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Record producer — living in United States

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As a record producer

Join this society in United States

If you own the masters, a producers' society pays you for radio, TV and public plays of your recordings. Studio producers are usually paid by the label; some performers' societies also pay studio producers.

SoundExchange

SoundExchange, Inc. · United States

Your home society
Who can join
Performers, Record producers
Joining fee
Free: 'It is free to register with SoundExchange.'
Yearly fee
Not published. An administrative rate of 4–6% is deducted from royalties.
Processing time
Not published (once processed, an Account Services rep emails a link to set up a SoundExchange Direct login)
Apply online
Yes. You register online and manage the account afterwards in SoundExchange Direct (web or app).
Members from abroad
Yes, non-US registrants can join. A W-8BEN is required, otherwise 30% is withheld. A treaty country plus a tax ID on the W-8BEN may reduce withholding.
Who is eligible
  • Featured artists and sound recording copyright owners (usually the label) register to receive US digital performance royalties from non-interactive services (SiriusXM, Pandora, iHeart).
  • Non-featured performers (session musicians, backing vocalists) are not paid directly. Their royalties go through organisations such as AFM and SAG-AFTRA.
  • Songwriters and publishers are not paid by SoundExchange. Register only if you are also a featured artist or own the recordings.
  • Producers, mixers and engineers are paid only through a Letter of Direction submitted by the registrant (artist). LODs are not retroactive unless stated.
What to have ready0 of 5 ready
Apply at SoundExchange ↗
Sources and notes

Registration (US statutory royalties) is separate from membership. Membership means signing Membership and Mandate agreements so SoundExchange can collect your royalties abroad.

SoundExchange collects up to 3 years back, and unclaimed royalties expire after 3 years.

Payments: monthly direct deposit at $100+; otherwise quarterly (Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec) at $10 by direct deposit or $100 by check. Local-currency deposit is offered in many countries.

Performer royalties are paid only to the performer, a company they wholly own, heirs/estates, partner societies, or LOD payees. Managers cannot be paid directly.

SoundExchange says it does not work with paid royalty 'brokers'; you do not need one to be paid.

Sources — SoundExchange's own pages, read on 2026-10-06. Fees and rules change: the society's site is the reference.

How we chose these

Your home society comes first: it is the one you join for the rights listed. The joining details come from each society's own website, read on the date shown on its card. Countries we haven't checked yet show the society from our worldwide directory, with a link to its site.

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Why join?

Songwriters

Societies pay the writers registered with them. If you write songs and aren't a member of an authors' society, your writer share of radio, TV, live and streaming plays can't reach you. It sits unidentified until it is claimed, or is shared out to others.

Performers

When a recording you are on is broadcast or played in public, performers are owed a share (neighbouring rights). It is paid through performers' societies, and registering is how it finds you.

Producers and publishers

Master owners collect their share of the same plays through producers' societies. Publishers collect the publisher share of the songs through the authors' society. Both collect through a society membership.

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