📌 Introduction
In your Soundreef account, you’ll find a section called Radio/TV Monitoring, which allows you to see where and when your music has been played, with detections made in real time and published on your profile shortly after.
But here's the key point: Monitoring and Reporting are not the same thing.
In this article, we’ll explain the difference between the two and how each plays a role in the royalty calculation process.
1️⃣ What is Monitoring?
✔ It is an informational tool that shows where your tracks have been played on the radio and TV stations monitored by Soundreef.
✔ It uses the MP3 file uploaded to your account to detect airplay in real time. These detections are usually visible in your profile within 24 hours.
✔ The data available includes: date, time, channel, duration, and program.
📌 Note: Monitoring is extremely useful for tracking the exposure of your music, but it’s important to keep in mind that it is not the official source for royalty calculations.
2️⃣ What is Reporting?
✔ It is the process through which Soundreef calculates and distributes royalties for the use of your music.
✔ It’s based on official reports submitted annually by radio and TV broadcasters, which are then cross-matched with data from our Monitoring system.
✔ Radio/TV royalty reporting takes place between the July 30th and October 30th payment dates of the year following the broadcast.
📌 Note: the matching process between broadcaster reports and Monitoring data is what determines the royalties you're paid.
3️⃣ Comparison Table
Feature | Monitoring | Reporting |
Objective | Informational (detection) and complementary (calculation) | Operational: calculation and distribution of royalties |
Data Source | Soundreef detection | Official reports from radio/TV stations |
Coverage | Stations monitored by Soundreef | All broadcasters are required to submit usage reports |
Impact on Royalty Calculation | Supports reporting | Crucial for royalty distribution |
Frequency | Daily | Quarterly from the receipt of reports |
❓ FAQ
🔹 If nothing shows up in Monitoring, does it mean that my track won't be reported?
No. Monitoring is an additional tool, not exhaustive for royalty calculation. Your music will still be reported, as long as it is included in the official reports.
🔹 If an airplay isn’t detected in Monitoring, is it missed?
Not at all. Even if an airplay isn’t picked up by the Monitoring system, it will still be reported and paid if it appears in the official broadcaster reports.
🔹 Is Monitoring used to receive royalties?
Monitoring is designed to give you real-time insights into when and where your music is played. However, royalties are calculated through a cross-check between the official reports provided by radio and TV stations and Soundreef’s Monitoring data.
✅ Conclusion
Monitoring and Reporting are complementary.
Monitoring allows you to see where and when your music is broadcast.
Reporting, on the other hand, is the official process that determines the royalties to be received, based on certified data from the stations. If an airplay does not appear in Monitoring, don't worry: it will still be included in the reporting, as it is reported by the stations.