Platform · active · Officially verified
SoundExchange digital performance royalties
An essential collection route for eligible U.S. digital sound-recording performances, not a method for creating demand by itself.
Scout's verdict
Services report covered plays and pay statutory royalties; SoundExchange matches repertoire and distributes allocated shares to eligible artists and owners.
Good fit: Featured artists and sound-recording owners with commercially released recordings and accurate metadata.
Advantages
- Designated U.S. collective for covered uses
- Registration can recover otherwise unmatched royalties
Drawbacks
- Only certain digital performances are covered
- Data mismatches and low usage can mean no payment
Red flags
- Agent demands ownership for simple registration
- Claim that every stream is covered
Getting started
- Register through the official site
- Add accurate repertoire and splits
- Review unmatched recordings and account details
Why this score
SoundExchange documents the statutory collection role. Royalties depend on covered performances, reporting, matching, ownership, and distribution thresholds.
Composite Scout risk read: 29 (Lower composite risk). This is not a community aggregate — community reports start empty.
Economics
Pay basis: Eligible statutory digital performance royalties allocated from reported usage
Registration does not create royalties or total return; payments require covered use, accurate reports, matching repertoire, ownership, and sufficient payable balance.
Fees: Registration is generally free; rights administration, professional advice, tax, and unclaimed-property issues may still cost time or money.
Payout: On SoundExchange's current distribution schedule when account and threshold conditions are met.
Time to first dollar: Months or longer; only covered reported performances with successful matching generate payable royalties.
Common expenses
- metadata and rights administration
- tax
- professional advice if needed
Keep gross, platform payout, expenses, pre-tax operating net, and time separate. Never treat gross receipts as take-home.
Fit & eligibility
Capital band: none · incremental startup $0–$0
Hours/week (typical band): 0–3
Skills
- repertoire registration
- rights and metadata management
- split verification
Equipment
- internet-connected device
- tax and bank information
- recording and release metadata
Eligibility
- featured artist or sound-recording copyright-owner interest
- identity and tax verification
- accurate repertoire and ownership data
Geography: US · remote-capable
SoundExchange administers certain U.S. statutory digital performance royalties; other performance and composition uses follow different systems.
Official evidence
Official-source verified is not community verified. Reviewed 2026-07-10; review by 2026-10-08.
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Artists and Copyright Owners
SoundExchange · company_help · accessed 2026-07-10
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Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income
Internal Revenue Service · government · accessed 2026-07-10
Community observations
No reviewed reports yet. Report counts, comments, and payout statistics begin empty and grow only from moderated real records. We will never invent discussion text or leaderboard activity.
Volatile fields
Re-verify on a 30–90 day cycle: status, economics.payout_schedule, fit.eligibility.
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