How To Check If Someone Else Registered Your Song on SAMRO
- Anga Hackula
- Feb 15
- 3 min read
If you collaborate with other musicians or work with a publisher, it’s not always clear who has registered what on SAMRO. Many South African musicians only discover issues years later when royalty payments don’t line up with expectations.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to check whether someone else has registered your song on SAMRO, using the official member portal. This is a simple but important habit that can save you major admin problems in the future.
Why This Matters for South African Musicians
When multiple people are involved in creating a song, any one of them can submit a registration to SAMRO. That could be:
A co-writer
A producer
A publisher
A band member
Even when this is done with good intentions, mistakes can happen. Percentages might be wrong, names misspelt, or contributors left out entirely.
Checking registrations ensures:
You are correctly listed as a contributor
Your IPI number is attached to the work
Your ownership share is accurate
You know who submitted the registration
Step 1: Log Into the SAMRO Portal
Open your browser and go to the SAMRO member portal. You can find it by searching for “SAMRO portal” on Google or by using the direct portal address.
Log in using your username and password.
If you are not yet registered with SAMRO, you will need to sign up first. Make sure you are logged into your personal member account, not a publisher account.
Step 2: Confirm Your IPI Number
Once inside the portal, take a moment to confirm your IPI details.
Your IPI number is sometimes referred to as an “IPI name number”. This is the unique number SAMRO uses to identify you as a writer or publisher.
Many musicians struggle to find this number, but it is visible inside your portal profile. Always double-check that this number matches the one used on registrations.
Step 3: Go to “My Music”
In the main menu, click on My Music.
You will see different options for viewing registrations. Most musicians only look at “Own Registrations”, but this is not where you’ll find songs registered by other people.
Step 4: View “Registrations Participated In”
Instead of “Own Registrations”, select Registrations Participated In.
This section shows songs where you are listed as a contributor, but someone else submitted the registration.
This is the key area for checking collaborator or publisher submissions.
Step 5: Filter by Registration Submitter
At the top of the page, look for the filter options.
Find the field labelled Registration Submitter and select Others.
Then click Search.
The system may take a moment to load, depending on how many works are linked to your account.
Step 6: Review the Registration Details
You will now see a list of registrations submitted by other people.
Pay attention to:
The submitter’s name (who registered the song)
The registration date
The source of the form (most will be portal submissions)
The work number and duration
This gives you a clear overview of who registered which songs and when.
How Split Sheets Protect You
While this process helps you check registrations, it does not replace proper documentation.
A split sheet clearly states:
Who owns what percentage of the song
Who the contributors are
When the agreement was made
Having split sheets in place makes SAMRO registrations smoother and prevents disputes later. If you collaborate regularly, this is essential admin, not optional.
You can access a publisher agreement and split sheet template here:
Final Thoughts
Checking registrations on the SAMRO portal is quick, free, and something every South African musician should do.
Don’t assume everything is correct just because someone else handled the admin. Take ownership of your music business.
Until next time,
Skill
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