Follow our 10 simple steps to make sure you’re getting the most earnings & data possible from your digital content

1. Register with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)

Whenever your music is performed publicly, whether it be live in a venue or on TV and radio, the songwriters are due a public performance royalty. PROs are the agencies that collect these royalties and make sure that they find their way to you and your publisher.

There are three main PROs in the United States: ASCAP, BMI & SESAC. Once you register with one, be sure to submit your compositions to them.

2. Register with SoundExchange

When your music is played via non-interactive services (where you don’t choose the tracks you hear) such as Pandora or SiriusXM, the songwriters are due a digital performance royalty. SoundExchange collects these royalties and routes them to featured artists and sound recording copyright owners.

If you operate as your own label, you can register as both a featured artist and rights owner.

3. Submit your artist bio & images to All Music

iTunes & Spotify turn to All Music for the bios & images that are included on artists’ pages in their stores.

4. Set up Apple Music for Artists Beta

Apple Music for Artists enables you to keep tabs on how your music is performing and find out how your fans discover your music.

To get your account set up, follow the instructions here.

5. Claim your profile on Spotify for Artists

Designed to help artists & their teams get the most out of the platform, Spotify for Artists enables you to manage your profile and access key performance data about your music and fans.

Get started on Spotify for Artists here.

6. Claim Your Profile on Shazam for Artists

Designed to help artists & their teams get the most out of the platform, Shazam for Artists enables you to manage your profile and access data on your tracks as well as post content to your fans.

Get started on Shazam for Artists here.

7. Register your UPC & ISRC with SoundScan

Nielsen Soundscan tracks the sales and streams of music and video throughout the U.S. & Canada, and powers the Billboard Charts.

8. Submit your release information to BDS

Nielsen BDS (short for Broadcast Data Systems) is a service that tracks monitored radio, TV and Internet airplay of songs. This service also feeds into the Billboard Charts alongside SoundScan, so it’s important to make sure both are set up.

9. Submit your release information to Mediabase

Mediabase monitors radio airplay in the U.S. & Canada, and publishers charts based on the most-played songs on terrestrial (AM/FM) & satellite radio.

10. Register your entire song catalogue with Music Reports

Music Reports maintains SONGDEX, a proprietary database filled with rights information for millions of sound recordings & compositions. Registering your songs with Music Reports helps to ensure that you’re collecting performance royalties from the use of your music on platforms such as SiriusXM, SoundCloud & Amazon as well as local television stations.

To register your catalogue, email shareinfo@musicreports.com with an excel spreadsheet containing:

• Artist
• Title
• Album
• Composers
• Publishers
• Percent You Own
• Territories In Which You Have Ownership