Do I have to register every song?

To be paid for it, yes. Societies and collectors pay for registered works. An unregistered song generates money that cannot be matched to you.

When should I register a song?

As early as possible, ideally before the release date. Most organisations can pay for past usage, but registering late delays payment and risks conflicts.

Is joining a PRO the same as registering a song?

No. Joining makes you a member. You then register each song on your account with its writers and shares.

Do I need to register copyright?

Copyright exists automatically in most countries. In the US, registering with the Copyright Office is optional but strengthens your legal position. Keep dated drafts and your split sheet either way.

Why register with The MLC if I am with ASCAP or BMI?

ASCAP and BMI collect performance royalties. The MLC collects the mechanical royalties that US streaming services owe. They pay for different things.

(Free tool)

Song registration checklist: where to register a song so you get paid

Registering a song is not one step, it is about a dozen, and each pays a different royalty. Pick your country, tick items off as you go, and see which ones still affect your income.

Where do you live?

0 of 13 done

10 still affect your income

1.Before you release

Do these first. They are quick, and getting them wrong is what causes missing money later.

Agree and sign the splits
Affects income
Everyone who wrote or recorded the song needs to agree who owns what before anything is registered. Registrations that disagree get frozen, and the money waits.
Make a split sheet →
Get an ISRC for each recording
Affects income
The ISRC is the recording's ID. Your distributor will give you one for free. Use the same code everywhere and never reuse one for a different recording.
Check an ISRC →
Join a PRO as a songwriter
Affects income
Without a membership no one can pay you for performances. Join the society in the country where you live, and it will collect for you worldwide through its partners.
Which one should I join? →
Write down the song's details once
Title, alternative titles, writers with IPI numbers, shares, release date and ISRC. Copy from this one record every time you register so the details match everywhere.

2.Register the song

Each of these pays a different kind of royalty. They do not replace each other.

Register the song with your PRO (ASCAP or BMI)
Affects income
This is how you get paid when your song is played on radio, TV, streaming, in shops and live. Register the song itself, not just yourself as a member, and add every writer with their share.
ASCAP BMI
Register the song with The MLC
Affects income
Streaming services pay mechanical royalties for US streams to The MLC. If you are not registered there, that money cannot reach you and ends up unmatched.
The MLC
Register the recording with SoundExchange
Affects income
If you own the recording or performed on it, this is a second, separate income: money for the recording itself, paid when it is played on digital radio, TV and in public places. Writers who skip it leave a whole income stream unclaimed.
SoundExchange
Register the publisher's share too
Affects income
Half of every publishing royalty is the publisher's share. If you have no publisher company or administrator registered, that half is often never claimed. Either set up a publishing entity or use an administrator.
Compare publishing options →
Check the song has an ISWC
The ISWC is the song's ID (the recording's is the ISRC). Your society assigns it after registration. Make sure it appears and that it is the same on every registration.
Check an ISWC →

3.After release

Check that what you registered actually matches, and add the extras.

Cover YouTube and social video
Affects income
Videos using your song on YouTube and social platforms are tracked separately. A publisher or administrator can register your songs for this. If you do nothing, that money is often paid to whoever claims it first.
Check for mismatches after a few months
Affects income
Search for your song in your society's and The MLC's databases. If the writers or shares differ from your split sheet, fix it now, before money builds up behind the error.
Keep proof of authorship
Registering the work with the US Copyright Office is optional but gives you stronger legal protection, including the right to claim statutory damages. Keep dated drafts, lyric sheets and demos either way.
US Copyright Office
Make sure someone collects overseas
Affects income
Your society collects abroad through its partner societies, but many smaller payments stay behind. An administrator that registers you directly in each territory usually collects more.
How admin deals compare →

Your ticks are saved in this browser only, so you can come back to finish later. Nothing is sent to us.

Releasing a song is not the same as registering it

Uploading a song to streaming services takes minutes. Making sure you are paid for it takes a series of separate registrations, each with a different organisation, and the order matters. Skip one and a whole category of income is never claimed.

Guides online tend to describe one step, usually joining a PRO, and stop. They do not mention mechanical royalties, the recording's own royalties, the publisher's share, or video, which are where independent songwriters most often lose money.

A checklist for your country that remembers where you are

The checklist is organised in three phases: before you release, registering the song, and after release. Each task says why it matters, whether skipping it can cost you money, and links to the official place to do it. Where we have a tool that helps, such as the split sheet generator, we link to that too.

Your ticks are saved in your browser, so you can finish over several days, and you can print the list to keep with your paperwork.

Tailored for the US, UK, Canada, Australia and elsewhere
Before, during and after release
Tasks that affect your income are marked
Progress saved on your device
Print it for your records

How to use the song registration checklist

1
Pick the country where you live.
2
Work through the first phase before you release the song.
3
Register the song with each organisation in the second phase.
4
After release, check that every registration matches your split sheet.
5
Print the list or come back later: your progress is saved.

Where the names come from

Organisation names and web addresses were checked in November 2026. The order of steps reflects how royalty collection normally works, but each society has its own process, so follow its current instructions when you register.

The checklist cannot see your accounts, so it does not know what you have already done. It only remembers what you tick. Nothing is sent to us.

Last checked: 8 November 2026

People find this tool by searching for

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where to register a song for royalties
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Song registration checklist: where to register a song so you get paid

1.Before you release

Agree and sign the splits

Get an ISRC for each recording

Join a PRO as a songwriter

Write down the song's details once

2.Register the song

Register the song with your PRO (ASCAP or BMI)

Register the song with The MLC

Register the recording with SoundExchange

Register the publisher's share too

Check the song has an ISWC

3.After release

Cover YouTube and social video

Check for mismatches after a few months

Keep proof of authorship

Make sure someone collects overseas

Releasing a song is not the same as registering it

A checklist for your country that remembers where you are

How to use the song registration checklist

Where the names come from

Questions about the song registration checklist

Do I have to register every song?

When should I register a song?

Is joining a PRO the same as registering a song?

Do I need to register copyright?

Why register with The MLC if I am with ASCAP or BMI?

More free tools

Split sheet generator

Unclaimed royalties checker

Which PRO should I join?

Skip the paperwork

1.Before you release

Agree and sign the splits

Get an ISRC for each recording

Join a PRO as a songwriter

Write down the song's details once

2.Register the song

Register the song with your PRO (ASCAP or BMI)

Register the song with The MLC

Register the recording with SoundExchange

Register the publisher's share too

Check the song has an ISWC

3.After release

Cover YouTube and social video

Check for mismatches after a few months

Keep proof of authorship

Make sure someone collects overseas