Neighbouring Rights
Wixen Music UK represent some of the most prolific musicians in history. Our clients have been performing on chart topping hits from the dawning’s of the record industry to the present day, from the likes of The Beatles and Elvis Presley through to Miley Cyrus and Lizzo. We support them along the way, ensuring they are paid fairly for their contributions to generation defining records.
The world of neighbouring rights is a complex puzzle of territories, rights and data.
Our prowess as administrators means that we are experts in researching music catalogues, maintaining their absolute accuracy, and investigating instances of missing income. Ensuring that our session musician, feature artist and rightsholder clients collect more of the royalties that they are rightfully owed.
We believe in education and transparency. We spend a lot of time sharing our knowledge so that our clients can better understand the sources of their income… as much as they wish to.
For more information, please have a read of our Neighbouring Rights FAQ.
Don't just take our word for it
A small selection of the nice things clients have said about us
“I couldn’t be happier working with Alex and the brilliant team at Wixen. They have been administering my royalty collection for several years now and continue to surprise me every quarter with what they are able to find from every corner of the globe. AND… they’re beautiful creative people too!”
“We have had the pleasure of working with Wixen for some time now, and we cannot express enough how impressed we are with the level of support they provide. From their streamlined processes to their commitment to ensuring we receive the benefits we are entitled to, Wixen has proven to be an invaluable partner. Their team is always available to assist us in various areas. When it comes to registering ISRCs, Wixen has made what can be an overwhelming task, easy and straightforward. With a large catalogue and regular releases, they consistently deliver the ease of use we need.”
“The Wixen team is truly outstanding. It's obvious that they enjoy what they do. They are very transparent and they go above and beyond to help you get what you are entitled to receive.”
“Fat Possum expanded our partnership with Wixen Music to include the exclusive administration of our neighboring rights in 2017. The U.K. team is super engaged with our expansive catalog, and has grown this revenue source for us considerably through the years.”
“For those of you who are musicians that are lucky enough to play on recorded music of any genre there are royalties to be collected on your behalf out there in the world. The good people at Wixen Music have a fantastic network of people that go out there in the world and find those monies and make sure you receive them on a quarterly basis. They have been doing this for me for over a decade now, and those royalties have helped me and my family immeasurably. There has been a continuity of excellence and personal attention. For those of you looking for such an agency to help you I highly recommend the good people at Wixen Music.”
Neighbouring Rights FAQ
Neighbouring Rights are a performer’s individual right to royalties for any audible contribution to a sound recording. These are paid out primarily for public performances of a recording, such as in a bar, restaurant, shop etc, and terrestrial radio and TV broadcast. This is typically handled through a CMO (Collective Management Organisation).
Every country that pays neighbouring rights has a Collective Management Organisation or “CMO”. They are responsible for negotiating licences with radio & tv broadcasters and public premises and distributing the income from these sources to musicians and rightsholders.
Any individual who has made an audible contribution to a recording is generally entitled to Neighbouring Rights royalties. This can be anything from a lead vocalist on a recording to a session musician playing a single note on a triangle, and everything in between. In general, if your contribution can be heard on a recording, you are due royalties!
Most countries do pay Neighbouring Rights royalties, including the UK, EU territories, Canada and Brazil and several more around the world. Each territory has it’s own rules in place which dictate what income is paid for and how this income is split between performers, however the core income streams are universal. The United States does not currently pay Neighbouring Rights.
Yes! Due to the US not currently paying out Neighbouring Rights royalties, income from some European CMO’s is limited for US citizens, but it is not zero. This again varies from territory to territory, and is beginning to change, with countries such as Germany paying out fair remuneration regardless of citizenship.
Currently digital streaming services such as Spotify are not required to pay Neighbouring Rights, however demand for this is growing and there are examples where territories have been successful: Spotify must pay royalties to AIE in Spain, Deezer is required to pay EJI in Hungary and Belgian Government has just given the greenlight for PlayRight to start negotiating licenses with all digital streaming services, Spotify, Apple Music, Netflix, etc.
In short, no – Neighbouring Rights is an entirely separate income stream to Publishing.
That being said, if you have performed on a recording of a song you have written/composed, then you will be due royalties for this performance, although no more than if the song had been written/composed by someone else.
Every CMO stores a massive database to track registered recordings and performer details. With such huge amounts of data travelling through them, gaps and inaccuracies appear frequently. Realistically, CMO’s cannot invest the time and resources required to ensure every performer collects what they are rightfully owed.
At Wixen, we have both a vested interest in each of our client’s receiving all of the Neighbouring Rights royalties they are due, and the resources to make that happen. We have direct contacts with all the major CMO’s, a finger on the pulse of all things Neighbouring Rights, and unmatched attention to detail, leaving no stone unturned!