SoundExchange Best Practice Guide:
Registering an Artist and/or Sound Recording Copyright Holder
WHY: To collect digital performance royalties for Featured Performance and/or ownership of masters to sound recordings streamed through cable, internet and satellite radio.
*Please read SoundExchange general FAQs as an additional resource for information: http://www.soundexchange.com/about/general-faq/
WHEN: AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! You want to make sure you’re maximizing your revenue stream and not missing out on collection of royalties. Royalties are only retroactive for up to 3 years.
HOW: As we are a non-profit organization, registration with SoundExchange is free and simple. The quickest, easiest way to register is through our online registration portal via this link:
https://register.soundexchange.com
*Please make sure you are using Chrome, Firefox or Safari for optimal use of our online registration.
If you are completing a new registration for a Client, please select “Someone Else” to signify you are registering on their behalf. You will be required to submit a SoundExchange Authorization form signed by each performer you are registering (Section 2).
If you are completing a new registration for Yourself, please select “Yourself.”
You can complete one registration per client, selecting whether the registrant is a Performer, Sound Recording Copyright Owner (Rights Owner), or Both. Then click the box “I hereby certify that I am at least 18 years of age” and “Save & Continue.”
If you are registering “Someone Else,” the first step is Account Contact Information. Please use info for whoever needs to have full access to the account—to receive statement notifications, make any updates or changes, upload repertoire, etc. Once you establish the Full Access Contact for the account, at a later time you will be able to grant permission to others to view account information.
The next step is Performer Information (this will be the first step if you are registering “Yourself” as you will automatically be linked as the Account Contact Information). This is the legal name and direct contact information for all performers you are registering—all information will be kept confidential. If you are registering a solo artist, please select the “Solo Artist” option and continue. You will be required to provide proof of Performer ID, solo artist names, and the names of any groups the artist has recorded with (including percentages of groups claimed). Keep in mind that you can submit one registration for a performer who has released both solo and group work if the royalties will be paid to the same account.
If you are registering a band or multiple performers under one registration, payment must be directed to one collective entity which they wholly own (Payment Information will be provided in Section 4). Performer Information must be completed for each individual member of the group. You will also need to submit proof of Performer ID, authorization forms, and group information (including name and percentage of group claimed).
If you are registering as a Rights Owner or Both, the next step will be Rights Owner Information. Here you will fill out whether the rights are owned by a company or individual, labels operated, and percentage claimed. Once your registration is submitted and your account is processed, a member of our Account Services staff will contact you to fill out a Repertoire Metadata Template, which is an Excel spreadsheet that you will use to list every track (and relevant information attached to each track) you would expect the performer/s and/or copyright holder to get paid for. This form is crucial to ensure you get paid for all tracks you claim—please respond to any correspondence relating to repertoire as soon as possible.
The next step for all registrants is Payment Information. This details how you would like your payments to be set up, including: Payment Name, Tax Documentation (in the same name as the payment name), whether you would like direct deposit or physical check, and Payment Contact information (if different than Performer Information previously provided).
If you select Direct Deposit, you will be required to submit a voided check and account information for verification. The name on the voided check must match the Payment Name provided.
The final step of registration is approving the Terms to submit your registration in full. Please provide your electronic signature and the date. You should receive a confirmation email after submission, and an Account Services representative will reach out if there’s anything else they need to complete the account during processing (including requesting the Repertoire Metadata Template for Rights Owners).
MEMBERSHIP OPTION: You do not need to be a member of SoundExchange in order to collect domestic royalties. However, becoming a member of SoundExchange comes with multiple benefits—including authorization for SoundExchange to collect any foreign royalties that may have accrued on your behalf with other performance rights organizations around the world, which SoundExchange will then distribute to you along with your domestic payment for no additional administrative fee. You can select all territories you’d like SoundExchange to collect in, or omit any you wish.
*If you have any problems with the online registration there are also PDF versions of the forms—however, they take longer to process.
*Customer Care Help Line: (toll-free) 1-800-961-2091, can assist you with anything you need.
NEXT STEPS:
Activate Your SoundExchange Direct Account
SoundExchange Direct (SXDirect), our online client portal, provides you with the ability to update your account information, make new royalty claims by searching our system, review the recordings currently associated to your account, and to download your current and prior statements. In order to set up your profile, you will need to use the email address to which this message has been sent.
Take the next step and complete your SXDirect profile using the following link:
https://sxdirect.soundexchange.com/join
Once you’ve gained access, please go to “Edit Info” to review your payment delivery and tax disposition to make sure your account was set up using your most recent information.
Claim Your Recordings
After you have reviewed your account information in SXDirect, proceed to the “Search & Claim” section under the “My Catalog” tab to claim recordings you should be paid for. “Search & Claim” enables you to find recordings in our database that have not yet been associated with your account. Simply search for your recordings, add them to your cart, and submit the cart with your claim information. If you do not find a recording in our database, that means it has not been submitted to us by a Rights Owner yet or it has not been reported to us by one of our licensees and therefore has not accrued any royalties.
Submit Recordings (Exclusive to Sound Recording Copyright Owners)
Submitting a complete catalog of the recordings you own is the most effective way to ensure that your recordings are in the SoundExchange database and that your label (or individual) rights owner account has all its rights properly in place. You can submit a catalog of your recordings via SXDirect in the “Submit Recordings” section under the “My Catalog” tab. It is a best practice to submit new additions to your catalog via “Submit Recordings” on a regular basis.
Understand How Our Payments Work
A few important things about your royalty payments you should know:
Royalties are distributed monthly by direct deposit and quarterly, at the end of March, June, September, and December by check.
Direct deposits are issued monthly for accounts with a balance of $100 or more, and quarterly for accounts with a balance of $10 or more.
Quarterly checks are only issued when the royalties payable to you reach $100 or more. If your royalties due are less than $100, we hold them until they reach the threshold, at which time we will issue a payment.
To sign up for direct deposit using a U.S. bank account, please use “Edit Info” in SXDirect.
A link to access statements within SXDirect is sent to the email address on file at the time of payment
***For any additional questions, please contact Tiara Guy at tiarap@soundexchange.com or (202)696-1833