DIY Musician Toolkit: Royalty Streamline System

Understanding royalties is crucial when turning music into a career. Unfortunately, this aspect is rarely explained clearly and digestibly. In this DIY Musician Blog post, we will begin dissecting the toolkit for independent creators, starting with the core of understanding royalty streamlining and the tools you need to collect all of your income.

DIY Musician Royalty Streamline System

The following are the essentials everyone should have, no matter what kind of role or projects they have. This combination will provide all that's needed to collect the full spectrum of royalties from your music, whether you’re an artist, producer, songwriter, or composer. Having these will set you up as your own full-blown record label!

PRO (Performing Rights Organization)

A PRO, like ASCAP, BMI, or SOCAN, is a must-have for any musician. These organizations collect performance royalties when your music is played on the radio, TV, live venues, or streaming services. Signing up with one ensures you’re not missing out on money being generated by your music. It’s usually free or low-cost to register, and once you're in, they track your plays and send you regular royalty payments. Usually, it’s best to sign up with a local PRO related to your country. However, in some cases, it’s valid to consider joining one of the US-based ones, like BMI, to ensure the appropriate royalty collection.

Publishing Administrator

Think of a publishing administrator like a royalty bounty hunter. They track down your songwriter and publishing royalties worldwide—money that often goes unclaimed without one. Services like Songtrust (my personal choice) help register your songs globally and collect from hard-to-reach territories and platforms, making sure you get paid for all uses of your work. In some unique situations, it’s worth thinking about also registering with the Mechanical Royalties Society, but for most independent musicians, having a Publishing Administrator will cover their needs. While these services take a commission, they fulfill a vital role in making your process simpler and smoother.

SoundExchange

SoundExchange focuses on digital performance royalties from non-interactive streaming (think Pandora, satellite radio, or webcasts). These are royalties that aren’t collected by your PRO or distributor. It’s especially essential if you’re an artist or a producer with music streaming in the U.S.—SoundExchange makes sure your performance credits earn you the money you’re owed. Register as both an artist and a rights owner (if you self-release) on SoundExchange’s website. Why is it important? If your track gets played on iHeartRadio online, SoundExchange pays you and your producer separately, even if you’re already with BMI and CD Baby.

Music Distributor

Your distributor is how your music gets onto platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. But they also play a key role in royalty collection, especially mechanical royalties and streaming revenue. Options like OFFstep, CD Baby, or Symphonic offer different tools, and many now include extras like YouTube Content ID and splits for collaborators. Whether you release your own music or collaborate with artists in a «full-project» approach similar to an indie label, having a great distributor is always a good idea. In case you're currently exploring music distributors, you might find this post helpful.

Your Website

A personal website gives you a professional home base online. It’s where you can host a bio, links to music, merch, tour dates, and even collect emails for your mailing list. More than that, it’s one of the few places where you control the experience—and the revenue. Great for building trust with fans and creating direct-to-supporter sales or opportunities. It’s the best way to present you and your music to industry professionals while also being valuable in landing deals and establishing connections. You can start simple: use platforms like Squarespace, Wix, or Bandzoogle to build a clean one-page site with your bio, music, and a contact form, and gradually build from there.

The second category is more specialized and tailored towards the producers/composers, but showcases trustworthy platforms worth considering if your projects align with them.

SoundBetter

SoundBetter is a freelancing platform built for musicians. If you produce, mix, master, write toplines, or play instruments, it’s a great place to offer services to clients worldwide. It’s quality-controlled and offers escrow payment protection, so you can get paid safely for your work. A solid fit for producers, engineers, songwriters, or session musicians wanting to expand their freelance portfolio. What I love about this platform is that it allows for international collaborations like never before! It’s when you landed a $400 string arrangement gig for an indie artist based in Europe, without ever leaving your bedroom. And if you're an artist or songwriter looking to create a professional record and build connections, it’s one of the best places to be.

BeatStars

BeatStars is a marketplace for selling beats and instrumentals, and a great resource for producers looking to monetize consistently. You can offer licenses, set your own prices, and even build a subscriber base. It handles contracts and splits, which helps keep things organized and professional when selling to independent artists or collaborators. It’s mostly renowned in the hip-hop and pop genres and also used by major labels, so there are a lot of possibilities. And if you’re an artist or songwriter, this platform will open you to countless tracks and collaborators to vibe with!

