You have questions.
We have answers.

How does RME work?
RME provides worldwide royalty collection and licensing services to independent creators, songwriters, and anyone who owns composition rights. We collect royalties on your behalf without owning any percentage of your copyrights and take one of the lowest administration fees, so more money goes directly to you.
RME is the only collection organization capable of finding your copyright across social media platforms. As part of the RME beta program, we will use this data to negotiate licensing agreements with platforms and other music users.
Why is RME better for independent creators?
RME puts creators first. We don’t support market share payments that result in creators getting blind checks and not understanding their payments. We believe all creators should be paid what they deserve and understand what they are being paid for. RME will make sure independent creators aren’t being shortchanged, but are getting proper compensation and attribution for their work.
Who can join RME?
Currently, RME manages composition rights, but we’re on a mission to serve all rights for all creators. If you own audio, video, or image copyrights, please reach out on our contact page to join our waitlist.
Does RME collect royalties from social media platforms?
Yes. RME uses advanced technology, powered by Pex, to find uses of copyright across user-generated content platforms. RME will use its data to negotiate with platforms and other music users.
What rights does RME represent?
Currently, RME represents composition rights for content-sharing platforms. RME is on a mission to support all creators. If you own other audio, video, or image copyrights, please reach out on our contact page to join our waitlist.
How is RME different from a PRO or Publisher?
Similar to publishers and Performance Rights Organizations (PROs), RME collects and distributes your composition royalties. RME differs from these other organizations in a few ways.
1. RME focuses significantly on platforms that host user-generated content (UGC). RME is the only collection entity with technology capable of identifying your copyright accurately on various social media platforms. Using this technology, RME can find and license more uses of your content.
2. RME doesn’t use market share driven payments because they don’t encourage proper attribution or payment, especially on UGC platforms. RME licenses are based on actual use, so licensees pay for what they need and you are paid what you deserve. RME doesn’t send “blind checks” because we want you to understand your payments.
3. RME gets you paid quickly with detailed information on what was collected and where it was found. Other collection organizations can’t provide such detailed reports because they simply don’t have the information.
What is digital fingerprinting?
What is content identification?
I already use a distributor, can I still join RME?
Yes. Distributors distribute your music to DSPs and other platforms. Even if your distributor also collects your composition royalties, you can choose to have your rights managed by RME instead. RME is not a distributor, and does not send your catalog to DSPs or other services.
I’m a beat maker, can I join RME?
Yes. Currently RME represents your composition rights as a beat maker. Reach out on our contact page to get started. If you own other audio, video, or image copyrights, please reach out on our contact page to join our waitlist.
I’m a digital content creator, can I join RME?
Yes. Currently, RME represents composition rights for content creators. RME is on a mission to support all creators. If you own other audio, video, or image copyrights, please reach out on our contact page to join our waitlist.
I'm a recording artist, can I join RME?
RME does not currently manage recording rights. If you own composition rights to your songs and are not registered with another rights organization, RME is ready to manage your rights. If you own recording rights, please reach out on our contact page to join our waitlist.
How does RME get me paid more?
RME’s mission is to fight for fair and accurate royalty payments globally. As part of RME’s beta program, we will negotiate licensing agreements that ensure businesses and platforms are identifying what copyrights they use, and you are being paid correctly.
RME finds uses of your copyrights across social media and other content-sharing platforms and finds the most uses of your copyrights, which can earn you more royalties. We also actively fight for new licenses to ensure platforms using music are paying creators.
Will RME promote my music?
I have registered my content with the Copyright Office, do I need to join RME?
What platforms does RME license with?
As part of our beta program, RME will begin negotiating licensing agreements with content-sharing platforms.
Do I use RME in addition to my PRO/CMO?
No, if you currently work with a collection organization, you can choose to have your rights managed by RME instead. RME is currently working with unaffiliated songwriters who have not assigned their rights to a PRO or CMO.
Does using RME preclude me from using other services like a distributor or PRO?
