Resources

Royalties are how you get paid as a creative. There are three primary types you need to know:

• Performance Royalties: Generated when your song is performed publicly — on radio, TV, streaming platforms, or at live venues. Collected by your PRO (SAMRO, BMI, ASCAP, etc.) and paid to you and your publisher.
• Mechanical Royalties: Paid when your song is reproduced — streamed, downloaded, or pressed to physical media. In digital markets, these are often collected by your distributor or publisher.
• Sync Royalties: Earned when your music is licensed for use in film, TV, advertising, or digital content. Gold Tea handles the licensing and negotiation for sync placements.

Quick Tip: Double-check your contracts to ensure you're not assigning more rights than you intend to. Understanding the difference between assigning rights and licensing them is critical.

A Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) collects performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers when their music is performed publicly. Joining one is non-negotiable if you want to be paid for your work.

• ASCAP (USA) — The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Member-owned, strong educational resources.
• BMI (USA) — Broadcast Music, Inc. Large network, free to join, broad genre coverage.
• SESAC (USA) — Smaller, by invitation only. Known for personalised service and strong collection rates in certain markets.
• SAMRO (South Africa) — Southern African Music Rights Organisation. The primary PRO for South African creators — collects locally and internationally through reciprocal agreements.

Quick Tip: Register with your PRO as soon as your music is publicly available. Unclaimed royalties are common — don't leave earnings behind.

Music publishing is the business of managing and monetising the rights to a song's composition — the melody, lyrics, and structure. It is distinct from the recording (the "master"), which is typically owned by the artist or their label.

• How It Works: When you write a song, you automatically own its publishing rights. You can retain full control, sign a co-publishing deal, or enter an administration agreement. Publishers like Gold Tea handle royalty collection, pitching, and rights protection.
• Publishing Splits: How royalties are divided among co-writers. A 50/50 split between two writers is standard — but it must be agreed in writing (a split sheet) to be enforceable.
• Administration Deal: A publisher collects and administers your royalties for a fee (usually 10–25%). You retain ownership of your publishing rights.
• Co-Publishing Agreement: You share a portion of your publishing ownership with the publisher in exchange for active promotion, pitching, and catalogue investment.

Quick Tip: Without a publishing plan, you can miss out on royalties or unintentionally give up rights you didn't mean to. Contact us to understand your options.

Copyright exists automatically from the moment you create an original work. You don't need to register to own it — but registration provides legal proof and dramatically strengthens your position if someone infringes your rights.

• US: Register with the US Copyright Office. Filing fee is approximately $35–$55 per work.
• South Africa: Copyright arises automatically under the Copyright Act 98 of 1978. You can record your works with CIPC for additional documentation.
• International: South Africa and the US are both signatories to the Berne Convention — your copyright is recognised in over 180 countries automatically.

Quick Tip: Keep dated records of your creative process — demos, session files, handwritten lyrics, email threads with co-writers. These support your position if ownership is ever disputed.

Digital distribution is how you get your music onto Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, and other platforms. Choosing the right distributor and understanding what each agreement involves determines how much of your streaming income you actually receive.

• DistroKid — Annual subscription model, unlimited uploads, keeps 100% of royalties. Popular with independent artists.
• TuneCore — Per-release fee, full royalty retention. Strong global reach and publishing administration services.
• CD Baby — One-time fee per release, takes a small percentage. Offers sync licensing and publishing administration as add-ons.

Before distributing, ensure you have:

• High-quality audio file (WAV, 44.1kHz or higher, 16-bit minimum)
• Cover artwork (3000×3000px minimum, RGB colour space)
• ISRC codes for each track (often provided by your distributor)
• Correct metadata: title, artist name, featured artists, publisher, composer, ISWC
• Split sheet signed by all co-writers before release

Quick Tip: Pair digital distribution with PRO registration and a publishing plan through Gold Tea to ensure every revenue stream is captured — not just streaming.