Royalties from music and songs?

Rocker

Just wondering how someone who writes a piece of music or a song gets paid royalties for that work. Assuming that the writer writes it for someone else to perform/record.

Always wondered this. Thanks.

octatonic

It can get complicated but in broad strokes it works like this:

The songwriters gets revenue from the publishing of the song.
Plus the songwriters get 50% of the performance royalties (split with the performers).
Plus the songwriters get the mechanical royalties from any licensing.

There is much more money in songwriting than there is in being a musician playing on an album.
It is one of the things that splits up bands, because one member often writes the tunes and ends up much much wealthier than the rest- look at Smashing Pumpkins.

spark240

And don’t bank on making anything from online plays.....

duotone

spark240 said:

And don’t bank on making anything from online plays.....

Yep, a friend showed me the total he made from all streams.  Not sure if it was showing a monthly or quarterly payment...but I remember it being £12 and some odd pence!