Watch: Gabe from True Vibenation explains how you can get paid for your live performances
Do you play live? Did you know that you earn royalties when you play your original songs live – like at a pub, club, café or open mic night?
To make sure you get paid those royalties without waiting too long - you need to submit Performance Reports.
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. If you're playing original songs, you can earn royalties for these performances and if you're playing any covers, you'll need to include those on your Performance Report, as well.
If you perform at an event organised by a promoter, you don't need to submit a Performance Report.
What information is required?
Anytime. We encourage you to submit as soon as you can after a performance, but the process is flexible so that you can submit when it suits. There is not an annual deadline.
Royalties are paid quarterly as part of the APRA Domestic Royalty payments in February, May, August, November. You won't miss out if you don't report in the same quarter, but (per above) - we strongly encourage you submit after the show.
There are two easy ways. You can submit via the APRA AMCOS for Music Creators app (available for free from the App Store or Google Play) or in the Writer Portal (desktop or mobile) for performances from 1 July 2020. We will continue to add upgrades and features to both.
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.
You can claim royalties for Australian or New Zealand based live performances of your works, streamed on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or TikTok using the new Live Stream Performance Report in the existing Performance Report form on the app and Writer Portal. Works must be registered.
We've got them answered.
How is this different from submitting a Performance Report?
Submitting a setlist directly to a Promoter or via the unique QR Code provided, is not the same as submitting a Performance Report (previously Live Performance Return or ‘LPR’). A Performance Report is an online form submitted to APRA AMCOS, which reports details of your live performances at venues in Australia and New Zealand. They generally cover ‘non-promoted’ shows such as a regular gig at a pub, bar or restaurant. Performance Reports must be submitted by logging into the member portal on the APRA AMCOS website or via the Member app. The events we are requesting your setlist for, however, fall under what we call a Distributable Event which are usually large-scale promoted concerts/festivals/events where APRA licenses the event directly with the Promoter.
What type of Events are Paid Directly via Setlist Submissions?
Major Festivals, Tours Promoted by a National Event Promoter and other Promoted Events are directly distributed. 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.
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.