International Royalties for Screen and Games
We collect your royalties worldwide through reciprocal agreements with performing and mechanical rights societies, just like APRA AMCOS. We have agreements with 70+ countries.
However, when your music is used internationally, it is subject to the laws, distribution rules and policies of each society and territory. There are still a few countries where copyright law is under development and no local society exists. In these instances we are unable to collect for you. Most performing rights societies are members of the international organisation CISAC mechanical societies are largely members of BIEM , both of which have agreed standards for distributing royalties. There are also some rights management organisations which sit outside of these bodies, or who aren’t full members.
When do I get paid international royalties?
APRA AMCOS pays royalties that we collect for international use once a month (we’re one of the few societies to pay international royalties on a monthly cycle).
International royalties can take longer to arrive.
There will always be a gap between the performance of your music internationally and the distribution of these royalties to APRA AMCOS. For most types of music use, the payment of royalties will most likely take at least a year from when the performance happened. International royalties for our members are accounted to us regularly by our International Affiliates and we’ll always process these and pay you as soon as we can.
The major societies are required to pay royalties to us at least every quarter, depending on the source of those royalties and the agreements they have with licensees in their territory. They are required to pay us within a month of paying their own members.
To ensure we distribute international royalties accurately and timely, we prioritise distributing payments from our key International Affiliates. This means that some royalties from smaller territories may take longer to be processed and paid.
What you need to tell us
We monitor a number of international broadcast sources across TV, cinema and SVOD.
However, if you know your music has been used internationally, let us know ASAP by completing the relevant form. We'll make sure everything is in order and, if necessary, contact the international society to seek royalties for you.
Please inform us of the use of your music in film, TV, jingles, and other broadcasts or record releases, with as much detail as possible. This will ensure we can finalise any documentation then check incoming royalties and make claims on your behalf if required.
APRA AMCOS makes reasonable endeavours to source international production cue sheets, however we may sometimes ask for your help obtaining these
