Episode 1: What Are Neighbouring Rights?

Welcome to the first post in our Beginner Series on Neighbouring Rights! If you’ve ever performed on a track and wondered whether you’re entitled to royalties, this is the place to start. We’ll walk you through what neighbouring rights are, how they differ from copyright royalties, and why they matter.

What are neighbouring rights?

When most people think about music royalties, they usually picture the rights earned by songwriters and composers. These are known as copyright royalties, and they protect the melody, lyrics, and structure of a song. But there’s another important type of right that’s often overlooked—especially by performing artists. These are called neighbouring rights.

Neighbouring rights are a type of royalty paid to the people involved in the recording of a piece of music. This includes:

- Performers (both featured and non-featured/session musicians)
- Producers or record labels (those who fund or release the recordings)

These royalties are generated when a recording is used publicly. That can include:

- Airplay on radio and TV
- Music played in restaurants, shops, gyms, or hotels
- Use on certain streaming platforms or internet radio services

If you’ve performed on a commercially released recording, and that recording is played in any of these settings, you may be entitled to royalty payments—even if you didn’t write the song.

Copyright protects the song itself—the composition, lyrics, and melody. Copyright royalties are paid to the songwriter and music publisher.

Neighbouring rights, on the other hand, protect the recording of the song. They reward the people who helped bring the song to life in a studio. So, if you’re a vocalist, instrumentalist, or producer on a track that’s played in public, you may have a right to royalties—regardless of who wrote the song.

For many artists, neighbouring rights are a valuable income stream—especially if their recordings receive regular radio play, are included in playlists, or used by businesses. However, these royalties are not automatic. You need to be registered with the right organizations, and your contributions must be documented correctly.

Unfortunately, many performers miss out on these payments because they simply don’t know the rights exist, or they aren’t sure how to claim them. That’s where this blog series comes in.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know—who qualifies, how to register, common mistakes, and how to get help if you need it.

📅 Next post: “Who Gets Paid and Why?”