FAQs

Yes, in most cases they can.

The venue in which the band plays must hold a OneMusic licence if they will be playing our members' music. It's not the band's responsibility to obtain a licence to play. A OneMusic licence gives the venue a blanket licence to authorise the performance of all OneMusic Australia’s music (which is the vast majority of commercially available music from around the world).

As a writer member, you can authorise your manager(s), business associates, or other trusted individuals to have access and/or receive documents and correspondence on your behalf.

There are three levels of access: Full, Claim & Register or Financial.

Authorisation and any subsequent cancellation can be done in the Writer Portal or via a form.

Learn more about authorising a representative

You can make updates to the duration of a work, as well as add a new ISRC or Alternative Title via the App or Writer Portal on the web.

Just click on the work you wish to update and you can make changes by clicking Edit or + next to the relevant part you're updating.

To make changes to titles and/or the splits on a work, you will need to reach out to our Works Registration team.

In order to change other information on a work registration we need an email request, to be processed by our Works Registration team.

Please send the following information to [email protected]
1️⃣ The current work title
2️⃣ The work's WorkID (normally starts with GW)
3️⃣ Your name

For any element(s) you wish to change (such as titles or splits):
- What we currently have, and
- What you want it changed to

❗ Please cc any co-writers into this email, for major changes we will need all co-writers to approve.

It is not a requirement to have an individual/sole trader ABN on file with us, but please note that if you do not supply an individual/sole trader ABN to APRA AMCOS and you earn more than $500 in APRA royalties and/or more than $75 in AMCOS royalties in any payment, APRA AMCOS is obliged by law to withhold 47% in PAYG tax from those payments. Withheld PAYG tax may be claimed back via your annual tax return.

ABNs are for Australian tax residents; NZ members do not require one.

ISWCs are centrally assigned by CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) for works registered through music rights management organisations (MRMOs) such as APRA AMCOS.

CISAC will only assign an ISWC after receiving information about the work from an MRMO; you cannot request a new ISWC from CISAC directly.

Please note that ISWCs can only be assigned where all sharers in the work have IP Name Numbers (IPNNs) and the work registration has been processed by APRA AMCOS.

Once processed, it typically takes 24-48 hours for an ISWC to be assigned.

To cease your APRA membership all you need to do is contact us to let us know.

We will be in touch to confirm the circumstances of your resignation so that we can make the necessary updates to our records, including changes to your songs’ registration details and timelines around when we should cease licensing your songs and distributing royalties to you. You will receive a letter of confirmation once your membership has ceased.

There is standard six-month notice period for resignation of membership, after which you will cease to be a member on the earlier of 30 June or 31 December. Ending your membership sooner may be possible in the appropriate circumstances, on request.

If you have any questions about resigning your membership, please contact us.

If you have an Individual/Sole Trader ABN, or acquire one, please update it in the Writer Portal via My Account -> Business details section. This can also be done in the App via Account -> My details -> Edit business details.

Alternatively, please provide it via email to your local writer services team and we will ensure that your membership file is updated.

ISWCs for your works are available in the Writer Portal and the App.

Desktop:

App:

To locate your member number, you can:

1. Log in to the Writer Portal > from the Dashboard > click Account
2. Open your APRA AMCOS App and go to Account; it is also on your digital Member Card
3. Find it at the top of your Statements that we email to you

When you become an elected member of APRA AMCOS an 11 digit IPI number will be assigned to you.

You can find your IPI in the app or Writer Portal in your Account . You can also find your IPI number in the acknowledgement of membership email you receive from APRA AMCOS once you've become a member.

The copyright in a song is owned by the individual who wrote the song. For this reason, only individual songwriters can join APRA AMCOS. A band cannot sign up as a single entity. If all of your band members write songs or collaborate to write songs, then all band members can individually join APRA AMCOS as members.

If you are in a band, when you complete your APRA AMCOS membership application, make sure you tell us your band/performer name.

When registering works that have been co-written, you'll need to tell us the names of the other writers and the ownership percentage splits for each of the writers. It's important that all songwriters within the band agree on the percentage splits for each work before registering the work with APRA AMCOS, otherwise this can lead to problems down the track when royalties may become payable for that work.

Each song co-written by the band only needs to be registered with APRA AMCOS once. The band should agree on who will take responsibility for registering each work and providing the songwriter and ownership split details. If more than one writer registers the song and there are differences in the details provided, this can make it harder for us to track the use your music and pay royalties correctly.

Only the musical work copyright owners (ie the songwriters and the music publisher if applicable) should be credited in the APRA AMCOS registration.

In the 'Log in' menu on the website, choose 'Songwriters and composers' and then log in to your account. Enter your email address - the one you use for APRA AMCOS correspondence. 

If it's your first time logging in, follow the steps to set up passwordless login.

What is passwordless login?

We use a simple, secure method to log you in – no passwords required. Just enter your account email and we will send you a one-time code. You can also log in with a passkey (Face ID, fingerprint, or your device unlock).

If your works have been commissioned for a film or TV production, that is, if they make up all or part of the overall sound score (the underscore), you'll need to register them using a different format than general works.

A "cue" refers to when and where a piece of music is used in a film/TV production. There are two types of cues that can be registered with APRA AMCOS - background and theme.

You do not need to register all individual cues. Simply register one work for all of the background cues and one work for the music played over the opening/closing credits (if applicable).

