How Copyright Works on Spotify, Apple Music and Streaming Platforms
8 July 2026
Uploading a song to Spotify or Apple Music feels like handing it over to someone else's platform — and for a lot of musicians, that raises a natural question: who actually owns it once it's up there? Here's what really happens to your copyright when your music goes live on a streaming service.
Uploading Doesn't Mean Giving Away Ownership
When you distribute a song to streaming platforms — usually through a distributor like DistroKid, TuneCore or CD Baby — you're granting the platform a non-exclusive licence to stream your track. You keep full ownership of both the composition and the recording; the platform is simply permitted to play it for listeners.
Two Types of Royalties: Composition vs Recording
Streaming generates two separate royalty streams. Mechanical and performance royalties are paid for the underlying composition (the melody and lyrics), while a separate royalty is paid for the sound recording itself. If you wrote and recorded the song yourself, you're entitled to both — but they're often collected and paid out through different organisations.
Who Actually Collects Your Royalties
Your distributor typically handles the recording royalties, while a Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) — such as PRS, ASCAP or BMI — collects royalties for the composition. If you're not registered with a PRO, composition royalties can go uncollected entirely, even while your song is being streamed millions of times.
What Streaming Platforms Are Allowed to Do With Your Music
Platforms can stream your track, include it in algorithmic playlists, and use short previews for promotional purposes under their standard terms. What they can't do is claim ownership, resell your song outright, or license it to third parties beyond what your distribution agreement permits.
Protecting Yourself Before You Upload
Before releasing anything, register with a PRO so composition royalties don't go unclaimed, and keep a timestamped, dated record of your song's creation — separate from the release date — so you have independent proof of when it was actually written, not just when it went live.
What Happens If Someone Uploads Your Song Without Permission
It happens more often than most artists expect — a stolen track re-uploaded under someone else's name. If that happens to you, see our guide on filing a DMCA takedown for musicians for the exact steps to get it removed.
Register with Copyright Solved now to start your protection journey.