If you join RME, you can still work with a distributor to supply your music to DSPs. RME does not distribute or promote your music. If your distributor also manages your rights and collects royalties on your behalf, you can choose to have your rights managed by RME instead. RME is currently working with unaffiliated songwriters who have not assigned their rights to another organization.
How do I register my content with RME?
What are digital performance royalties?
What are synchronization rights?
Synchronization rights refer to the right to ‘sync’ a piece of music with a visual image, such as a video, film, or television show. Content-sharing platforms need synchronization licenses to cover the use of music uploaded to their sites. As a composition owner, RME manages your synchronization rights across content-sharing platforms.
What are public performance royalties?
Public performance royalties are owed to songwriters or publishers when their music is played on radio stations (including streaming and satellite radio), TV shows, commercials, or live venues (including businesses like coffee shops). As a composition owner, RME manages your public performance royalties across content-sharing platforms.
What are mechanical royalties?
Mechanical royalties are owed to songwriters or publishers whenever a physical or digital copy of a composition is made and distributed. Mechanical royalties are owed when CDs, vinyl and other physical copies are created, when digital copies, including on-demand streams and social media videos are created, and when cover versions are recorded and released. As a composition owner, RME manages your mechanical royalties across content-sharing platforms.
Can a person be both a songwriter and a publisher?
Yes. Songwriters often work with publishers to represent their songs, but many songwriters manage their own publishing or start their own publishing companies. Songwriters are owed a share of publishing royalties even if they have never worked with a publisher or if they manage their rights as individuals. RME currently works with independent songwriters who manage their own publishing.
What is a blanket license?
A blanket license provides blanket coverage for the use of an entire catalog or repertoire. Blanket licenses are an easy way to license music because they don’t require recordings to be licensed individually.
Royalties are paid according to the reporting from the licensees. Businesses with blanket licenses are required to send reports, such as playlists, of the sound recordings that were used. The licensor will then match the sound recordings to the rightsholders and pay based on the statutory royalty rate.
When it comes to licensing on social media and other content-sharing platforms, reporting accurately on what copyrighted content was used becomes incredibly difficult. This results in unidentified content and inaccurate payments. When not all content is identified, royalties are lost. And when not all rightsholders are identified, their royalties are held in a ‘black box’ for a limited amount of time. The black box is then paid out to known rightsholders based on market share, leaving the true rightsholders without payment.
RME’s technology was built to meet the challenges of identification on content-sharing platforms. With our technology, copyrighted content is accurately identified, enabling pay-per-play licensing that’s transparent and fair.
What is the black box?
The black box is a creative name for royalties that are collected and owed to rightsholders who have not been identified, and therefore cannot be paid. The unclaimed royalties are held in the ‘black box’ until the rightsholders can be identified, or for a limited amount of time, whichever comes first. If the rightsholders are not identified within the set timespan, the black box is then paid out to any known rightsholders based on their market share, leaving the true rightsholders without payment.
The black box exists across collection organizations, digital platforms, and other places where music is being used or licensed. It stems from the challenges of identifying and attributing content. Identifying content, especially when it’s been altered, edited, remixed, and redistributed, is a monumental task in itself. After identifying content comes the additional challenge of mapping it to the correct owners.
In music, metadata is the information attached to a song that identifies its recording and composition rightsholders. Unfortunately, important metadata is often missing or incorrect, and contributes to rightsholders not being identified or paid.
Together, these identification and attribution issues fuel the black boxes that plague music creators. This is why RME leverages the best identification technology available to find the most uses of copyright. We leverage advanced matching technology to link sound recordings and compositions and piece together missing metadata to ensure we have the most accurate information.
When RME is managing your royalties, you have the best technology on your side, and the most accurate payments.
What are unclaimed royalties?
Unclaimed royalties are payments that creators deserve, but aren’t getting. Unclaimed royalties are created when a copyright is used, but not all rightsholders can be identified. Because the copyright was identified, it is known that royalties are owed, but without the rightsholders, the royalties cannot be paid. Instead, they are held in a black box until the rightsholders are identified, or until they are paid out to known rightsholders based on market share.