Here’s a royalty most American indies never touch: neighboring rights. In most of the world outside the US, when a recording gets played on radio, TV, or in public, the performers and the recording owner get paid — separate from whatever the songwriter earns. The UK, Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada, and dozens of other countries all have this right. The United States doesn’t, which is exactly why Americans leave the money sitting there.
Your recordings are earning this money abroad right now if they’re getting any international airplay or streams — and without a collection setup, it’s piling up in foreign societies under your name, waiting. Each country’s neighboring rights society (PPL in the UK is the biggest) handles collection, and you generally can’t join them all directly. Instead, you appoint one agent — SoundExchange runs an international program for US artists, and several independent administrators do the same — and they claim across territories for you.
The economics are straightforward: the agent takes a commission, typically 10 to 20 percent, and chases money you’d never find on your own. Before you sign, compare a few: ask which territories they cover, how often they pay, and whether they charge any upfront fees (good ones don’t). Read the term length — you want the ability to leave if they underperform, not a lifetime lock on your catalog.
Setup takes an afternoon. Register your recordings with accurate ISRCs, confirm you’re listed as the featured performer and rights owner, and make sure your metadata matches everywhere — mismatched names across societies are the top reason claims fail. Foreign societies pay on long cycles, twelve to twenty-four months behind the actual plays. This is found money for most indies. Go find it.
About the Author – Ruben Burgos: Ruben Burgos brings over 25 years of music expertise and more than 15 years of model guidance to the table. He is the indie major pinnacle to retaining credits for musicians and helping them navigate this wicked industry without the fuckery.