SoundCloud Publishing Clearance Process

Every song has two sets of rights:

• Master Recording
• Composition Publishing

Both sets of rights must be cleared before monetizing.
Until they are cleared, ads cannot be served against a track.

How Rights Work

Rights determine how you’re compensated for your tracks.

There are two different kinds types of rights:

- Master Recording Rights = rights to the recording of a track

• All recording rights have an associated ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) which means they can be permanently identified across any format, distribution channel or product.
• It’s essential that a track only has one ISRC associated with it.
• Rightsholders can license tracks for other uses
• Please use an existing ISRC for licensed tracks
• Do not create a duplicate ISRC if you don’t have the original

- Publishing Rights = rights to the musical work, not the recording

• Includes lyrics, notations and compositions

How does SoundCloud obtain publishing clearances?

• Section 115: Notice of Intent to Obtain a Compulsory License

- Provides a compulsory license to SoundCloud to distribute recordings, once a recording of a work has been distributed to the public in the US under authority of the copyright owner

- Subject to certain terms and conditions of use

- Includes the right of the compulsory licensee (SoundCloud) to distribute/authorize the distribution of a recording of a musical work by means of a digital transmission (which constitutes a digital delivery)

The publishing clearance process has two main steps

Due to the compulsory license in the U.S., notice is enough.

1. Identify and confirm the publisher
2. Notify the publisher of the intent to monetize (NOI)

To enable a track for monetization:

1. You must confirm you own the rights to the master in the US and provide SoundCloud with the ISRC for the track.
2. Music Reports Inc. (MRI) reviews and confirms publishing clearance

For tracks to be identified by MRI you must provide: Title, artist, label, and ISRC.

Tip: Providing additional composer/writer and publisher details can shorten the timeline of the clearance process with MRI.

Steps to monetize an existing track:

1. Complete the ISRC, publisher, and monetization information (This only applies to content you own US rights for) 
2. If you do not have publisher information and an artist is self published, please provide contact details for MRI to confirm with the artist’s representative
3. MRI reviews and confirms the publishing clearance

Note: The time to clear a track can vary from 48 hours to 1 month