Performing Rights Organisation · Spain

How to register with SGAE.

Register with SGAE (Sociedad General de Autores y Editores), Spain's General Society of Authors and Publishers, to collect performance and mechanical royalties for your compositions across Spain and Latin America through reciprocal agreements.

⏱ 25–35 minutesPerformance royaltiesMechanical royalties

Understand Copyright Registration in Spain

Unlike some countries, Spain does not issue a "certificate of authorship" — SGAE membership does not serve as a copyright registration certificate.

Creators are advised to use digital timestamping services (such as blockchain-based registration services) to establish independent proof of creation date before registering with SGAE. This creates a time-stamped, immutable record of your work's existence.

SGAE membership is what allows you to collect royalties — but proving copyright ownership requires a separate step.

Why this matters

Without an independent timestamp, proving when you created a work can be difficult if a dispute arises. SGAE registration alone is not considered legal proof of creation date under Spanish law.

Common mistake

Assuming SGAE membership constitutes copyright registration. It does not — it allows you to collect royalties. Protect your copyright separately with a digital timestamping service first.

Join SGAE as a Member

Apply online at sgae.es. Individual work registration is free, but you must join as a member to collect royalties.

You will need:

Government-issued photo ID

Bank account details (IBAN)

At least one registered work to qualify

Join SGAE →

Why this matters

SGAE is Spain's sole society for author rights, covering the entire Spanish-speaking market including Latin America through its extensive reciprocal agreements.

Common mistake

Attempting to register works before membership is approved. Work declarations require an active membership — start the application first and register works once your IPI is assigned.

Register Your Works

Once your membership is approved, register each composition via the SGAE portal:

Title (exact match with your DSP metadata)

Duration

Your role (composer, lyricist)

Co-writer IPI numbers and split percentages

ISRC codes for each recording

SGAE operates a distribution calendar — royalties are paid for registered works at scheduled intervals.

SGAE Author Portal →

Why this matters

Spain's streaming market is substantial. Unregistered works receive zero regardless of how frequently they are broadcast — SGAE pays only on registered works at each distribution cycle.

Common mistake

Not including ISRCs. Spanish streaming platforms report by ISRC — without the code, the royalty for a streaming event cannot be matched to your registered composition.

After you register

SGAE covers composition rights. Spanish recording artists also need to register with AIE (Artistas Intérpretes o Ejecutantes) to collect neighbouring rights on their master recordings from radio and public performance.

Rekon tracks whether you're actually registered with SGAE — and 36 others.

Connect your platforms once and Rekon flags every registration gap automatically, with the exact fix for each.

Rekon is independent of SGAE. It is not affiliated with, authorised by, or sponsored by it.