Streaming and online music services ensure that your music is heard everywhere. At Sabam, we make sure your royalties are collected in as many countries as possible, as quickly as possible, and at the lowest cost. 

1. More revenue: Sabam charges only 8% commission 

Sabam retains only 8% for managing your online rights. This means you receive a higher payout for your music than with almost any other collective management organization. 

What does this mean for you?

• More revenue per stream and view
• More competitive than many other authors' societies
• No hidden fees - transparent and fair payouts

Sabam aims to get as much money as possible to you as an author or composer. That's why we apply one of the lowest commission rates in the industry. 

2. Fast and monthly payouts

No need to wait months or even years for your earnings, like with some other collective management organizations. Sabam ensures monthly payouts for your online royalties. 

How does it work? 

• ICE receives streaming data from platforms each month.
• This data is matched with our database of your registered works. That's why it's crucial to properly register your music with both Sabam and the streaming services. 
• Royalties are calculated and paid out monthly.

This ensures a steady income flow. Within six months of your music being streamed, you'll receive 95% of your online royalties. We're continuously investing to reduce this timeframe even further in the future.

3. Global coverage via ICE: 245 territories, 200+ platforms 

Sabam is a partner of ICE (International Copyright Enterprise), a central hub that negotiates with streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, TikTok and 200+ other platforms across 245 territories. Instead of dealing with each collective management organization separately, streaming platforms license their music through ICE. This increases bargaining power and ensures a better payout for your repertoire no matter where in the world it's streamed. Unlike in the offline world, we don't just collect your online royalties for Belgium, we also account for streams happening abroad.

Thanks to ICE, we can: 

• Negotiate higher payouts for your music 
• Secure multi-territorial licences - your rights are managed globally 
• Offer more transparency - you know exactly where and how often your music is streamed. 

An exception applies to the United States, where local regulations require that American rights organizations collect royalties. For the U.S., Sabam collaborates with ASCAP, BMI and the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC).

What if a country is not covered by ICE? 
In that case, we rely on the local author's society in the country where the revenue is generated. They collect your royalties and transfer them to Sabam for payout to you. You can find a list of our reciprocal partner societies and the territories they cover here. 
 

From stream to payout: how it all works

What payout can you expect per stream or view? 

Unfortunately, there's no single answer to this. Each subscription type and platform operates under different agreements. We invoice online music services and social media platforms based on a percentage of their advertising and subscription revenue, depending on the repertoire used. 

This revenue is then distributed per work bases on the number of views or streams during the invoicing period: monthly, quarterly or annually. 

The amount you receive per stream of view depends on:

• the type of revenue;
• the period in which the revenue was generated.

Do you receive the same payout for a stream from a free and a paid subscription?

No. A song streamed on Spotify by a paying subscriber generates a different payout than when the same song is played by a user with a free subscription. Free users listen to ads, which impacts the revenue model and, consequently, the royalties paid out. 

What should you keep in mind when registering your music?

We get it, data isn't exactly rock 'n' roll. But it's the foundation of how you get paid. So if you take your music career seriously, you need to do this right

• Register your works with Sabam before they go online. This is the only way we can invoice streaming platforms and distribute your royalties.
   
• Make sure your music is registered with Sabam and streaming services using exactly the same data. Titles, alternative titles, featured artists, songwriters, producers, publishers - everything must match. 

If the metadata provided by streaming services doesn't align with our records, we can't match them. As a result, we won't be able to invoice for the usage of your works, and you won't receive any royalties. 

How do you register your music with Sabam when streaming platforms offer different versions of it? 

In that case, i'ts crucial to register all versions of your music with us as well. If the split of royalties remains the same for all versions, you can simply register them using alternative titles. 

Can Sabam invoice retroactively if you register your music late? 

Yes, but not for all music and social media platforms. Additionally, retroactive invoicing can only happen after a period of 12 to sometimes even 36 months. That's why it's always best to register your works as soon as possible to ensure a correct and timely payout. 

Why can't Sabam always match your music with the data received from online music platforms? 

In most cases, poor metadata is the reason we can't find a match between your music in our database and the information provided by the online platforms. Even a small typo or an added tag like radio edit can cause a mismatch. 

To avoid this, make sure the details of your music on streaming platforms exactly match what you register with us. 

How do you get your music on streaming platforms? 

Your record label or digital distributor (CDBaby, TuneCore, DistroKit, etc.) is responsible for delivering your music to streaming platforms. They are the only ones who can upload your tracks - and also the only ones who can take them down. Sabam, or any other authors' society, cannot do this for you.

Who provides the metadata for your music to streaming platforms? 

Your record label or digital distibutor (CDBaby, TuneCore, DistroKit, etc.) is not only responsible for uploading your music but also for providing its metadata. This includes song credits, such as details about the songwriters and composers. 

It's crucial that this data is as accurate as possible. If not, Sabam and ICE may not be able to correctly identify your repertoire later in the process. 

Always make sure your label or digital distributor submits the correct information to streaming platforms. 

How is your music recognized on streaming platforms? 

Platforms like zoals Spotify and Apple Music send us monthly reports for each country and each subscription type (e.g., Free, Premium, Duo, Family, Student, etc.). These reports contain data on all streams, and processing them - covering hundreds of reports and billions of streams - is fully automated. 

We match this data with our database of registered works. By linking these lists, we can accurately determine which songs belong to our repertoire and which do not. 

Since you specify the share of each rights holder when registering a work, we also know how to invoice and distribute the royalties correctly. 

How is your music recognized on social media? 

Social media platforms use IT systems like Content ID or Audible Magic to identify music in videos and to block unauthorized use.  

Your digital distributor or record label is responsible for submitting your music to these systems. Make sure your partner offers this service. 

Sabam periodically receives country-specific reports on the music detected in videos, along with the advertising revenue those videos generated. This allows us to identify your works and invoice the correct royalties on your behalf. 

When does playing your music count as a stream?

Spotify considers a stream valid after at least 30 seconds of listening. It doesn't matter whether the listener starts at the beginning, middle, or end of the track. 

Tip: make sure your tracks are at least 31 seconds long to guarantee you receive royalties for every play.

Money flows in online music services: who gets what and why? 

Let's take a closer look at how money flows through streaming services like Spotify, and who gets what share of the revenue - and why: 

• Streaming platform (Spotify, etc.):
  Roughly 30% of the revenue stays with the platform to cover operating costs, including staff, marketing, technology, and other business expenses. 
   
• Master owners (record labels):
  They take the largest share because they invest in recording, producing and promoting the music. 
   
• Performing artists:
  Their earnings depend on the contract agreements they have with their record label or producer. Payouts vary based on negotiations and the success of the music.
   
• Songwriters/composers:
  They receive a maximum of 15% of the revenue via collective management organizations like Sabam. We manage the rights of our members and ensure they receive royalties for the use of their music. 

What does this mean in numbers?
A Spotify Premium subscription currently costs €10.99 per month. From that amount, a maximum of €1.65 goes to songwriters and composers.

This needs to change!
We believe that too little goes to the creators of the music. That's why Sabam has been advocating for years for a fairer distribution of streaming revenue - to ensure that all the contributors are properly rewarded for their role in making music possible.