The Complete Guide
A practical, step-by-step guide for independent artists, songwriters, and publishers who want to stop leaving money on the table.
Every song you write should be registered with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) in your home country. In the US, this means ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. In the UK, PRS for Music. In Canada, SOCAN. Registration creates the official record that links your name to your compositions and enables societies to route royalties to you. Without registration, royalties generated by your music have nowhere to go — they accumulate in the 'black box'.
An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) uniquely identifies each sound recording. An ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) identifies the underlying composition. These codes are the backbone of digital royalty tracking — without them, streaming platforms and societies cannot accurately match plays to rights holders. Many artists miss out on royalties simply because their releases lack these identifiers.
Music is consumed globally, but royalty collection is territorial. A song played on UK radio generates PRS royalties. The same song on German radio generates GEMA royalties. If you're only registered in your home country, you're missing royalties from every other territory. FutureArc searches across 60+ PROs and CMOs worldwide to find and register your works in territories where you're generating income but not yet collecting.
Even if you've been registered for years, errors accumulate. Publisher splits may be wrong. Co-writer shares may be missing. Works may have been registered under slightly different titles or with incorrect metadata. A catalogue audit compares your actual works against what's registered at each society, identifies discrepancies, and flags unclaimed royalties. FutureArc's free audit covers your entire catalogue across all major societies.
Most societies allow retroactive claims — meaning you can claim royalties generated in the past, even if you weren't registered at the time. The lookback period varies: ASCAP allows 2 years, PRS for Music allows 6 years, and some societies have no limit. FutureArc identifies the maximum retroactive claim window for each society and submits claims on your behalf, recovering money you may have been owed for years.
Royalty collection is not a one-time task — it's an ongoing process. New plays generate new royalties. New territories open up. Societies update their distribution schedules. FutureArc continuously monitors your catalogue across all registered societies, flags new unclaimed amounts, and consolidates payments into a single monthly statement. You focus on making music. We handle the administration.
Things artists believe that cost them money.
✗ My distributor handles all my royalties
Distributors collect master recording royalties from streaming platforms, but they do NOT collect performance royalties (PRO), neighbouring rights, or mechanical royalties from many territories. You need separate registrations for these.
✗ I'm too small to have unclaimed royalties
Royalties are generated by plays, not by fame. A song with 10,000 streams in Germany generates GEMA royalties regardless of whether you're a major artist or an independent. Small catalogues often have proportionally more unclaimed royalties due to fewer resources for administration.
✗ If I had royalties, my PRO would have told me
PROs only pay out royalties they can match to a registered rights holder. If your works aren't registered, or are registered incorrectly, the money sits in the black box — and your PRO has no way to notify you.
✗ Royalty collection is too complicated to be worth it
It can be complex — which is exactly why FutureArc exists. We handle the complexity on your behalf, from registration to claim submission to payment consolidation. You don't need to understand every society's rules to get paid.
FutureArc will audit your entire catalogue for free — no commitment required.