How to Get Paid · Chapter 09 of 9

The checklist

Every account to open, in order, with what it costs. Print this, or copy it into a note, one per band member.

Facts last checked October 28, 2026

As a band

A split sheet for every song (writers, shares, PROs, IPIs), signed by everyone
A band agreement: who owns the recordings, the name, what happens if someone leaves
A distributor account, with splits set so everyone is paid directly
The rights owner of the recordings registered at SoundExchange
Content ID on, for tracks you exclusively own
Keep every ISRC and UPC forever
Optional: your own ISRC prefix ($95 one time)

As each songwriter

Join BMI or ASCAP as a writer (free). Write down your IPI number
ASCAP: join as a publisher at the same time (free together). BMI: optional
Join The MLC (free)
Register every song you co-wrote at your PRO and The MLC, with the same splits as the split sheet
Choose direct deposit everywhere
Optional: a publishing administrator for worldwide and YouTube money (don’t double-register at The MLC)

As each performer

Register at SoundExchange as a featured artist (free), with the international option ticked
Give the band your payout email for the distributor’s splits

Once a year

Compare statements from every source and ask about anything that’s missing
Register any new songs you forgot
Check every release is still live

Every account, in order, with what it costs

Do these roughly in order. Each bandmate does steps 3–6 for themselves.

Step	Account	Who opens it	Cost	Pays you
1	Agree the splits	The band, together	Free	—
2	Distributor, with splits	One person or the band	See below	Monthly, roughly
3	PRO as a writer: BMI or ASCAP	Every songwriter	Free at both	Quarterly, about 6–9 months after the play
4	Publisher (ASCAP: same time as step 3)	Each writer who wants one	ASCAP: free with a writer sign-up, otherwise $50 one time. BMI: $175 one time as an individual, $250 for a company or LLC, $500 for a partnership (optional)	With the PRO
5	The MLC	Each songwriter, or your publisher	Free	Monthly, about 75 days after the month of streams
6	SoundExchange	Each featured performer, plus whoever owns the recordings	Free to register; it deducts a 4–6% admin fee	Quarterly (monthly by direct deposit once you’re owed $100 or more)
7	Register every song at your PRO and The MLC, same splits	Each songwriter, or one person for the band	Free	—
8	Publishing administrator optional	Each songwriter	Songtrust: $100 one time per writer + 15% of performance and 20% of other income. Sentric: free to join, 20%	Depends on the administrator
9	Own ISRC prefix optional	Whoever owns the recordings	$95 one time	—
10	Copyright registration optional	Recording and song owners	$45 (one author who’s also the only performer) or $65 standard	—

Payment thresholds are small with direct deposit: BMI pays from $2 (a cheque needs $250), ASCAP from $1 (cheques need $100), The MLC from $5 (cheques need $100), and SoundExchange from $10 every quarter.

Distributors compared

A distributor delivers your recordings to the stores and streaming services and collects the recording’s money. These are the cheapest ways in, as published on each distributor’s site.

Distributor	Cheapest way in	If you stop paying	Content ID	Pays bandmates directly
DistroKid	$24.99 a year	Releases come down, unless you bought “Leave a Legacy” for that release	Yes, as a paid add-on	Yes
TuneCore	$24.99 a year	Releases come down after a grace period	Included	Yes
CD Baby	$9.99 a single, $14.99 an album, one time, and it keeps 9%	Stays up	Yes, for a 30% cut	Couldn’t confirm
Amuse	$23.99 a year	Stays up	Yes	Yes (with a fee on the cheapest plan)
RouteNote	Free (it keeps 15%), or pay per release and keep 100%	Free tier stays up	Yes (15% on the free tier)	Yes

Prices and terms change often. Check the distributor’s own pricing page on the day you sign up. Not yet confirmed: the price of DistroKid’s Content ID add-on, and whether CD Baby pays collaborators directly.

Questions

In what order should a band open its accounts?

Agree the splits first, then a distributor with splits set, then each songwriter joins a PRO (with a publisher membership at ASCAP), then The MLC, then SoundExchange for each performer and the recording owner. Then register every song at the PRO and The MLC with the same splits.

Which accounts does each band member open themselves?

Each songwriter opens their own PRO membership and The MLC account. Each performer registers at SoundExchange. The distributor and the SoundExchange rights-owner account are usually run by one person for the band.

Which distributor keeps releases up if I stop paying?

As checked on October 28, 2026: CD Baby, Amuse and RouteNote’s free tier keep releases up. DistroKid takes them down unless you bought “Leave a Legacy” for that release, and TuneCore takes them down after a grace period. Check the distributor’s own pricing page on the day you sign up.

How often should a band check its royalties?

Once a year at least: compare statements from every source, register any songs you forgot, and check that every release is still live.

Sources

Official pages, all checked on October 28, 2026.

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change: check the official site on the day you sign up. For a big deal, such as a sync offer, a label contract or selling a catalogue, pay a music lawyer for an hour.