I’ve submitted my Performance Report. Now what?

Once you’ve submitted your Performance Report, it will show at the bottom of the ‘Submissions Overview’ tab of the Portal/App. The submission date is shown, along with the month in which the royalties will be paid. Performance Reports marked as ‘Active’ can still be edited - so if you forgot to add the songs from the encore, you still can!The ones marked as ‘Processed’ have been locked and are being readied for payment. The processing of Performance Reports generally takes about six months from the date of entry to when your royalties are paid out.During this time:the reports are checked for veracity,all works performed are matched against the work registrations database to identify the composers,the composers are connected to their RMO - be that APRA AMCOS or one of our foreign affiliates (or recognised as “non-members”),licence fees collected from live performance venues are divided amongst the number of writers to be paidand finally the payment for each writer is paid out in the next upcoming quarterly distribution (February, May, August & November).

Should I submit a Performance Report if I perform at a Promoted Event?

If you’ve played at a Promoted Event*, the promoter will ask for your setlist and submit it to APRA AMCOS on your behalf. If the promoter doesn’t ask for your setlist, chances are your show falls into the general live performance category, and you can submit a Performance Report yourself in the App or Writer Portal. *Promoted Events generally include major festivals, international tours and special events. These events are licensed differently to standard venues (bars, clubs, restaurants, etc). Instead of going into a live performance royalty pool from venues across Australia who host live music, the licence fee for Promoted Events turns directly into royalties for those performing at the event. If in doubt, submit a Performance Report! If you haven’t been asked to provide a setlist, by the Promoter or by an APRA staff member, please submit a Performance Report for these events. This ensures you are paid for all your performances in Australia and New Zealand.

What determines the live performance royalty amount?

Are the earnings the same if I play at the corner pub vs a 500-capacity room? If you are not performing a Promoted Concert or Event (see above for an explanation), your live performance royalties will be the same if you are playing at a corner pub or a 500-capacity room. Let’s explore what determines the live performance royalty amount. Each venue (like a bar, club, restaurant, etc) that hosts live music is required by law to purchase a OneMusic licence. The cost of the live music licence is based on either the amount the venue pays to musical acts or a percentage of ticket sales. All the live music licence fees are collected in a ‘pool’ and the collective amount is distributed across all of the live performance submissions we receive. For more information check out our Live Performance distribution information guide.

What type of events are paid directly via Setlist Submissions?

Major festivals, tours promoted by a National Event Promoter and other large events are directly distributed, which means the event's setlist(s) help us pay the right royalties to all the songwriters whose works were performed. Make sure you provide the Promoter with the setlist for the tour (this can be one setlist for the entire tour or can be a different setlist for each night). Other larger events and organisations also submit setlist for direct payments such as the State Symphony orchestras. If you are asked for a setlist by a promoter or event organiser, it probably means the event will be directly distributed. If your setlist information is required by us, you'll get event setlist requests directly in your Writer Portal, App notifications, or in the submissions tab when you login and to your email inbox. When you get a notification, just follow the prompts to submit your setlist direct.

What type of events do I submit a Performance Report (LPR) for?

‘Non-promoted’ shows such as a regular gig at a pub or a show booked directly by the artist. Submit your Performance Report via the app or Writer Portal.

What’s the benefit of submitting a setlist that has been requested?

The royalty due to the original songwriters from these events can often be higher than payments from submitting a Performance Report (previously Live Performance Return or ‘LPR’). If you have performed in a promoted concert, watch out for setlist requests in your Portal, App and email. When you get one, just follow the prompts to submit your setlist.

When do I need to provide a setlist?

If a Promoter or event organiser requests that you provide a setlist, please do! They are requesting this so we can distribute the fee directly to the works that you performed. Otherwise, you should submit a Performance Report. If in doubt, submit a Performance Report! If you haven’t been asked to provide a setlist, by the Promoter or by an APRA staff member, please submit a Performance Report for these events. This ensures you are paid for all your performances in Australia and New Zealand.

Why am I being asked to provide a setlist by the Promoter of an Event or Festival?

Whenever music is performed in public the songwriter and their publisher may be entitled to a payment or royalty. We need your setlist in order to pay the royalties to the rightsholders whose works were performed at this event. For certain events we collect setlists directly (rather than via a Performance Report) so that we can directly distribute the licence fees. These 'Directly Distributable Events' are paid out at a different rate than other OneMusic licence payments and may attract higher licence fees. If you have performed at a promoted concert, keep an eye out for setlist requests in via the Writer Portal, Writer App notifications and email. When you get one, just follow the prompts to submit your setlist.

