Essay
What Is a Performance Royalty? A Plain-English Breakdown
A performance royalty pays songwriters when a song is performed publicly — played on radio, streamed, or performed live.
Public performance is broader than a concert. Radio, TV, a café playlist, and on-demand streaming all count. PROs issue blanket licenses to those venues and services, then pay writers and publishers from the pool.
Your PRO pays the writer's share. Found Royalties registers and collects the publisher's share, plus the mechanicals your PRO does not handle.