How to Collect Royalties as an Independent Hausa Artist

A small story to begin

The first time I saw royalty money hit a friend’s account in Kano, it was not plenty. In fact, it was the cost of a new mic stand and transport home. But the smile on his face told another story. “At least the music is now paying its own bills,” he said. That small alert proved something important. Royalties can look slow at first, but if you set up your music business well, the money grows month by month. For many Arewa independent artists, the real problem is not talent. The problem is structure. Once you learn where money hides and how to claim it, your songs stop working for free.

This guide shows you, step by step, how to collect Hausa music royalties at home and abroad. I will keep it practical and true to our context. No magic. Just process.

What royalties are you leaving on the table

Before we jump into forms and sign-ups, know the types of royalties you should collect. Think of your song as two “properties” that earn money.

1. The composition
   The melody and lyrics. This side pays:
   • Performance royalties when your song is streamed, played on radio or TV, performed live, or used in public places.
   • Mechanical royalties when your composition is reproduced. Streaming creates micro-mechanicals. Downloads and CDs also count.
2. The sound recording
   The actual recorded track. This side pays:
   • Master recording royalties from streaming stores such as Spotify, Apple Music, Boomplay, Audiomack, YouTube Music.
   • Neighboring rights when the recorded performance is broadcast or publicly performed in some countries. This often pays performers and the owner of the master.

To collect all of this, you need a clean setup. Let us build that now.

Step 1: Do your split sheet the same day you record

A split sheet is a simple agreement that states who owns what percentage of the song. It protects friendship and keeps money clean.

What to include

• Legal names and stage names of all writers and producers
• Percentages that add up to 100 for the composition
• Who owns the master and in what percentage
• Contact details and bank or payout preferences
• Signatures and date

Why it matters

• Your distributor and publishing admin will ask for splits.
• Disputes block royalties. Platforms freeze money until splits are clear.

Tip for Arewa crews

• Keep a simple template in your phone. Print later if needed.
• Use plain English or Hausa. Clarity beats fine grammar.
  Example line: “Sadiya Musa wrote the hook 40 percent. Ali Jibril wrote the verses 40 percent. Producer Gambo created the beat 20 percent.”

Step 2: Get your metadata right every single time

Metadata is the identity card for your music. Bad metadata equals lost money.

Must-have items

• Song title and clean version title if separate
• Artist name and any featured artists
• Producer and writers
• ISRC for each recording. Your distributor can auto-assign.
• UPC/EAN for the release. Also from your distributor.
• Genre and language tags such as Hausa, Afro-pop, Arewa hip hop
• Release date and territory info

For the composition

• Writer names as they appear with your PRO or CMO
• IPI/CAE number for each writer if available
• ISWC once issued by your publishing society or admin
• Publisher info if you have a publisher or an admin deal

Practical habit

• Keep a simple Google Sheet or offline spreadsheet that lists every track and its codes. Share the file with your manager or main collaborator. When a TV station or playlist curator asks, you will not start searching phone galleries.

Step 3: Choose a distributor and set up every monetization toggle

Your distributor delivers your audio to streaming stores and collects the master recording royalties. If you are just starting, pick one reliable service and learn it well.

What to check before you pick

• Stores covered in Africa and worldwide, including Boomplay, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Audiomack
• Payout speed and minimum threshold
• Ability to deliver to TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Triller, Snapchat
• YouTube Content ID option
• Option to add lyrics to platforms
• Split-pay feature for collaborators
• Customer support that responds

Uploading checklist

1. Use the final master in WAV format.
2. Fill all metadata fields properly.
3. Add artwork sized for each store.
4. Set the release date at least two weeks ahead.
5. Turn on monetization for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
6. Deliver clean and explicit versions if needed.
7. Add credits so your name appears in writers and producers listings.

Reminder

• Your distributor pays you for the master side only. Publishing money needs separate action. Do not wait for it to appear by itself.

Step 4: Sort your publishing like a grown professional

Publishing is where many artists lose money without knowing. You need a way to collect performance and mechanical royalties for your songwriting.

