Updated: November 2026 · Diskover Team
Quick answer: To register a song with SGAE, you first join as a member on its website (a one-off payment of 15 euros, with no annual fees) and then register the work for free on the SGAE online portal, with the title, the writers, the splits and the recording. If there are co-writers, each of them signs the registration online. Bear in mind that SGAE collects your songwriting royalties, not the ones from the recording: those come through your distributor.
What you get paid for (and what you don’t) when you register a song with SGAE
Every song you make creates two kinds of rights. On one side there is the composition, meaning the lyrics and the music: that is what SGAE manages. On the other there is the recording, or master, which is what you upload to Spotify, Apple Music or TikTok through a distributor such as Diskover. They are two separate income streams and they are paid in different ways.
Registering the work with SGAE means the society collects on your behalf every time your song is played on the radio, on TV, at a gig, in a venue or on digital platforms, and then pays you. If you want the full picture, we explain it in what song royalties are and how to collect them.
| Right | Who manages it | How the money reaches you |
|---|---|---|
| Songwriting rights (lyrics and music) | SGAE or another collecting society, or your publisher | Statements from the society or the publisher |
| Recording rights (master) | Your distributor, for example Diskover | Platform payouts for every stream |
| Performer rights | AIE | Statements from AIE |
| Proof of authorship | Intellectual Property Registry | Generates no income |
Step 1: become an SGAE member
You cannot register works unless you are a member. You sign up online on the SGAE website, and membership is open to writers of music, audiovisual works and performing arts.
- Cost: a single joining fee of 15 euros. There is no annual fee for writers and registering works is free for members.
- Details: your personal details and how you want to be paid.
- Under 18s: the application has to be signed by a parent or legal guardian.
- Management agreement: by joining, you hand SGAE the management of your rights. Read it carefully before signing.
Once SGAE approves your membership, you receive your member number, which gives you access to the online portal where you will register your songs.
Step 2: register the song on the online portal
- Log in to the SGAE online portal with your member number and go to the works registration section.
- Fill in the title (and the version, if there is one), the duration and the type of work.
- Add every rights holder: composers, lyricists, arrangers and, if there is one, the publisher.
- Enter the share that belongs to each of them.
- Attach the recording. Lyrics and sheet music are optional, but they help.
- Submit the registration.
How to split the percentages
The writers agree the splits between themselves. A common approach is to divide the song equally between lyrics and music, and then share each half among the people who wrote it. Put it in writing before you register: an agreement signed on the day of the session saves arguments once the song starts making money. What you register with SGAE has to match what you have signed.
Step 3: get your co-writers to sign
If the song has other writers, SGAE makes the registration available to them and each one accepts and signs it online from their own account. If any of them is not an SGAE member, they need to belong to another society or have a publisher representing them in order to collect their share. Until everyone has signed, the registration is not complete.
Step 4: report your gigs and check your statements
Registering the work is only half the job. If you play live, report the setlist of every gig to SGAE through the online portal; if you don’t, it is very hard for the money from those shows to reach you.
SGAE pays out in the last week of every month, but not everything is paid at the same frequency:
- Monthly: digital platforms, major concerts and performing arts.
- Quarterly (March, June, September and December): film, TV and radio, live performances, private copying and record sales.
What about the Intellectual Property Registry?
It is not the same thing. The Intellectual Property Registry does not collect anything for you: it serves as proof that the work is yours and from what date. Filing online with the Central Registry costs just a few euros. You can do both: the Registry protects you if an authorship dispute comes up, and SGAE (or your publisher) collects the money the song earns.
Not with any society yet? Diskover Publishing
SGAE is not the only route. With Diskover Publishing, if you do not belong to any collecting society, we register you as a songwriter for free, register your works with UNISON and collect your songwriting royalties. You keep 75% of your publishing royalties.
On top of that, we pitch your catalogue to music supervisors, run songcamps and production and songwriting masterclasses, and work on your profile in the media, press and radio. And if you are unsure what suits you best, a real person from our team gets back to you quickly, from our offices in Madrid (Luis I 86, 28031).
Don’t forget the other half: the recording
Once the work is registered, your song needs to be on the platforms to earn master royalties. With Diskover distribution you are live on Spotify in under 24 hours. There is the Starter plan (1.99 euros a month, you keep 80% and get 3 songs free), Unlimited (9.99 euros a month, you keep 100%) and PRO, with a tailored percentage. And if you ever stop paying, we don’t delete your music: it moves to the free plan with an 80/20 split.
If you are on Unlimited or PRO, you get 10% off at Diskover Studios to record your songs, at our film set and on micro-influencer campaigns with ZYNK.
Want to know how much your streams could earn you? Try our Spotify royalty calculator and, when your next song is ready, release it with Diskover.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to register a song with SGAE?
Joining SGAE as a member costs 15 euros, paid once. After that, registering your songs is free and SGAE does not charge songwriters an annual fee.
Do I need sheet music to register a song?
No. For musical works you attach the recording. Lyrics and sheet music are optional, although they help identify the work.
When should I register my song?
Ideally before the release or right when it comes out, with the splits already agreed with your co-writers. That way SGAE can identify it from the very first use and no money slips through the cracks.
Does SGAE collect what I earn on Spotify?
SGAE collects your share as the songwriter. What the recording earns on Spotify and the other platforms is paid through your distributor. With Diskover you are live on Spotify in under 24 hours.
Is there an alternative to SGAE for collecting my songwriting royalties?
Yes. If you are not with any collecting society, Diskover Publishing registers you as a songwriter for free, registers your works with UNISON and collects your songwriting royalties, and you keep 75% of your publishing royalties.
