Your songs reach listeners across Spotify, YouTube and TikTok. At Sabam, you get paid faster - for every stream, everywhere in the world - and you keep more of what you earn thanks to our low 8% commission.

Absolutely. Even if your music is streamed on a small or niche platform on the other side of the world, you still receive your royalties through Sabam. That’s because we track your music globally across 205+ platforms in 245 territories, thanks to our partnership with ICE, which negotiates better rates and ensures your works are recognised everywhere.

In short: your royalties travel as far as your music does — and we take care of them so you don’t have to.

Once your track is streamed, we get to work immediately. On average, your royalties reach your account within 6 months — faster than most other societies. Even better: Sabam pays every month, not just once or twice a year, so your income comes in regularly. We’re also investing in technology to make those payments even faster in the future.

Only 8% — one of the lowest rates in the industry. We deliberately keep our costs low because we believe the largest share should always go to the creator. You make the music, we handle the admin, and you keep more of what you earn. Simple as that.

When your song takes off on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube — that’s fantastic! And yes, you also earn royalties for those plays. Sabam tracks your music across all major social and streaming platforms to make sure your success translates into income.

So go viral — we’ll make sure your royalties keep up.

Let’s be honest: streaming alone rarely pays the bills. That’s why we’re working internationally to negotiate better streaming rates for you, and to make your music more visible worldwide. We also encourage listeners to switch to paid subscriptions, because those generate far more for you as a creator.

You focus on making great music — we’ll make sure you’re fairly rewarded.

Quite a lot, if you’re with Sabam and you live in Belgium. Our 8% commission is among the lowest in Europe, and Belgium’s favourable tax regime for authors means you pay only 15% tax on your royalties — far less than on regular income. In real terms, from every €100 in gross royalties, you keep about €78 net — more than with most foreign societies.

Metadata may sound boring, but it’s the backbone of your income. It includes everything that identifies your track: titles, featured artists, songwriters, publishers, ISRC codes…

If any of that info is wrong — even a typo — your track might not match the data received from streaming platforms, and you could miss out on royalties. Always double-check that your label or distributor (like DistroKid, TuneCore or CD Baby) sends the correct metadata to the platforms and that those data match your registration with Sabam.

Clean data means correct payment — it’s as simple as that.

Not at all. With Sabam, your online rights are managed globally. We monitor your music on 205+ platforms, pay your royalties every month, and take only 8% commission. Plus, if you live in Belgium, you benefit from the country’s low 15% tax rate on authors’ rights.

With Sabam, you get international reach with local advantages — and a team that speaks your language.

Want to know exactly how much you earn from your streams? Check Played & Paid in your MySabam. Click To statements to see at a glance:

• which tracks were streamed;
• on which platform;
• in which country;
• for which period;
• how many times;
• your share in each work;
• and exactly how much you earned.

Everything is clear, accurate and transparent — down to the last cent.

There’s no fixed amount per stream or view — and that’s not because we want to keep it vague. Each platform (Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, etc.) has its own agreements, and it also depends on whether the listener uses a free or paid subscription.

At Sabam, we do everything we can to make this complex process clear and fair. We invoice streaming services and social media platforms for a share of their income from subscriptions and advertising. That total is then distributed per work, based on the number of streams or views in the billing period — monthly, quarterly or yearly.

Your payment depends on:

• the platform and subscription type your music was played on;
• the period in which the revenue was generated;
• and above all, how often your track was streamed compared to all other tracks.

In short: there’s no standard rate per stream — but Sabam ensures your share reaches you accurately, transparently and faster.

No. When someone listens to your track using a free account, ads are played between songs — and that brings in less revenue for you. Paid subscriptions, on the other hand, are worth significantly more.

That’s why Sabam wants to grow the streaming pie — by helping more people discover your music and encouraging them to switch to paid subscriptions, which generate higher royalties for you as a creator.

Streaming starts with good metadata. It may sound dull, but it’s the foundation of your income.

Metadata is all the information that makes your track unique — titles, alternative titles, featured artists, songwriters, producers, publishers… A small error, like a typo or an extra tag such as “radio edit”, can mean there’s no match between our database and the reports we receive from Spotify, YouTube or TikTok — and that could cost you money.

Our golden rules:

• Register your works with Sabam before they go online. That way, we can claim your royalties right away.
• Make sure your record label or digital distributor (like DistroKid, TuneCore or CD Baby) has sent the correct metadata to the streaming platform — and that the data matches your registration with Sabam. Everything must match exactly. Even one spelling mistake could cost you money.

Metadata might not sound like rock ’n’ roll, but it’s what keeps your royalties flowing. Make sure it’s correct, and Sabam will ensure you get paid.

A radio edit, acoustic version or remix? Streaming platforms see each of these as separate tracks. That’s why it’s crucial to register every version of your song with Sabam — so every stream counts and gets paid.

Practical tip: Use the “alternative titles” field in MyWorx when the split between the creators is the same for all versions. That way, you don’t have to start from scratch each time, but every version is still correctly linked in our database.

Registering late can cost you money. Some platforms don’t allow us to invoice retroactively, and even where it’s possible, it can take 12 to 36 months before you receive your royalties.

Register your tracks before they go online — that’s the only way to make sure every stream counts right from the start.

Good to know:

• Sabam pays your online royalties every month.
• Within 6 months after the stream, you’ve already received 95% of your royalties.

That part isn’t handled by Sabam — it’s done via your record label or digital distributor (like DistroKid, TuneCore or CD Baby). They upload your music to Spotify, YouTube, TikTok and other platforms — and they’re also the ones who can take it down if needed.

What does Sabam do for you?

Once your music is online, we track your streams worldwide — across 205+ platforms — and pay your royalties every month. In short: they put your music online, we make sure you get paid for it.

Spotify counts a stream once a listener has played at least 30 seconds of your track — it doesn’t matter if that’s at the beginning, middle or end.

Tip: Make sure your songs are at least 31 seconds long, so every real listen earns you royalties.