Your options

• Join a CMO or PRO as a writer such as PRS for Music in the UK if you are eligible, or a recognized Nigerian collective management organisation for musical works.
• Use a publishing admin service such as Songtrust or similar to register works globally and collect mechanicals and performance royalties you would miss on your own.

Practical path for most indie Hausa artists

1. Register as a writer with a recognized society that accepts international writers.
2. Obtain your IPI/CAE number.
3. Add an admin publisher if you do not have a traditional publisher. This widens your reach in many territories.
4. Register every song and fill in all co-writers’ shares.
5. Keep your address and bank details current so payouts do not fail.

What this unlocks

• Money from radio and TV logs
• Live performance royalties when you submit setlists
• Streaming micro-mechanicals that stores do not pay you directly

Step 5: Join or verify local collection routes in Nigeria

Nigeria has collective management organisations for musical works and sound recordings. Industry players sometimes move between bodies, and accreditation can change. What should not change is your habit to verify current status with the Nigerian Copyright Commission website or by contacting the societies directly.

Action plan

• Research current CMOs handling public performance and broadcast in Nigeria.
• Register as a writer and, where relevant, as a rightsholder for sound recordings.
• Learn their procedure for logging radio, TV, concerts, and DJ plays.
• Keep copies of cue sheets and setlists for events. Many halls and hotels now understand licensing. Help them help you.

Everyday example

• After a show in Kaduna, collect the setlist from your bandleader and submit it within the time window stated by your society. Little tasks like this add up to real money by year end.

Step 6: Claim your neighboring rights

Neighboring rights pay performers and master owners for broadcast and public performance of recordings in certain territories. These royalties are not the same as master streaming payouts from your distributor.

How to collect

• If you are both the artist and the label, note that you wear two hats.
• Consider joining a neighboring rights society through a representative service that can claim for both performer and label shares where applicable.
• Keep session credits. Background vocalists and instrumentalists may have a share depending on the country.

Documentation you need

• ISRC
• Release date and territories
• Proof you own the master or you performed on the recording
• Accurate performer line-up

SUGGEST FOR YOU: How Streaming Royalties Are Changing the Lives of Hausa Musicians in 2025

Step 7: Switch on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook money properly

Plenty Hausa songs live on YouTube and short video platforms. Do not leave money on the table.

YouTube

• Deliver your tracks to YouTube Music via your distributor.
• Enable Content ID for your sound recordings so cover videos and fan uploads generate income.
• If you have official videos, claim your Official Artist Channel to merge subscribers and analytics.

TikTok, Instagram, Facebook

• Make sure your distributor delivers to their music libraries.
• Add the catchiest 15 to 30 seconds as the preview.
• Encourage fans to use the sound. Viral use becomes micro-royalties that build up.

Handling conflicts

• If you see your song on someone else’s channel without credit, use your distributor or Content ID partner to claim it. Keep your tone calm. Many fans do not understand rights. The goal is to fix the metadata and route revenue, not to fight.

Step 8: Log live performances and radio plays like a pro

Live shows and media spins still matter in Arewa markets.

For live performances

• Keep a gig folder in your phone for each event. Add the setlist, venue name, date, and organiser contact.
• Submit setlists through your society’s portal or email within the required timeline.
• If the venue uses a licensed DJ, note the DJ’s name. It helps with reporting if questions arise.

For radio and TV

• Record station, program name, date, and time whenever your song airs.
• Ask the producer for a cue sheet if they have one.
• Some stations send monthly logs to CMOs. Your own record helps you follow up politely.

Step 9: Track your money with simple tools

Royalty money comes from different pipes. Keep one dashboard that makes sense to you.

Basic setup

• One spreadsheet with tabs for:
  • Releases and codes
  • Splits and collaborators
  • Statements from distributor
  • Publishing and neighboring rights statements
  • Live performance claims
• A simple summary page that totals income by source.

