In short
A song brings two kinds of income: your distributor pays for the recording, the collecting society for the song itself, meaning lyrics and music. In Austria that’s AKM together with austro mechana, in Germany GEMA. You become a member and register every song as a work.
What do you get paid for?
- Streams: Spotify and co. pay licences to the collecting societies.
- Radio and TV.
- Live shows: report your setlist after every gig.
- Public performance in clubs, bars and shops.
- Reproduction on CD and vinyl, in Austria via austro mechana.
AKM or GEMA?
As a rule, you join the society of your country: AKM in Austria, GEMA in Germany. Through agreements with societies abroad, they collect for you there too. For your works you’re a member of only one society.
How to become a member
Registering works and entering splits
You register each song separately as a work, with the title, all authors of lyrics and music and their shares in percent. Settle the shares before release, it saves arguments.
If you bought a beat, the producer is usually a co-author of the music. More in Buying a beat: lease or exclusive?
And what about LSG and GVL?
For your work as performer or producer of the recording there are separate societies: LSG in Austria, GVL in Germany. They distribute money when the recording plays on the radio, for example. That’s an additional, separate step.
Common mistakes
- Not registering at all, because it’s “only streams”.
- Not settling splits and arguing later.
- Forgetting setlists: gigs only pay if you report them.
This guide is not legal advice. The rules of AKM, austro mechana and GEMA are binding.