) is more common in the US and UK. The function is the same.
If you're in the US: Choose ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. (ASCAP and BMI are open to anyone; SESAC is invitation-only.)
If you're in the UK: Join PRS for Music.
If you're in Germany: Join GEMA.
If you're in France: Join SACEM.
If you're in Spain: Join SGAE.
If you're in Italy: Join SIAE.
If you're in the Netherlands: Join Buma/Stemra.
If you're in Denmark: Join KODA.
If you're in Sweden: Join STIM.
If you're in Norway: Join TONO.
If you're in Finland: Join Teosto.
If you're in Iceland: Join STEF.
If you're in Australia: Join APRA AMCOS.
If you're in Canada: Join SOCAN.
If you're somewhere else, search for "[your country] collecting society" or check CISAC's directory of member societies. Most countries have one main writer-side society.
Membership is usually free for writers, though some societies charge a small one-time joining fee. Once you're a member, your society will allocate you a member number (KODA medlemsnummer, STIM medlemsnummer, GEMA-Nummer, PRS membership number, ASCAP/BMI account number, etc.) — that's the identifier you'll actually use day to day. In the background, your society also registers you in CISAC's global IPI database, which assigns you an IPI number — the unique cross-society identifier used when works travel internationally. You don't need to apply for the IPI separately; your CMO/PRO handles that part for you when you join.
Step 2: Gather Your Song Information
Before you register a work, make sure you have the following details ready:
Song title (and any alternative titles)
Writers — legal names of everyone who contributed to the composition (melody, lyrics, arrangement). If you wrote it alone, that's just you.
Writer identifiers for all writers — usually your CMO/PRO member number, which is linked to a global IPI number in CISAC's database. You'll have yours once you join your society; co-writers should have theirs from their own society. (In some territories, like the US, the member number and the IPI number are essentially the same; in most of Europe, you operate primarily on the member number and the IPI sits in the background.)
Ownership splits — the percentage each writer owns. If you wrote it alone, you own 100%. If you co-wrote with someone, you need an agreed split (e.g., 50/50, or 60/40 if one person wrote more).
ISWC (if you have one). This is optional at the registration stage — most societies will generate an ISWC for you after registration if the work doesn't already have one.
Publishers (if applicable). If you have a publishing deal, list your publisher. If you don't, what to do depends on your territory:
In most European societies (KODA, STIM, GEMA, SACEM, TONO, Teosto, PRS, etc.), you simply leave the publisher field blank — the writer's share covers the full value of the work, and you receive 100% as the writer.
In the US, ASCAP and BMI split performance royalties 50/50 between a writer's share and a publisher's share. Many self-releasing US artists set up their own publisher entity (essentially just a business name registered with their PRO) to collect the publisher's portion. This is a US-specific convention rather than a global one.
Step 3: Register the Work
You have a few options for how to actually submit the registration.
Option 1: Through your PRO's portal. Most PROs offer an online portal where you can log in and register works manually. You fill in a form with the song details, writer names, IPI numbers, and splits, then submit it. This is free, but it can be time-consuming if you're registering more than a few songs.
Option 2: Through a publishing administrator. Services like Songtrust, Sentric, or TuneRegistry will register your works on your behalf, often across multiple territories. They charge a commission on the royalties they collect (typically 10-20%) or a flat annual fee.
Option 3: Through a dedicated registration platform. Tools like Ambler let you enter all the song details in one place, validate the data against industry standards, and deliver it directly to collection societies. Ambler is a music metadata registration platform that helps labels, self-releasing artists, and music creators register their works, confirm contributor credits and splits, and deliver validated data directly to collection societies — using CWR, MWN, and RIN standards. Whether you're a label team managing 200 releases or an artist registering your first single, the workflow is the same: create a registration, confirm splits, validate the data, and deliver it to the societies that need it. Ambler is free for artists and contributors.
Step 4: Register Before You Release (or as Soon as Possible)
Ideally, register your works before or at the time of release. That way, when your music starts generating streams and plays, the usage data can be matched to your registration immediately.