What to watch

• Is the song earning on platforms where you know it is popular
• Are the top cities on Spotify and Boomplay matching your show bookings
• Which collaborators deserve faster split-pays

Quarterly routine

• Register any new songs.
• Reconcile statements with your logs.
• Pay collaborators their shares.
• Note unpaid issues and follow up.

Step 10: Basic business hygiene for Arewa independent artist income

Treat your music as a small company from day one.

• Use a separate bank account for music.
• Keep invoices and receipts.
• Pay collaborators with descriptions such as “Mixing fee for Track X.”
• If you sell beats or features, use simple service agreements.
• Learn the basics of Nigerian tax for creatives. Even if you earn small now, clean records help later when brands or grants come calling.

Case study: Amina from Kano

Amina is a 23-year-old singer from Kano who blends Hausa folk lines with pop drums. She records a four-track EP in January.

Her setup

• Split sheets: 70 percent Amina, 20 percent producer Sarki, 10 percent songwriter Hauwa.
• Distributor: She picks one that covers YouTube Content ID and TikTok.
• Publishing: She signs up with a publishing admin to register works globally.
• Local route: She verifies a Nigerian CMO for public performance and registers as a writer.
• Neighboring rights: She signs with a service to claim performer and master owner royalties where available.

Rollout

• February release. All metadata clean. ISRC and UPC set.
• She delivers to streaming stores, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Music.
• She applies for Official Artist Channel on YouTube.
• She plays three campus shows in March and submits setlists within two weeks.

Results by June

• Streaming master royalties from distributor: steady.
• Publishing money arrives later because of processing cycles, but now it starts showing.
• YouTube Content ID catches 30 fan videos using her chorus.
• Radio spins in Kano and Kaduna are logged.
• Neighboring rights statement shows a small amount from a foreign broadcast.

By December, the EP has paid for a better mic, new cover art, and part of a video shoot. Nothing dramatic, but the growth is real. Amina’s second EP benefits from her clean structure. No blocked royalties. No quarrels over splits.

Expert and fan voices

“Metadata is not glamorous, but it is the backbone. If your ISRC and writer data are wrong, the computer cannot find your money,” says Ibrahim D., studio owner in Kaduna.

“As a fan, I like to see proper credits. It tells me the team respects the craft. When I see Arewa names listed on Apple Music, I feel proud,” says Rabi’u, a music lover from Zaria.

“Most indie artists underestimate publishing. Your distributor is not your publisher. Treat them as separate jobs,” notes Hauwa Bello, a manager who has handled radio campaigns in Abuja.

These remarks echo what many of us see every quarter. Structure first, noise later.

Step-by-step checklist you can copy

1. Create a split sheet template and use it at every session.
2. Keep a master spreadsheet for codes and credits.
3. Choose one distributor and learn all its features.
4. Turn on YouTube Content ID and social monetization.
5. Register as a writer with a recognized society and get your IPI number.
6. Use a publishing admin if you have no publisher.
7. Register each work with correct splits.
8. Consider a neighboring rights service for performer and label shares.
9. Log live gigs and media plays, then submit on time.
10. Reconcile statements quarterly and pay collaborators.

Tape this on your studio wall. Kadan-kadan, it becomes normal.

Actionable insights

• Start with splits. A two-page document today will save you months of blocked money.
• Keep one source of truth. Your spreadsheet is the final reference for credits and codes.
• Separate master from publishing. Distributor pays one side. A publisher or admin collects the other.
• Submit setlists. Live performance royalties are not automatic. Your list triggers payment.
• Use social platforms wisely. Short video usage is real income if you deliver to their libraries.
• Follow the money. Review statements and compare with your promo efforts. Adjust your plan based on what pays.

Frequently asked questions on Hausa music royalties

Karshe dai.. Call to action

If this guide helped you make sense of Hausa music royalties and Arewa independent artist income, leave a comment with your next step. Are you fixing splits, joining a society, or turning on Content ID today. Share the post with a friend who needs it. The more structured our scene is, the more money stays with the creators.