Four musicians reflect on how APRA AMCOS’ Performance Reporting system is a total “game-changer” for gigging artists.
The APRA AMCOS’ Performance Reporting system is something every gigging musician should have up their sleeve. No matter where you’re performing, every time you play original music at a venue is a potential revenue to earn dollars from your music.
The musicians using this tool to up their gigging game know this better than anyone. Through Performance Reports, they’re able to earn royalties from their music every time they step onto a stage.
APRA AMCOS’ Performance Reports
- Earn royalties from live performances of original music
- More info here
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The beauty of the tool is that it’s as simple as logging a few details – like where, when and what songs were played – into the APRA AMCOS app. You can also log them on the website’s Writer Portal if that’s more your speed.
Regardless of how you log this information, the important thing is to actually do it. Too many APRA AMCOS musicians miss out on the chance to earn money from their work by not submitting Performance Reports.
Below, we chat with four musicians who have been using Performance Reports about what their experiences – and results – have been like.
Performance Reports could be your untapped income
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Agum, an Ugandan-born and Sydney-based artist, is a musician who seeks “to tell my story through captivating melodies and vulnerable, raw storytelling.” For her, music is a means of story.
“It’s my journey, it’s the meditations late at night, or the inner struggles hidden deep inside. It’s my safe place that I hope many can find safety in as they listen and, hopefully then, take a step into my inner world where all emotions are welcome.”
While Agum had been performing music regularly for years, it wasn’t until 2023 that Performance Reporting to her attention. “I did not know anything about how it offers a stream of income to independent artists like myself who regularly perform original songs at different venues and events.”
“I immediately signed up,” Agum continues. “It has completely changed the game for me as an independent artist. Who wouldn’t want to start earning extra money to help make the journey more sustainable?
“I immediately registered my songs, and was glad when I realised that I could put through Performance Reports for the years prior that I had missed out on.”
Malaika Mfalme, a Tanzanian-Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist based on Gadigal Land, had a similar experience in discovering the Performance Reports system.
“I first found out about the performance report system through my bassist, Lunar Martins, who knows all the tips, tricks and hacks of surviving as a working musician – especially as someone who also produces and collects royalties that way.”
“The moment she told me about it, I jumped on board. In this industry, EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS,” he says. “It’s just such a great idea. I hope more music industries around the world use this model.”
“It has genuinely made a huge difference for me”
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The story is similar for many of these musicians. After learning about the Performance Reports system, they realised they had discovered a “total game-changer”, as Malaika puts it.
“It’s one of the few tools that actually helps working musicians get paid properly for the gigs we’re already doing,” he says.
Indie pop band PEPTALK echoes this experience. Consisting of Lara, Jay and Phoebs, PEPTALK describe themselves as “your wholesome friends dishing out unsolicited advice.”
They say that as an independent band, every bit of income coming their way counts. “The Performance Reports system was one of the first tangible ways to get paid for playing our own music.”
Will Henderson, a member of Versace Boys and a Mullumbimby-based musician, speaks to the shock of realising how invaluable the tool is. “It seemed crazy that you automatically get paid just for playing your own tunes,” he says.
“I was lucky to score some big syncs,” Will continues. “APRA AMCOS just kept on giving big old lumps of cash for ages. Some of the years where I was doing over 200 gigs, the Performance Reports helped a heap to get my house deposit.”
For Agum, not only has the revenue generated from the Performance Reports been empowering for her financially, but also artistically and mentally too. “Submitting live Performance Reports has genuinely made a huge difference for me,” she says.
“Before, I did not realise how many of my performances actually held financial value beyond just the opportunity. It reminds me that every time I share my original music, it counts. As I continue to build, every little bit helps, because I now know my music is worth it.”
The “crazy easy” accessibility of the system
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If you think a tool as valuable as this might require you to jump through endless hoops and fill out loads of paperwork, you’re wrong.
Malaika describes the process as “crazy easy”, while PEPTALK say that they’ve been able to report all kinds of shows – “from headline shows and tour supports, to festivals and intimate ‘living room’ gigs.”
“I love that submitting a performance is so straightforward and seamless,” Agum reflects. “I often use my APRA AMCOS app on my phone. It literally takes less than a minute to submit a report, which is absolutely amazing.
“As an independent artist who also has a full time job, I’m often pressed for time and on the move, so the ability to put through Performance Reports on the go is absolutely incredible.”
How Performance Reporting supports emerging artists
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In an economy where cost of living pressures are at a high and artists are struggling with juggling creative practices and finances, earning money from art is an invaluable means of making a living.
PEPTALK has been able to benefit from Performance Reporting both with the music they’ve made for their own band, and also the work they’ve written and produced outside of it. “When songs we’ve co-written with other artists are released or the artist goes on tour, we’ll sometimes get a nice surprise royalty payment.”
Will compares the payments from the system to an “unexpected tax return.” During a period of time when he was “gigging about five times a week, playing all of my original tracks,” Will says his APRA AMCOS payment was “off the charts”. “It made me feel extremely grateful for the system.”
As for Malaika, who realised last year that he hadn’t properly been integrating his Performance Reporting into his workflow, the musician finally sat down to backlog a bunch of gigs. “I ended up getting around $300 in royalties from live performances alone,” he says. “It felt like free money! Just for doing what I love to do. No words – just pure joy.”
“I think it’s such an important support system, especially for independent and emerging artists,” Mailaka says. “When you’re just starting out, seeing royalties land in your account – even small amounts – is so validating.
“I always tell other musicians, whether they’ve been around forever or new to the game, to log their performances. It’s wild how many people don’t know about it. This system is a tangible way to support the artists who need it most.”
For more information about APRA AMCOS’ Performance Reporting, head here.
This article was made in partnership with APRA AMCOS.
