How Do I Know If I Am Earning Neighboring Rights Royalties?

Neighboring rights royalties

If you own your sound recording and that recording is publicly performed or broadcast on the media sources listed below, you and whomever else is performing on the recording are earning neighboring rights royalties.

You earn neighboring rights royalties if your recording is being played on:

Pandora (or any internet radio platform)
BBC Radio, Sirius XM (or any satellite radio platform)
Cable TV music channels
Terrestrial radio (outside of the USA) **
Businesses and retailers as background music (ex. restaurants, hotels, etc..)
Live Clubs and/or any performance venue
Various new online media

However, it is important to understand that just because your recordings are selling well in a given territory does not mean you are earning neighboring rights royalties. Neighboring rights royalties are earned only when your sound recording is publicly performed or broadcast, not sold. Lastly, Songtrust does not collect neighboring rights royalties since they are generated on behalf of the recording, and not the underlying composition.

Don't know what Neighboring Royalties are? Read our other articles to learn more about neighboring rights royalties and who collects them!

**Currently terrestrial radio in the United States is not required to pay royalties on behalf of the recording. They only have to pay royalties on behalf of the underlying composition used.

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