New Forms of Remuneration in Music

Beyond the album: getting paid in a fragmented, fluid, digital age.

The way musicians earn money has transformed radically in recent years. The album isn’t dead — but it’s no longer the core economic engine. Today, artists are finding income in new formats, new platforms, and new behaviors. From streaming micro-payouts to performance royalties from livestreams, from sync deals to community-based patronage, the modern artist’s economy is multipolar, fast-moving, and sometimes obscure.

Understanding these new forms of remuneration is essential to survive — and to build sustainable, independent futures.

1. Traditional Royalties Still Matter — But They’ve Changed

a) Performing Rights (SACEM, PRS, GEMA, etc.)

If you’re a composer or songwriter, performing rights societies (PROs) like SACEM (France), PRS (UK), ASCAP/BMI (USA) collect money when your music is:

• Broadcast on radio or TV
• Played in public (clubs, shops, concerts)
• Streamed on platforms like Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music
• Used in a film or commercial (synchronization)

NEW: In France and many countries, you can now also be retributed when your music is streamed during a livestream — including on platforms like YouTube, Facebook Live, and Twitch, as long as it is declared and trackable.

SACEM allows you to declare setlists for digital concerts, radio broadcasts, or hybrid festival shows. These performances generate public performance royalties, just like a live concert.

Tip: Register your works properly and submit setlists for every performance — even livestreams.

2. Digital Streaming — Micro-Payouts with Macro Potential

a) Streaming Platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer)

These platforms pay per stream — very low per unit (~€0.003 per play on average), but with global reach.

You need:

• A digital distributor (like DistroKid, Tunecore, Amuse)
• Proper metadata and ISRC codes
• Publishing registration (via SACEM or a publisher) to collect mechanical and performance royalties

b) YouTube Content ID

Get paid when your music is:

• Used in other people’s videos
• Played in your own channel
• Embedded in livestreams or DJ mixes

You can monetize directly or via services like Identifyy, Symphonic, or your distributor.

3. Neighboring Rights / Master Rights Royalties

If you own the recording (not just the composition), you can collect from:

• Radio airplay (FM and internet)
• Club play
• TV and in-store use
• Streaming radio (Pandora, Mixcloud Live)

In France, this is managed by SPPF or SCPP. Internationally: SoundExchange (US), PPL (UK), Re:Sound (Canada).

4. Livestream Royalties and Hybrid Performances

If you perform live (on stage or on screen), there are now ways to monetize:

a) SACEM “Streaming Performance Declarations”

• Declare livestream setlists (on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc.)
• You receive royalties based on viewer numbers, repertoire, platform agreements

b) Facebook Rights Manager / Twitch Monetization

If your music is in their system, it can be:

• Blocked or monetized automatically
• Paid through connected PROs or publishers
• Claimed via your distributor or rights admin partner

c) Ticketed Livestreams

Sell access to private streams (via Bandcamp Live, Dice, Mixcloud Select, Patreon).

5. Direct-to-Fan and Community Support

The rise of fan-supported economies has created new income models:

a) Bandcamp

• Sell music, merch, zines, vinyl
• Name-your-price = generosity from fans
• “Bandcamp Fridays” = 100% to artist days

b) Patreon / Ko-fi / Buy Me a Coffee

• Recurring income from fans
• Offer tiers: demos, tutorials, live sets, artwork
• Builds loyal community, not just metrics

c) Substack (Newsletters)

• Turn storytelling, process, and personal notes into income
• Share music stories, behind-the-scenes, unreleased tracks

6. Sync Licensing and Micro-Sync

Sync (synchronization) = music used in film, TV, ads, games, or art installations.

a) Large Syncs

• Through music supervisors or sync agencies
• Pays upfront + backend royalties
• Need clean metadata and rights clearance

b) Micro-sync / YouTube / Shorts / TikTok

• Monetize through TikTok’s artist tools
• Sample libraries (Splice, Tracklib)
• Submit through platforms like Artlist, AudioJungle, Musicbed

7. Sample Packs, NFTs, and Alternative Formats

a) Sample Packs & Stems

Sell or license your sounds via:

• Splice
• Bandcamp (as digital content)
• Gumroad, Sellfy, or your own shop

b) NFTs / Digital Collectibles

Still evolving, but allows:

• Selling ownership of editions
• Bonus content (video, stems, visuals)
• Peer-to-peer resales with royalties

Use platforms like Catalog, Sound.xyz, or Zora — cautiously, with awareness of their community and ethics.

Conclusion: Multiplying Revenue ≠ Multiplying Work

Today, musicians earn money from a constellation of sources — each small on its own, but powerful in combination. The key is not to chase every trend, but to organize your rights, understand your value, and build slowly, intentionally, and transparently.

Declare your performances. Register your works. Own your recordings. Use platforms that align with your values. And most of all — see your music not just as sound, but as intellectual property, emotional labor, and cultural capital.