Match the royalty to the right
Who pays royalties for music depends on what was used. Copyright law treats musical works, including words, and sound recordings as separate categories, so the money path can differ for each one. Music royalties start with the right being used, not with one single payer.
Musical work
The musical work is the composition, which can include any accompanying words. Rights in that work can trigger payments tied to reproduction and other uses.
Sound recording
The sound recording is a separate copyrightable work. A payment connected to a recording is not the same thing as a payment connected to the underlying composition.
Digital mechanicals
For eligible streaming and download services in the United States, the Mechanical Licensing Collective administers blanket mechanical licenses, collects royalties due under those licenses, and pays its members. Publishing and master splits are easier to understand when you separate the work from the recording.
The Mechanical Licensing Collective
The MLC is the group named in the statute-based system for those digital mechanical royalties. It is not a general music royalty company for every use.
Membership is with them, not with us
Splitline is not the Mechanical Licensing Collective. We do not handle MLC membership or register you there.
Performing rights organizations
Performing rights organizations are private groups, and they are separate from the MLC. FAQ pages often answer whether a writer needs one, but Splitline does not tell you which to join.
Private groups
ASCAP is one example people ask about, but the important point is that performing rights organizations are not the same as the mechanical licensing system.
We are not affiliated
Splitline is not affiliated with any performing rights organization.
We do not tell you which to join
We can help you keep track of credits and reminders, but we do not choose a performing rights organization for you. Track credits helps keep the records straight.
Write shares before you register a song with them
A split sheet first makes later registration easier. If the shares are written down before you register a song, the people involved have a clearer record of who owns what and how to split it.
Split sheet first
Before you send a song to any registration system, confirm the shares in writing. That step can reduce confusion later, especially when a composition and a sound recording both matter.
Not legal advice. Splitline does not grant a license, clear a sample, or pay royalties.