New Year, New You!
The new year is a great time to set your intentions and goals. It’s also an excellent time to do some musical housekeeping before the intensity of the year kicks off!
Here we share some simple things you can do to put your music project on the right track in 2026.
Get ahead of your admin and maximise your creativity!
1. Freshen up your APRA AMCOS membership
Set yourself up for success by getting your APRA AMCOS membership ducks in a row.
Are you a new member? Here’s what you need to know!
Need to update your member details? This page explains how.
Written some new bangers you need to register? Check out this step-by-step guide. Log in to the Writer Portal and/or the app to register new works or to view the unregistered works that you need to complete. Remember - unregistered works won’t earn you royalties!
Member Tools in the RESOURCES section of the website is your one-stop shop for all things APRA AMCOS membership house-keeping!
Merpire explains how to Register a Song
2. Understand your royalties
Do yourself a favour and head to the GET PAID page in RESOURCES. Your future self will thank you! Understand different types of royalty streams, and how to maximise your earnings, before the year gets away from you.
Learn how music royalties work, performing cover songs, earning live performance royalties in Australia and abroad, and much, much more.
GET PAID
PEPTALK submit Peformance Reports
3. Play live? Get paid! Submit your Performance reports
Get paid for playing your original songs!
For domestic (AU/ NZ) performances, submit Performance Reports year-round and get paid quarterly.
Learn all about Performance Reports here.
If you’re playing overseas, great news! You can also submit Overseas Performance Reports in the App/ Portal too – it’s seamless and easy to do.
Did you know? You can also now submit Performance Reports for improvised jazz performances. Learn more here.
Gabe from True Vibenation explains Performance Reports
4. Writing with others?
Planning to write with others or collab in 2026? Get ahead by getting clued up on co-writing and splits.
This page also explores copyright (and how it affects you!). It’s important to have a handle on this so you are aware of your rights.
Understanding some basics of copyright will also help set you on the right path and avoid potential issues in the future.
To make any changes to a work after it’s registered, you’ll need to contact Writer Services ([email protected]) to request an amendment. Please note, all parties on the original registration need to agree to the change.
5. Keep up-to-date with our programs, events and opportunities.
Keep your eye on our upcoming events. We regularly offer informative webinars and face-to-face sessions. If you've missed a webinar, head to our 'Insights' playlist on YouTube, where you can watch the sessions back. While you're there, check out the FAQ playlist videos, which should answer any other APRA AMCOS questions you may have. We’re here to help!
For a quick overview of the range of programs that APRA AMCOS offers, head to this page.
The Regional Sessions Orange, 2025. Photo: Kirsten Cunningham
6. Industry-wide grants, opportunities & funding
We keep an up-to-date list of open opportunities from the wider music industry. Sorted by national/international, state, and Aboriginal/ Torres Strait Islander specific.
Check it out, bookmark it, share it.
7. Keep track of your community radio airplay at amrap.org.au
If you are releasing music, make sure you are signed up to amrap.org.au, where you can easily upload your songs and make it available for airplay across Australian community radio.
It’s a free service and gets your music on air. Community radio is often the first airplay for Australian artists (just ask King Gizz), and the AMRAP service makes it easy to upload, promote and, now thanks to Music Recognition Technology, to get detailed data on where your music is played.
Read more tips on promoting your music to community radio.
Happy creating in 2026! 🥳
