Partner · BeatStars Publishing
Keep your money out of the black box.
Every society in this guide holds money it can't pay out. Most of it is stuck because songs weren't registered, matched or claimed in time. BeatStars Publishing registers your compositions and collects the publishing royalties you're owed.
Why money gets stuck
Four compartments you can stay out of
A song was played, but the society couldn't match the usage to a registered work.
The work is known, but nobody has claimed their share of it.
The society knows who is owed, but can't find or pay them.
Conflicting claims freeze the money until someone sorts them out.
If money stays unresolved long enough, many societies pay it out to other members by market share. That money doesn't come back.
How it works
From song to paid, in four steps
Is this for you?
You still need publishing if…
- ✓You use a distributor. It pays master royalties only.
- ✓You're with a PRO. It pays performance royalties only.
- ✓You're registered with the MLC. It covers mechanicals in the USA only.
- ✓You're with SoundExchange. It pays digital performance royalties on sound recordings only.
The clock is already running.
Register before your royalties are redistributed to someone else.
Details from beatstars.com/publishing, checked October 2026. BeatStars Publishing is a partner of this guide. The research elsewhere on this site is independent.