Use this format to register: "EXAMPLE TV SHOW (BACKGROUND)" and "EXAMPLE TV SHOW (THEME)".

If a pre-existing work is used in a film or TV production, register it as a general work, not as a background or theme.

Head to the Writer Portal or access the APRA AMCOS for Music Creators app (download for free from the App Store for Apple devices and on Google Play for Android) to update personal information like bank account, email, or phone number. Need help? Use our handy guide.

Some details, such as a change of legal name, can only be amended via email at [email protected].

We have a process for handling disputes between members, for example, if you and another writer disagree on the ownership percentage of a work that has been registered with APRA AMCOS. Please please send a short message via the Contact Us page in the first instance.

Our writer services team will contact the member and see if the dispute can be resolved between the parties. In some instances, we might recommend the dispute be referred to the independent third party alternative dispute resolution facilitator, Resolution Pathways. You can find out more about this process on the Resolution Pathways website.

When working with co-writers, it is best to have a clear written agreement that states the nature of your collaboration.

Yes. You may need to obtain an AMCOS licence if you want to make a recording of a song composed by another writer. Find out more about our Audio Manufacture Licence.

Uploading cover versions to digital service providers like iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify

USA

If you are recording a cover version of a work and wish to make it available on iTunes in the US, you are required to take out a licence with the Harry Fox Agency (AMCOS equivalent in the USA). Go to https://www.harryfox.com/#/license-music and head to their Songfile Mechanical Licensing tool. In cases where the Harry Fox Agency do not represent the work, you may be able to obtain a compulsory licence via RightsFlow – see www.rightsflow.com and head to the Limelight licensing area.

Major digital service providers, including Spotify and Apple Music, are responsible for obtaining licenses directly for the content on their service, so you do not need to obtain a licence in these instances.

Australia

As long as you've first obtained a manufacturing licence from AMCOS, you can supply your recording to a digital service provider (DSP) such as iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify etc. APRA AMCOS licenses DSPs directly, and so royalties for downloads will be collected by APRA AMCOS on behalf of the rights holders.

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.

Learn more about band agreements and song splits.

AMCOS has reciprocal agreements with other affiliated societies around the globe – meaning you reproduction royalties are collected worldwide.

Some territories overseas require individuals to set themselves up as a Publisher or use a third-party music service to collect 100% of reproduction royalties, but as an AMCOS member you do not need to do this.

If all your songs or compositions are published, your music publisher will collect your reproduction royalties, and there's no reason to join AMCOS. AMCOS is primarily a royalty collection service and does not play the role of a music publisher. Find out what a music publisher does.

If you play live at pubs, clubs, cafes, or other live music venues in Australia and New Zealand, 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.

Music publishers nurture and develop songwriters and composers, and take care of the business aspects of their career. Music publishers make an investment - in terms of money, time and experience - in their writers. They exploit the copyright in the music and songs created by their writers in order to make a return on that investment, and to reward the writers for their creative work.

Find out more about music publishing.

IPI is the acronym for Interested Parties Information.

An IPI is a unique 9-11 digit number that identifies creative right holders as members of collective societies. This number is yours for life when you join APRA AMCOS, even if you join another collecting society or transfer your membership.

The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) is how your sound recordings and music video recordings are recognised wherever and whenever they're played. Adding your ISRCs to your work's registration details makes it easier for us to get you royalties quickly and accurately. However, an ISRC is not a compulsory requirement for an APRA work registration.

APRA AMCOS does not issue ISRCs, ARIA does. To find out more or apply for an ISRC, please email [email protected] or visit the ARIA website.

The ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) is a unique, permanent and internationally recognised reference number to identify musical works. This identification number is linked to other valuable metadata for the work such as work title, creators, performers and any publishers. The ISWC distinguishes your musical work from other compositions around the world.

An ISWC consists of the letter “T” followed by 9 digits plus a “check digit” to protect the ISWC against allocation errors. An example ISWC is T-034.524.680-1.

Read our Tips: What is an ISWC and how does it help you get paid?

The IPI system is a database that stores all global unique identification of right holders acting across multiple creation classes (musical work, literary work, work of art, etc.), assuming different roles (musical creator, film director, author of fine art, etc.), and owning all rights (performing right, reproduction right, radio broadcast right, etc.), determined by each creation class they deal with.

Is the IPI system an APRA AMCOS database?
No, the IPI system is designed, developed and operated by our international affiliate SUISA and is the backbone administration tool for all collective, intellectual property protection organisations.

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.

Learn more about distributions.

Joining AMCOS is separate from joining APRA. You may want to join AMCOS if you have unpublished works released on a recording for sale to the public or reproduced in a production music recording. You can join AMCOS if:

• You're a copyright owner of musical works;
• You don't already belong to an overseas mechanical rights organisation;
• At least one of your works is unpublished and has been commercially reproduced eg: available on a digital music service like Spotify or Apple Music, released as a physical product by a third party, or reproduced in a production music recording.

If you write or compose your own songs, you may be eligible to join APRA. You'll also need to match one or more of the following criteria:

• You or someone else performs your songs live OR
• Your songs are broadcast on radio or TV OR
• Your songs are available to stream online.

You can't join if you're a member of an overseas Performing Rights Organisation. If you're in a band, only the members who write or compose music need to join.

Join today

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.

If you're a music publishing company who represents other writers’ catalogues, you can apply to be a publisher member.

Join as a publisher