Alongside master royalties and publishing royalties, there is a third stream of compensation that many artists completely ignore: neighbouring rights. This is no small matter — for artists whose music has been played on radio, TV, or used in public venues, neighbouring rights can represent significant amounts.
What Are Neighbouring Rights
Neighbouring rights (rights neighbouring on copyright) are the compensation owed to performing artists and phonographic producers (master rights holders) for the public use of musical recordings.
The principle is this: when your music is broadcast on radio, aired on TV, played in a restaurant, bar, shop, or hotel, or used in other public contexts, you are entitled to compensation.
This right exists independently of who wrote the song (which falls under classic copyright/author's rights) and specifically relates to the recording (the phonogram).
Who Is Entitled to Neighbouring Rights
- Performing artists: those who performed on the recording (vocalist, musicians, etc.)
- Phonographic producers: those who own the master rights (often the artist themselves if independent, or the label)
If you are an independent artist who produced and recorded your own track, you are entitled to both shares: the performer's share and the phonographic producer's share.
How Neighbouring Rights Are Collected
The way neighbouring rights are collected varies by country. Each territory has its own organizations — or a combination of them — responsible for collecting these fees from radio stations, TV broadcasters, public venues, and other users, then distributing them to rights holders.
In the UK, PPL handles neighbouring rights. In the US, SoundExchange collects digital performance royalties for artists and master rights holders. In Italy, the main body is SCF (Società Consortile Fonografici), alongside Nuovo IMAIE for performing artists.
At the international level, these organizations exchange funds through bilateral agreements, so royalties generated in one country can reach artists based in another.
How to Receive Neighbouring Rights
To receive neighbouring rights as an independent artist, the key steps are:
- Register with your national neighbouring rights organization as a phonographic producer (for the master/producer share)
- Register as a performing artist with the relevant performers' rights body in your country
- Register your works with the relevant data (your ISRC codes are essential here)
If your distributor also handles neighbouring rights on your behalf, verify exactly what is included in the service.
In the UK: register with PPL for both performer and producer shares.
In the US: register with SoundExchange.
In Italy: register with SCF (producer) and Nuovo IMAIE (performer).
How Much Can You Earn from Neighbouring Rights
It depends greatly on:
- How much your music is played on radio, TV, or in public venues
- Which countries and markets are covered
- The efficiency of collecting societies in gathering and distributing funds
For emerging artists with little radio presence, this may be a small annual sum. For artists with a song that gets significant radio airplay or is used extensively in public contexts, it can become very relevant.
The Difference Between Neighbouring Rights and Publishing
These are often confused. Here is the clear distinction:
| Right | What it covers | Who manages it |
|---|---|---|
| Copyright / Publishing | Composition (melody, lyrics) | PROs (ASCAP, BMI, PRS, SIAE, etc.) |
| Neighbouring rights | Recording (phonogram) used publicly | PPL, SoundExchange, SCF, etc. |
A song played on the radio generates both streams: the PRO collects for the songwriter/publisher, while the neighbouring rights body collects for the phonographic producer and performer.
ISRC and Neighbouring Rights
The ISRC is essential for neighbouring rights: it is the unique identifier for the recording that allows collecting societies to correctly identify which track was used and to whom the compensation should go.
Having correct and properly registered ISRCs is the technical prerequisite for being able to receive neighbouring rights.
What to Do Practically
- Check whether your music is played on radio or TV — even a single broadcast on a local radio station generates rights
- Register with your country's neighbouring rights bodies if you haven't already
- Make sure the ISRCs on your releases are correct and associated with you
- Check retroactivity: some collecting societies accept retroactive registrations for past periods
Neighbouring rights are money that often goes uncollected simply because the artist doesn't know this stream exists. Now you do.