Are you a songwriter, composer, or music publisher? We can help you get paid for your work. Royalties keep the music coming and ensure the music industry’s future.
Already started a Writer Member application? Continue your application
We represent your music globally. That means wherever your music is played, we collect the royalties and pay them back to you. Find out how royalties work, when you get paid and what 'managing your rights' really means.
As a member, you get a wide range of discounts and deals to support your music career. You'll also find helpful guides and forms you need to submit to get paid.
Looking for a particular song or work? Search the APRA AMCOS registered song and work catalogue.
TIP: Read the summary on ‘How to search for a song or work’ before searching.
When do I get paid royalties?
APRA pays domestic royalties every three months and processes overseas royalties monthly.
AMCOS processes royalties quarterly—within 60 days of the end of each calendar quarter, usually just before the 60th day. All amounts over $10 are paid.
I'm in a band. How do we split royalties?
Ideally you work it out song by song, as it probably won’t be the same for all songs. You'll need to do this before you register the song with APRA AMCOS.
This is easy, for example, if one person wrote 100% of the lyrics and the other wrote 100% of the music. When you’ve written a song with others, it’s a good idea to have a written agreement that talks about the share of copyright you each take.
How do I copyright and register my works?
Copyright and registration are two separate things.
Copyright is free and automatic.
That's right—you don’t have to do anything to ‘get’ copyright; it's there from the moment you write down or record the song. So as soon as you create a new song or piece of music, you have copyright in it.
Register works with APRA AMCOS.
To ensure you receive royalties when your work is played or performed, you must register your songs and compositions through the Writer Portal or App.
What are Performance Reports?
If you play live at pubs, clubs, cafes, or other live music venues in New Zealand and Australia, you can get royalties for these performances by submitting a Performance Report.
Just tell us what songs you've performed in which venues, and you could be paid for playing your original music live. Please make sure you also tell us about any covers you perform so the original songwriters can get paid too.
You can submit your Performance Reports on-the-go via the APRA AMCOS for Music Creators App or in the Writer Portal. Download the app for free from the Apple App store, or from GooglePlay for Android.
How do I update my membership details?
Head to the Writer Portal to update personal information like bank account, email, or phone number. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] with your new details.
Some details, such as a change of legal name, can only be amended via email.
We've got specialised departments to look after our members, licence enquiries, international affiliates, and more. Get in touch or send us a message using our department direct form.