Societies first. Then one distributor. Publishing admin is optional and does not replace your PRO. Nothing here is legal advice. Confirm every fee on the official site before you pay anyone.
Checked September 2026. ASCAP, BMI, The MLC, SoundExchange, HFA, and copyright.gov do not get affiliate links — ever. Some later tools might. Empty affiliate slots stay official URLs until a real program is approved. I have not locked a public distributor, so nothing here is a ranking.
Melody and lyrics. Writer + publisher share. Collected by a PRO (performances) and The MLC (U.S. digital mechanicals).
The file you upload. Featured artist + owner. Collected by your distributor (streams/downloads) and SoundExchange (non-interactive digital radio / sat).
Gets the recording onto Spotify, Apple, YouTube Music, Amazon. Pays recording streaming/download money. Pick one later.
Pays when the composition is performed — radio, venues, TV, many digital plays. Join one U.S. PRO as a writer.
Pays U.S. digital mechanicals on the composition (interactive streams + downloads). Free. Not optional if you write.
Pays digital performance on the recording for non-interactive services. Artist account + owner account if you own the master.
Pick one open PRO as a writer. ASCAP or BMI for most independent writers. SESAC and GMR are invite-only.
U.S. PRO. Open membership. Writer + publisher shares on public performances.
ascap.comU.S. PRO. Open membership. Writer join is typically free. Same job as ASCAP — pick one, not both, for the same songs.
bmi.comAnother U.S. performance-rights option. Confirm current terms on their site.
alltrack.comJoin the PRO where you live. Do not stack these on top of ASCAP or BMI for the same writer share. Treaties move the money across borders.
Canada’s performing rights organization. Join here if Canada is home — not as a second U.S. PRO.
socan.comUnited Kingdom performing rights. Collects UK performances for writers and publishers.
prsformusic.comAustralia and New Zealand. APRA handles performance; AMCOS handles mechanicals in that territory.
apraamcos.com.auThe MLC is the digital mechanical collector. HFA and Music Reports are extra lanes, not a substitute.
U.S. digital mechanicals for interactive streams and downloads. Free membership. This is not your PRO.
themlc.comMechanical licensing for many physical and some download uses. Not a replacement for The MLC.
harryfox.comU.S. mechanical licensing and matching services used by some services and publishers. Not a replacement for The MLC.
musicreports.comMechanicals in other countries go through that territory’s society — not The MLC.
SoundExchange is the featured-artist / owner lane. The AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund is for non-featured players on the record.
U.S. digital performance on the sound recording for non-interactive services. Featured artist and rights owner are separate hats.
soundexchange.comNon-featured performers on recordings. You do not have to be union to be owed.
afmsagaftrafund.orgNeighboring rights on the recording. SoundExchange does not replace these abroad.
United Kingdom neighboring rights for recordings. Pays performers and rights owners when the recording is used in that territory.
ppluk.comCanada’s neighboring-rights collective for performers and makers of sound recordings.
resound.caPhonographic Performance Company of Australia. Recording rights in Australia.
ppca.com.auThese put the recording on DSPs. They do not replace a PRO, The MLC, or SoundExchange. Get the ISRC and put that ID back into the other accounts.
Yearly plan, unlimited uploads on most tiers. Common independent default. Affiliate slot empty until approved.
distrokid.comPer-release or subscription distribution. Separate publishing product exists — that is not this row.
tunecore.comPer-release distribution plus optional publishing add-on. Confirm current plans on their site.
cdbaby.comUnlimited-release subscription distributor. Affiliate program exists; link stays official until the code is in.
dittomusic.comMastering plus distribution. Useful if you already live in that tool. Not required.
landr.comDistribution with a brand / marketing pitch. Read the deal before you treat it like a raw aggregator.
unitedmasters.comOften used by managers and small labels. Application, not a one-click shop.
symphonicdistribution.comDistribution plus split payments to collaborators. Useful when the room is a team.
stem.comThese help register and collect worldwide. They do not replace your PRO. You can stay self-administered at The MLC if you want to run it yourself.
Publishing administration for independents. Registers works and collects outside what your PRO already covers.
songtrust.comAdd-on admin if you already live at TuneCore. Still not a PRO.
TuneCore publishingDistroKid’s publishing-adjacent products change names. Confirm the current offering on their site before you pay twice.
distrokid.comPublishing admin, often via partners. Application / invite in some lanes.
sentricmusic.comPublishing add-on bundled with some CD Baby products. Confirm the live name and cut.
cdbaby.comRegister the finished work when you want the federal paper. Not the same as joining a PRO.
copyright.govPublic works lookup run with ASCAP and BMI. Use it to see if a song is already registered and with whom.
songview.comInternational Standard Recording Code — the ID for a specific recording. Many distributors issue these when you upload. This site explains the standard.
usisrc.orgLicensing help when you need to clear a cover or a use. Not a collector.
easysong.comSamples, rent-to-own plugins, collaboration. Affiliate program exists; official URL until the code is approved.
splice.comHardware and studio gear. Affiliate later if you join the program.
sweetwater.comAnalytics when you actually have catalog to track. Skip until there is a release.
chartmetric.com soundcharts.comAffiliate slots: DistroKid, Ditto, LANDR, TuneCore, CD Baby, Splice, Plugin Boutique, Sweetwater. Still official links. Swap the href when you have the code — never on societies.