If you've already released music without registering, do it now. You can still register retroactively, but there may be delays in receiving historical royalties. Some societies can backdate claims; others have time limits on how far back you can claim.
Step 5: Repeat for Every Release
Every time you release new music, register the works. If you're releasing an EP with five songs, that's five separate work registrations. If you're releasing a single, that's one.
This is where the time cost of manual registration starts to add up — and why many artists and labels switch to a dedicated tool once their catalogue grows beyond a handful of releases.
Performance vs Mechanical Royalties: What Your Society Actually Covers
One of the most confusing parts of music registration is that "royalties" isn't one thing — it's several different rights, sometimes handled by different organisations depending on where you are.
The two main types you need to know about as a self-releasing writer:
Performance royalties — generated when your music is played publicly (radio, live venues, restaurants, streaming, TV, public spaces). Collected by performing rights organisations.
Mechanical royalties — generated when your music is reproduced (CDs and vinyl historically; downloads and on-demand streams in the digital era). Collected by mechanical rights societies.
Where it gets territory-specific:
In most of Europe and the Nordics: Your CMO typically handles both performance and mechanical royalties for you. KODA covers both in Denmark, STIM in Sweden, TONO in Norway, Teosto in Finland, GEMA in Germany, SACEM in France. In the Nordics specifically, mechanicals for KODA, STIM, TONO, Teosto, and STEF members have historically been administered through NCB (Nordisk Copyright Bureau), now closely integrated with each local society.
In the UK: PRS handles performance royalties and MCPS handles mechanicals — both operate together as PRS for Music, so a single membership covers both.
In the US: ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC collect performance royalties. MLC (the Mechanical Licensing Collective) handles streaming mechanicals from DSPs as part of the Music Modernization Act. Harry Fox Agency handles physical mechanicals and some sync. As a US self-releasing writer, joining a PRO alone doesn't cover mechanicals — you also need to register with MLC (it's free).
The short version: if you're outside the US, joining your local CMO usually covers both performance and mechanical in one step. If you're in the US, joining a PRO is only half the picture — you need MLC too.
Neighboring Rights: If You Also Perform on the Recording
If you're a self-releasing artist who writes and performs on your own recordings — which is most independent artists — there's a third type of royalty worth knowing about: neighboring rights (sometimes called related rights).
Neighboring rights pay performers and master rights owners (rather than songwriters) when a sound recording is played publicly. These are collected by a separate set of organisations from your CMO/PRO:
Denmark: Gramex
Sweden: SAMI (performers) and IFPI Sverige (labels)
Norway: GRAMO
Finland: Gramex Finland
Germany: GVL
France: SPEDIDAM and ADAMI (performers), SCPP and SPPF (labels)
United Kingdom: PPL
United States: SoundExchange (digital broadcast only — terrestrial AM/FM radio doesn't pay neighboring rights in the US)
As a self-releasing artist, you typically need to register with both your local performers' society and the master rights side — once as the featured performer, once as the label/master owner — because you're playing both roles yourself.
This is genuinely separate from your CMO/PRO registration. Joining KODA doesn't register you with Gramex; joining ASCAP doesn't register you with SoundExchange. Both are necessary if you want to collect the full picture of royalties your music generates.
Tools That Can Help
If the idea of logging into multiple CMO/PRO portals and filling in the same information repeatedly sounds tedious, you're not alone. Here are a few tools designed to make registration easier.
Manual CMO/PRO portals: Free, but time-consuming. Best for artists with a small catalogue (under 10 songs) who write alone.
Songtrust: A publishing administrator that registers works on your behalf and collects royalties globally. Takes a 15% commission. Good for artists who want someone else to handle the process entirely.
TuneRegistry: A self-service CWR tool. You enter your song details, and TuneRegistry generates CWR files (the industry-standard format for work registration) that you can submit directly to societies. Flat annual fee, no commission.
Ambler: A collaborative registration platform. You create a registration, invite collaborators to confirm their credits and splits, validate the data against CWR, MWN, and RIN standards, and deliver it directly to collection societies. Free for artists and contributors. Labels and catalogue managers pay a subscription starting at EUR 99/month. Designed for anyone who writes collaboratively or manages a growing catalogue and wants transparency and control over the registration process. Learn more at useambler.io.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
If you're just starting out and your music isn't generating much usage yet, it might feel like registration can wait. But here's the thing: you don't know when your music will take off.
