How Do Foreign Royalties Work for Songwriters?

 How Foreign Royalties Are Collected

Type of Royalty

Collected By (Outside U.S.)

Paid To

Performance Royalties

Local PROs (e.g., PRS in UK, SACEM in France)

Your U.S. PRO (ASCAP, BMI) or Publishing Admin

Mechanical Royalties

Foreign mechanical societies (e.g., GEMA in Germany)

MLC (only in U.S.) or Publishing Admin

Sync and Usage Fees

Local sync or licensing platforms

Your publisher or admin


These royalties are governed by reciprocal agreements between international societies and your home country’s rights organizations.


 How to Collect Foreign Royalties

  • U.S.-based PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) may collect some international performance royalties
  • The MLC only collects U.S. digital mechanical royalties—not foreign ones
  • To collect all global royalties, especially mechanicals, use a publishing administrator like:
    • Songtrust
    • Sentric
    • Kobalt
    • Your publisher, if signed


 Pro Tips

  • If you have international listeners, covers, or placements, use a global publishing admin
  • Keep your metadata consistent across registrations worldwide
  • Check your royalty statements—foreign income may appear months or years later
  • Monitor foreign use with tools like Songtrust’s dashboard or PRO analytics


Bottom Line:
To collect all royalties from international use, you need more than a U.S. PRO or The MLC—you need a publishing admin with global reach. Foreign plays can pay well, but only if your songs are properly registered worldwide.

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