Publishing Royalty Calculator

Performance royalties are earned when your song is played publicly — radio, TV, live venues, streaming. They're collected by PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC). Mechanical royalties are earned when your song is reproduced — streaming (at $0.0018/play), physical copies ($0.0917 each), or downloads.

By default, publishing royalties are split 50/50: the writer's share goes to the songwriter, and the publisher's share goes to the publishing company. If you're self-published (no publishing deal), you keep both halves — 100% of publishing income.

Sync (synchronization) royalties are one-time fees paid when your music is licensed for use in TV shows, films, commercials, or video games. These are negotiated per-placement and can range from a few hundred dollars (indie film) to $500K+ (Super Bowl commercial).

A single radio spin on a major market station pays roughly $0.05-0.20 to the songwriter via their PRO. A song in heavy rotation (50+ spins/week across major markets) can generate $2,000-5,000/quarter. College and community stations pay significantly less.

ASCAP and BMI are open-enrollment and free to join (ASCAP has a one-time $50 fee). SESAC is invitation-only and typically represents higher-profile writers. All three collect performance royalties. The main differences are in payment schedules, advances, and member services.