Before we dive in—and yes, I’ve said this once before—the fastest way to maximize your earnings in your music career is to ensure you are not leaving money on the table. Always have a legal representative in every negotiation to protect your interests. It is one of the smartest and most practical moves you can make. That being said, let’s cover the basics of music royalties.
Royalties represent the revenue generated from the use, performance, and licensing of copyrighted work. In music, this covers both the master recording and the composition. These payments go to copyright holders—essentially any individual, group, or legal entity with a stake in the work. I will not delve into the various types of royalties, as we already have a dedicated post on that topic, so be sure to check it out.
Maximizing Your Royalties
Our tips are not fail-proof, but they offer options worth exploring to help you be better positioned for maximizing your music career’s potential.
Get On Digital Platforms
With the rise of digital music distribution, there is a significant shift in how we listen to music. Streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube offer a pay-per-stream model that monetizes fan appreciation and engagement. Essentially, the more streams your music receives, the more you earn. You can learn about Spotify’s new royalty model from our previous posts. If you’re not already on a streaming platform, it might be worth considering joining one or two to expand your reach.
Social Media
Streaming platforms are not the only source of royalties for artists. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram also offer sync royalties when an artist’s music is used to create content within the app. Social media also provides an avenue for direct fan engagement, allowing artists to build and maintain their public personas while fostering a sense of personal connection with their audience. You might consider investing in your social media presence and employing effective strategies to boost online engagement and grow your popularity.
Understand Contracts
From record label and distribution contracts to licensing agreements and split sheets, be sure to understand the terms of any document before you sign. When signing legal documents, simply being able to read and understand English is not enough. There are plenty of cautionary tales in the industry and it would be wise to learn from them. Remember that music is a business, and contracts cannot be 100% to your benefit alone. Agreements should be fair and mutually beneficial for all parties involved.
Music Publishing
For artists who write their own lyrics, music publishing is worth considering. And no, music publishing is not the same as music distribution. With publishing, emphasis is placed on managing and monetizing the music composition specifically, the lyrics. This means that every time your lyrics are reproduced or integrated into any content or performance, royalties are generated and collected on your behalf.
Transparency In Royalty Tracking
Maximizing your earnings is pointless, without proper royalty tracking. So, our final tip is to invest in platforms that prioritize royalty accounting and management. Tools like Royalti.io, offer a seamless way to monitor your earnings across streaming platforms and make sense of metadata collected from them.
And there you have it—five quick, practical strategies you can use to boost your earnings today.