Production Music Publishers

If you’re creating instrumental or cinematic music, production music publishers and libraries offer a way to earn through volume licensing. These publishers place your tracks on TV, films, web videos, ads, games, and more. Paying you either upfront or via royalties. Building a network and catalog in this niche takes time, and it’s important to research the publisher and library before signing. Every publisher will have their specialties, it’s part of your work to find the ones that fit your kind of music, for it to be used and generate income. It’s a great passive stream once your catalog is up and running. For instance, one chill lo-fi instrumental accepted into a YouTube-friendly library and got used in 40+ videos generates passive income monthly. And the best part - it builds up with time!

Sync Deals

Sync licensing can be a game-changer. It involves placing your music in film, TV, games, or ads, and it usually pays well. This part of the production music market is usually more associated with songs. To increase your chances, have the instrumental version of your song and stems ready, and one day your song might become one of the best moments in a TV show. You can land sync deals through libraries, sync agents, or direct contacts. While competitive, it’s worth exploring if you make music that’s cinematic, emotive, or fits niche moods like playing at a nightclub or a restaurant. Tag your best songs with relevant moods, create a searchable folder or a dedicated private page on your website, and start pitching to small indie filmmakers or sync agents. It’s also good to have some help when establishing a deal with a professional attorney to ensure everything is clean and fair. Think of it as planting seeds that could lead to big payoffs. Landing a sync placement means getting your music known, used often with a nice upfront check and backend royalties.

The third cluster is optional additions that can help elevate your project and find creative ways to expand your income streams even further.

YouTube

This platform deserves to be a special category, especially for musicians. If you choose to make consistent YouTube content around your music, it could become one of the pillars of your income. These videos can be vlogs, sharing your creative process, or as simple as cover songs. Besides the music videos and live performances, if you do them, you can open a window into your world for your fans and generate some coin, not only with AdSense, but also sponsorships and more. However, consider it only if it works specifically for you. Sometimes, just music videos are enough. Give it a try and see how you feel before making a decision.

Patreon

Patreon lets your fans support you every month in exchange for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes access, or early releases. It’s perfect for building a tight-knit community around your work, especially if you want to offer more than just music—like process insights, livestreams, or mentorship. This approach doesn’t work for everyone, but if it clicks for you, it might become one of the best ways to build community and a suitable income. I tried Patreon and it didn’t feel like my cup of tea, but it might fit your taste.

Merch

Merch is one of the most straightforward ways to generate income. Whether it’s T-shirts, hats, or limited-run physical music, having items for fans to buy supports your brand and your bank account. Giving your audience something physical has a special effect. Of course, usually merch is established in the later phase of your project, but when you create things that you actually want to share with your fans and explore your creativity in this way, it becomes truly valuable for both sides.

Referrals

Referral income comes from affiliate programs where you recommend tools, gear, or services you actually use. Platforms like Splice or ComposerCloud offer referral bonuses. If you talk about your creative tools online, this is a simple way to earn some passive income just by sharing your honest opinion. Sharing your favorite tools with others this way is nothing to be ashamed of. If the platform brings you value, it deserves to be known. This approach will only benefit all involved and help to support the platforms you love while also supporting you.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships can come from brands that align with your music or audience. They might offer payment, free gear, or promotional opportunities in exchange for a shoutout or collab. If you’ve built an engaged following on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, this can be a great way to leverage your presence for additional income. Once you have a solid online presence, brands may want to sponsor your content or partner for launches, especially if your audience overlaps with theirs. Build consistency on one platform, then pitch small brands or local gear companies with a short media kit. It doesn’t have to be limited to music. If you make your interests known through your brand, the possibilities are even wider. But it is also worth mentioning that you don’t have to do this if it doesn’t seem right or feels uncomfortable. Never force anything to fit. Transparency is always the best call.

Donations

Sometimes people just want to support your art with no strings attached. Having a donation link (via PayPal, Buy Me a Coffee, or Donation Alerts) lets fans tip you whenever they feel like it. It’s low-pressure, easy to set up, and surprisingly effective—especially when you’re transparent about how it helps you keep creating. For some creators, it works even better than Patreon. But you gotta try to find out which is best for you. Real Example: A singer-songwriter mentioned her Ko-fi link during Instagram Live—and picked up $200 in spontaneous tips that week.

When exploring the possible blueprint for your personal DIY Musician Royalty Streamline System outside the Essentials category, it’s important to take things only if they truly fit your projects, goals, and resonate with you and your process. It’s also good to give some a try before making a final decision, and adapt your toolkit with time. Your goals will change, your music will transform, and so will the tools outside the basics. As you can see, there are many ways to make money around music. But the tools alone aren’t enough. It’s you and your imagination, along with some strategy and calculation, that build a sustainable and prosperous independent creative career.

Be well, stay tuned!