When Thematic adds your music to YouTube Content ID, we manage your rights and collect royalties on your behalf. There are two distinct types of royalties associated with your music, and Thematic now collects both.
Sound recording royalties
The sound recording (also called the master) is the specific recorded version of your song. When a creator uses your music in a YouTube video, Content ID identifies the match and directs the ad revenue from that video to you as the rights holder. Thematic has always collected these sound recording royalties through Content ID.
Publishing royalties
Every song also has an underlying composition (the melody and lyrics) which carries its own separate copyright and generates its own royalties. On YouTube, these are specifically related to the sync rights associated with using music in video content. Thematic recently expanded our Content ID services (via our partner company Spin Move Media) to also administer and collect these publishing royalties for eligible artists in US territories.
This is standard practice for Content ID administrators and ensures that both layers of your music rights are actively managed - so you're earning from every angle your music is covered.
What this means for you
Once your songs are enrolled in Thematic's publishing administration, you'll now see both sound recording and publishing royalties reflected in your Thematic earnings. The two royalty streams are separate, and both belong to you.
Why your first publishing payment might look larger than expected
When no publishing administrator is registered on a composition, YouTube doesn't discard those royalties - it holds them in reserve, typically for a period of three to five years, until the rightful admin comes to claim them. When Thematic becomes the admin of your publishing within YouTube Content ID, YouTube releases all of those previously held royalties in a single payout.
If you've recently been enrolled in Thematic's publishing administration, that one-time backpay release is likely what you're seeing. It is not a reflection of your regular monthly publishing earnings going forward - those will be a more modest, ongoing amount added on top of your sound recording royalties each month.
Questions about this or your earnings breakdown? Reach out to us at artists@hellothematic.com.