Submit your reports year-round, on-the-go via the Writer Portal or the APRA AMCOS for Music Creators App. Download the app for free from the Apple App store, or from GooglePlay for Android.

Where does the money come from?

We collect licensing fees from venues that hold live performances on their premises. These licence fees are combined into a “distribution pool”. We allocate royalties from the distribution pool to songs performed at licensed venues using information supplied from Performance Reports.

Can I submit Performance Reports if I’m playing overseas?

Please do! Overseas Performance Reports are submitted almost exactly the same way as domestic performances. Simply log into the app or your Writer Portal online, go to the Submissions tab and when creating a New Submission choose ‘Overseas.’ For performances that occurred overseas you’ll need to add a few extra details such as whether the shows were one-offs or part of a tour or festival, the promoter information, along with some evidence of the show (such as ticket stubs, social media promotion, or letters from venues). This is particularly important for classical, jazz and art music performances.

What if I perform at a corporate or sponsorship gig?

You can submit a Performance Report. This type of performance is in our normal Performance Report parameters and is treated just like any other gig.

What if I perform on a cruise ship?

You can submit a regular Performance Report via the app or Writer portal.

Do we need to submit a Performance Report for each member of my band?

No, you only need to submit one Performance Report per band, per show.

I'm submitting the Performance Reports for my band, but I didn't write some of the songs. How do I submit these songs?

You submit these songs just as you would any covers played. You will search by the writers’ names when creating your set list and select those works to add to those you are a writer on. You do not need to get different writers to log in and add their songs – only one member of a band should submit a Performance Report!

Can I submit Performance Reports if I’m performing a cover song?

Yes! Please include any cover songs in your Performance Reports. This ensures the original writer/s get paid live performance royalties, just as you receive those royalties for your own work. See also: Performing covers

What if I do an arrangement of a popular work that is still in copyright at my gig?

Unless you have permission from the copyright owners of the work, you cannot claim and be paid for an arrangement of another person’s work. However, you do need to enter this work on your Performance Reports as being written by the original writers so they will be allocated a royalty for your performance of their song.

If I improvise at my gig, how do I submit these?

You can claim Performance Report royalties for improvisations as long as the musical work is in a material or tangible format - and therefore protected by copyright. The works need to be registered so that you can submit them in your Performance Report.

I'm a DJ, should I submit Performance Reports?

Yes! There is a Performance Report form specifically designed for DJs to accommodate the large number of tracks they play in a set. Everything else about the Performance Report for DJs form is the same as the standard form. You can still pre-save set lists, add your tracks one-by-one, or easily search for and add works by other artists.See also: How to get paid as a dance and electronic writer

What can't I claim on my Performance Report?

While live performances in public venues in Australia and New Zealand are claimable under the Performance Report system, there are several important exceptions to note.You cannot claim:Private functions: Performances at private functions such as weddings and private parties (even if held in public venues) or nursing homes, hospitals etc., are considered to be private performances in accordance with copyright law. As we cannot issue licences for private performances, we cannot distribute royalties to songs performed at private performances. Performances at worship services: We do not license religious worship services. Performances broadcast on the radio or television: Live performances broadcast over the radio or television are not considered live performances as they are a 'broadcast'. We distribute royalties for performances that are broadcast under our normal distribution for TV and radio. Dramatic Performances, ballets, musicals, operas: If your music is performed in a live stage presentation that has a storyline and more than one narrator or character, or if it's in a ballet, it is considered a performance in ‘dramatic context’. If works have been written specifically for operas, musical plays or pantomimes etc., it is considered a performance of “Dramatico-musical Works” (or ‘grand rights’ performances). Live performance royalties generated by performance in a Dramatic Context or of Dramatico-musical Works are not claimable under the Performance Report system. Busking: Live performances occurring on or after 1 July 2026 in public places such as streets, shopping centres, parks and transport hubs are not claimable under the Performance Report system.Contact us for more information.

Why are there so many exceptions?

We provide a range of licences for businesses for different kinds of music use. We can only pay a Performance Report royalty for performances at venues that hold an APRA AMCOS licence specific to hosting live performances. These venues pay licence fees that contribute to the Performance Report “distribution pool”.

I missed out on submitting my Performance Reports for a previous year, can I still get paid for these performances?

The standard claim period for Performance Reports is limited to one year from the date of the performance. It may be extended to up to three years from the date of the performance, where additional evidence (e.g: copies of material advertising the performance, ticket, posters and letters from the venue) is provided in support of the claim. The extended three-year retrospective claim period is not open to new members. A new member may only claim retrospective performances for the 12 months immediately preceding their date of application. The App and Writer Portal automatically sets the performance dates you are eligible to claim. Contact us for more information.