A song you released six months ago could get picked up for a playlist, a TikTok trend, a podcast intro, or a local radio rotation. If it's not registered, you won't receive the performance royalties generated by that usage. And by the time you realize what's happening and scramble to register, months of royalties may have already been lost.
Registration takes an hour or two for a handful of songs. The cost of not doing it — in lost royalties and missed opportunities — can be far higher.
Where to Start
If you've never registered your works, start by joining your local CMO or PRO. That's the foundation. Once you're a member, you can register works through your society's portal, or use a tool like Ambler to handle the registration and delivery for you. If you also perform on your recordings, register with your local neighboring rights society at the same time — Gramex, SAMI, GRAMO, PPL, SoundExchange, or whichever applies in your territory.
If you've already released music and you're not sure whether it's registered, check your society's database. Most have a searchable catalogue where you can look up works by title or writer name. If your songs aren't listed, they're not registered.
And if you're planning to release new music soon, make registration part of your release checklist — right alongside finalizing your mix, creating cover art, and uploading to your distributor.
You can learn more about Ambler at useambler.io.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register my music even if I only have a few streams?
Yes. Registration isn't about current stream counts — it's about ensuring you're paid for all future usage. You don't know when your music will get picked up for a playlist, sync placement, or radio play. If it's not registered when that happens, you won't receive those royalties.
What's the difference between ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC?
They're all performing rights organisations in the US, and they all do the same job: collect performance royalties and distribute them to songwriters and publishers. ASCAP and BMI are open to any songwriter (free to join). SESAC is invitation-only. There's no meaningful difference in royalty rates — choose whichever one you prefer or whichever your co-writers use.
Can I register my music if I don't have a publisher?
Yes, but the practical answer depends on where you live. In most European societies (KODA, STIM, GEMA, SACEM, TONO, Teosto, PRS, etc.), if you don't have a publisher, you simply leave the field blank — the writer's share covers the full value of the work and 100% of the royalties flow to you as the writer. In the US, ASCAP and BMI split performance royalties 50/50 between writer share and publisher share, so many self-releasing US artists set up their own publisher entity (essentially just a business name registered with their PRO) to collect the publisher's portion. Outside the US, this self-publishing entity setup is usually unnecessary.
I co-wrote a song with someone — who registers it?
Either of you can register the work, but you should agree on the splits first and make sure both of you register it with consistent information at your respective societies. If you each register it separately with different splits or conflicting details, it creates a rights conflict that can freeze payments until it's resolved. The cleanest approach is to use a tool like Ambler where you both confirm the credits and splits together before anything is submitted.
How do mechanical royalties work differently in Europe vs the US?
In most European societies, your CMO collects both performance and mechanical royalties on your behalf — joining KODA, STIM, GEMA, SACEM, or PRS covers both in a single membership. In the US, performance royalties are collected by ASCAP/BMI/SESAC, but mechanical royalties from streaming go through MLC (the Mechanical Licensing Collective), and mechanicals from physical sales go through Harry Fox Agency. US self-releasing writers need to register with MLC separately — it's free, and skipping it means leaving streaming mechanical royalties on the table.
What about neighbouring rights for my recordings?
Performance royalties (handled by your CMO/PRO) and neighbouring rights (paid to performers and master rights owners) are separate. If you write and perform on your own recordings, you should also register with your local neighbouring rights society — Gramex in Denmark, SAMI in Sweden, GRAMO in Norway, PPL in the UK, GVL in Germany, SoundExchange in the US (digital broadcast only). These pay when your sound recording is played publicly, separate from any songwriter royalties you collect from your CMO/PRO.
What happens if I switch from DistroKid to another distributor?
Nothing, because your distributor doesn't handle work registration. The registration you've done with your CMO/PRO is separate and stays in place regardless of which distributor you use. You can switch distributors as often as you like without affecting your registered works.