Understanding Your Music Money: SoundExchange vs. BMI vs. The MLC (And How to Actually Get Paid)
If you’re a working musician, songwriter, or producer, understanding where your money comes from—and who pays it—is critical.
Three of the most important organizations in the music industry are:
SoundExchange
BMI
The Mechanical Licensing Collective
They all collect royalties—but for completely different uses of your music.
And if you’re not set up correctly with all three…
👉 you’re leaving money on the table.
SoundExchange:
Digital Performance Royalties
SoundExchange collects royalties when your sound recordings are played on non-interactive digital platforms.
Examples:
Pandora
SiriusXM
Internet radio
Who gets paid:
Featured artists
Session musicians
Rights owners (labels or independent artists)
👉 If your recording is streamed on digital radio, SoundExchange pays you.
BMI: Performance Royalties for Songwriters & Publishers
BMI collects royalties when your song (composition) is publicly performed.
Examples:
Live shows
Radio airplay
TV broadcasts
Bars and venues
Who gets paid:
Songwriters
Publishers
👉 If your song is performed publicly, BMI pays you.
The MLC: Mechanical Royalties from Streaming
The MLC collects mechanical royalties from interactive streaming platforms.
Examples:
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Who gets paid:
Songwriters
Publishers
👉 If your song is streamed on-demand, The MLC pays you.
The Simple Breakdown
Why Most Musicians Miss Money
These organizations don’t overlap.
That means:
You might be registered with BMI…
But missing SoundExchange royalties
Or collecting streaming income…
But not mechanical royalties from The MLC
👉 This is one of the biggest gaps we see with working musicians.
Upcoming Education Events
If you want to go deeper—and actually set yourself up correctly—we’ve got two opportunities:
Free SoundExchange Webinar: From Registration to Royalties101
📅 March 26, 2026
🕛 12:00 PM CT
Online only.
Learn directly from SoundExchange experts on how to collect your digital performance royalties.
👉 Register below:
FREE ATXM Master Class: Royalties, Publishing & Revenue Streams
Featuring Speakers from BMI and The MLC
📅 Monday, March 30, 2026, 3pm - 5pm
📍 Austin, TX (In-Person), St. Edward’s University, Maloney Room
A deep dive into:
✔ Performance royalties (BMI)
✔ Mechanical royalties (The MLC)
✔ Publishing + revenue strategy
⚠️ Limited capacity (75 attendees)
What You Should Do Right Now
Register with SoundExchange, BMI, and The MLC
Make sure your songs + recordings are properly registered
Keep your metadata accurate
Start thinking like a business—not just an artist
This is the difference between:
👉 Hoping to make money from music
👉 And building a sustainable career
Austin has the talent.
Now it’s about building the knowledge to match.