When will I get paid?

Performance Reports are paid quarterly in February, May, August, November.

APRA AMCOS

How does the Jingle system work?

We use two types of music use reporting for jingle distributions -

Music recognition technology (for jingles broadcast on Australian TV and radio in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide & Perth; New Zealand radio in Auckland, Christchurch & Wellington; and New Zealand TV in Auckland). Upload the audio associated with your jingles in the Writer Portal.
Jingle self-reporting form (for jingles broadcast in all other areas). If your ad is only played in these non-metro areas, you will need to self-report via the Jingle reporting (domestic) form.

To increase the opportunity for our MRT supplier to successfully recognise music contained within advertisements, please ensure you upload the highest quality MP3 or WAV files available to you.

What audio should I be uploading?

If your jingles are broadcast on TV or radio metro areas, you should upload audio files when you register your jingles works in the Writer Portal. You can also add audio files to works later. The audio you need to upload is the part of the ad that contains your work. If the jingle has a tag line from another composer, you must edit this out before uploading your part of the jingle.

If a new sound recording is made for an advertisement (e.g. a sound-a-like, a new arrangement, change of lyrics – think 'The Good Guys' based on 'Good Vibrations' or 'I Like Bing Lee' based on 'I Like Chinese') then it is crucial that the new recording is uploaded (after undertaking any necessary registration steps including obtaining permission from the original writers). This is because the audio fingerprint of the new recording will most likely be substantially different to previous recordings of the musical work.

To increase the opportunity for our MRT supplier to successfully recognise music contained within advertisements, please ensure you upload the highest quality MP3 or WAV files available to you.

What happens if I don't upload any audio?

Our jingle system relies on members registering their jingles and uploading the audio in the Writer Portal. Jingle royalty payments are dependent on this registration and audio uploading process.

Do I have to upload all jingle audio, or only commissioned jingles?

For APRA AMCOS purposes, we classify a ‘jingle’ as any music used in an advertising context. Please ensure that all music that is used in advertisements, both commissioned and non-commissioned works, are registered and uploaded in the Writer Portal.

To increase the opportunity for our MRT supplier to successfully recognise music contained within advertisements, please ensure you upload the highest quality MP3 or WAV files available to you.

What if I have multiple works in one jingle?

Where multiple works are used in one jingle, only the audio related to your own work/s should be uploaded. Please edit the audio to ensure this is the case and attach the audio to the corresponding jingle registration.

Which version of my ad should I upload?

If possible, upload the original music mix used in the ad without any of the ad voice overs. This is enough for our music recognition technology to identify the jingle, even with different voice overs. If you don’t have the original music mix used in ad, then you will need to upload all the different versions of that ad with alternative voice overs.

What if music recognition technology can't match my work?

Our music recognition technology uses retro-matching jingles cycles.

This means that our music recognition technology provider, Soundmouse, will re-attempt recognition for any unrecognised tracks after three, six, twelve, twenty-four and thirty-six months from the first attempt.

To increase the opportunity for our MRT supplier to successfully recognise music contained within advertisements, please ensure you upload the highest quality MP3 or WAV files available to you.

What if my jingle has been re-recorded?

If your jingle has been re-recorded, it is crucial that you upload the new recording used in the actual ad. The music recognition technology used generates a fingerprint from the audio file. Therefore always upload the specific recording used each time there’s a re-record.

What if I don't have an audio file for my jingle?

If you've unsuccessfully exhausted every avenue to source the audio for your jingle, you should contact us, and we'll investigate what options are available.

What if my recording is pitched or has a time shift?

Our music recognition technology provider, Soundmouse, has informed us that it's algorithm can cope with pitch/time shifting. However, if you can obtain a copy of the altered recording, we recommend you upload that version anyway.

What if I've already uploaded a full ad, including the tag line of someone else's work?

Please provide us with a list of these audio files. You must include details about:

The unique audio ID – note the default is the file name.

The original file name (in many cases it will be the same as the default).

Corresponding JG

Removal requests should be sent via email. You must then re-upload your jingle, ensuring that only that part of the ad with your music is uploaded.

FAQs

Reporting jingles FAQs

How does the Jingle system work?

What audio should I be uploading?

What happens if I don't upload any audio?

Do I have to upload all jingle audio, or only commissioned jingles?

What if I have multiple works in one jingle?

Which version of my ad should I upload?

What if music recognition technology can't match my work?

What if my jingle has been re-recorded?

What if I don't have an audio file for my jingle?

What if my recording is pitched or has a time shift?

What if I've already uploaded a full ad, including the tag line of someone else's work?