TL;DR: APRA AMCOS is the performing rights and mechanical rights organisation for Australia and New Zealand. It collects royalties when music is streamed, broadcast, or performed publicly in those territories. International artists whose PRO has a reciprocal agreement with APRA AMCOS can collect — but only if all their works are correctly registered.
What Is APRA AMCOS?
APRA AMCOS is the result of a merger between APRA (Australasian Performing Right Association) and AMCOS (Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners' Society). It is the single collecting society responsible for both performing rights and mechanical rights in Australia and New Zealand.
APRA AMCOS represents songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers. It collects royalties from:
- Streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube)
- Radio and TV broadcast (ABC, commercial radio, Foxtel)
- Live performances of original works
- Background music in venues, shops, restaurants
- Sync uses in Australian film, TV, and advertising
Who Can Register with APRA AMCOS?
APRA AMCOS membership is available to:
- Australian and New Zealand songwriters and composers
- International songwriters whose works are performed or distributed in Australia/NZ
If you are based in the US, UK, or elsewhere, your home PRO (ASCAP, BMI, PRS, GEMA, etc.) likely has a reciprocal agreement with APRA AMCOS. This means APRA AMCOS will collect on your behalf in Australia/NZ and forward those royalties to your PRO, which then distributes them to you.
However, this only works if:
- Your works are correctly registered at your home PRO
- The ISWCs on your registrations match what APRA AMCOS's data shows
- Your home PRO actually has a bilateral agreement with APRA AMCOS (most major PROs do)
What APRA AMCOS Collects
| Royalty Type | Source |
|---|---|
| Performing rights (music broadcast/streamed) | Radio, TV, streaming services |
| Performing rights (live performance) | Concerts, festivals, venues |
| Performing rights (background music) | Shops, restaurants, hotels |
| Mechanical rights (reproduction) | CDs, vinyl, digital downloads |
| Synchronisation royalties | Film, TV, advertising (where applicable) |
The ISWC Requirement
APRA AMCOS, like all CMOs, relies on ISWCs (International Standard Work Codes) to match streaming data and broadcast logs to specific compositions. If your works do not have ISWCs, or if the ISWCs in the APRA AMCOS system differ from those embedded in your streaming metadata, plays generate data that cannot be matched — and those royalties go into an unmatched pool.
Common ISWC problems:
- Missing ISWCs: Works registered with a PRO before ISWCs were widely used may not have them assigned
- Multiple ISWCs for the same work: Co-writers registering separately sometimes create duplicate ISWC entries
- ISRC / ISWC confusion: ISRCs identify recordings; ISWCs identify compositions. Both are needed for complete royalty collection
How to Register
If you are Australian or a New Zealand resident:
- Visit apraamcos.com.au
- Create a songwriter/publisher account
- Register your compositions with titles, co-writer details, and IPI numbers for each writer
- Attach ISWCs (or request APRA AMCOS assign them)
If you are an international artist:
- Ensure your works are registered at your home PRO (ASCAP, BMI, PRS, GEMA, etc.)
- Confirm your PRO has a reciprocal agreement with APRA AMCOS
- Verify your ISWCs are consistent across all registrations
Frequently Asked Questions
Does DistroKid collect APRA AMCOS royalties? No. DistroKid is a distributor that collects master recording revenue from streaming platforms. APRA AMCOS royalties are songwriter royalties collected separately from the master recording. You need PRO registration (or a PRO with a reciprocal agreement) to access them.
How long does it take for APRA AMCOS to distribute royalties? APRA AMCOS distributes quarterly. International reciprocal royalties typically take 12–24 months to flow from the point of performance to your bank account, due to collection, processing, and inter-CMO transfer delays.
What if I have co-writers in different countries? Each co-writer's share is collected by their respective home PRO. APRA AMCOS collects the combined Australia/NZ royalties and distributes each share to the appropriate PRO for each co-writer. If any co-writer is not registered, their share may go uncollected.
Sources
- APRA AMCOS official website, membership and distribution information (2024)
- CISAC Global Collections Report 2024: €12.59B collected globally by all CMOs
- IFPI Global Music Report 2024: neighboring rights collected globally in 2023