How to Register Your Songs to Get Paid Royalties

If you write, produce, or collaborate on music, there's something you must do to get paid properly: register with a PRO.

A Performance Rights Organization (PRO) is a vital partner in your career. They make sure you get paid whenever your songs are streamed, played on the radio, used on TV, or performed live.

In this post, we’ll break it all down:

• What a PRO is (and what it isn’t)
• How to choose the right one based on your country (Europe & the Americas)
• What to prepare when registering songs
• How and when you’ll actually get paid
• How tools like Vandall can simplify the whole process

What Is a PRO?

Performance Rights Organizations are responsible for collecting and distributing royalties on behalf of music creators — mostly songwriters and publishers.

When your music is:

• Played on radio or TV
• Streamed on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music
• Performed live at concerts or events

…a PRO makes sure you get your share of the revenue.

Important note:
PROs only handle royalties for the composition — not the master recording. That’s covered by neighboring rights organizations (like SoundExchange in the US or Gramex in Finland).

Which PRO Should You Join?

You usually register with the PRO in the country you live or create in. Here’s a quick guide for key territories in Europe and the Americas:

🇺🇸 United States

• ASCAP – Popular with songwriters and publishers
• BMI – Similar to ASCAP, widely used
• SESAC – Invite-only

🇨🇦 Canada

• SOCAN – Handles both performance and some mechanical rights

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

• PRS for Music – Covers writers and publishers
• MCPS – For mechanicals (often bundled with PRS)

🇫🇮 Finland

• Teosto – Strong Nordic presence, works with Gramex for masters

🇸🇪 Sweden

• STIM – Highly digital-friendly and great international reach

🇫🇷 France

• SACEM – One of Europe’s largest and most established

🇩🇪 Germany

• GEMA – Known for detailed processes and strong coverage

🇧🇷 Brazil

• UBC, ECAD – Complex but crucial for collecting local royalties

Most PROs have reciprocal agreements, meaning they collect international royalties for you too.

What Do You Need to Register a Song?

Once you’ve picked your PRO, registering a song is simple — but you need to be prepared.

Here’s what you’ll typically need:

• Song title
• List of contributors (writers, composers, etc.)
• Split percentages
• Your PRO member ID
• Publisher info (if you have one)
• Optional but helpful: ISWC or ISRC codes

When Should You Register?

Register your songs as soon as they’re finished and split agreements are confirmed.
Don’t wait until release day. Don’t wait until you “go viral.”

If your track starts earning plays and isn’t registered, those royalties could be lost — forever.

🎯 With a tool like Vandall, you can track contributions, set splits, and organize metadata while you work. No messy spreadsheets or lost details later.

How Do You Actually Get Paid?

Here’s how the royalty process works:

1. Your song is played — on a streaming service, radio station, venue, or TV
2. That usage gets tracked — automatically (streaming) or manually (live shows)
3. The PRO collects money from broadcasters, platforms, and venues
4. You receive a royalty payment, usually every 3 to 6 months

Yes, there’s a delay — especially for international payments.
But the money comes, if you’re registered.

How Vandall Makes This Easier

If you’ve ever tried managing splits and metadata across Google Docs, email, and WeTransfer, you know how chaotic it gets.

Vandall helps you:

• ✅ Track collaborators and split percentages during the project
• ✅ Assign metadata like writer credits, ISRC codes, and roles
• ✅ Store and organize all your project files in one place
• ✅ Export files and metadata for easy PRO registration or distribution

Don’t Miss What You’re Owed

Every day your songs aren’t registered is a day you might be missing income.

With Vandall, you can manage your credits and splits as you create, not months later.

👉 Start organizing your music professionally with Vandall

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