« Back to FAQs I am a BMI writer or composer. A friend heard my music on the radio in another country. How come I haven’t received my performance royalties?

It’s important to understand that BMI collects royalties for foreign performances through its international network of reciprocal agreements, and that the collection timeline generally ranges between one and two years from the date of performance. You can determine what periods and performances have been distributed for each society by logging into your Online Services account and reviewing the most recent BMI Distribution letter. Select the Distribution Letter link and then the link for the International Distribution Summary.

If after consulting the international distributions schedule you believe you should have received radio airplay royalties, please contact statement@bmi.com with the following details:

• Country of performance
• Date range of performance
• Radio stations, formats, or markets – as known.

While this information is not mandatory, please note our ability to assist will be limited without these details. Each society follows a different methodology for producing its radio distribution, which may involve censuses, samples, or other approaches. Please note that some methodologies, such as the sample-based approach, do not ultimately account every performance. Additionally, please also note that most foreign societies will not perform royalty adjustments that are less than $50.