"It's honestly super straightforward": Three of Sydney's hardest gigging acts spill their scandalous Performance Report secrets!

This post was produced as a paid collaboration with APRA AMCOS, which helps us keep SydneyMusic running as well as helping performers earn a living.

Admin. Nobody really loves doing it, but for certain kinds — whether it's tax returns or work expenses — it all feels worth it when it results in delicious, food-purchasing, shelter-securing dollars landing in your bank account. (Say it with us: landlords don't accept exposure as rent payment!)

Performance Reporting is squarely in that category. In Australia, if you're an APRA AMCOS member, your fee isn't the only money you can make from playing a show. You can also collect performance royalties from APRA AMCOS for playing your own music live.

In January this year we totted up all the gig data we had from our first full year of operation and found some familiar names that had showed up again and again on posters, in the weekly playlist, and of course, on the guide. We dubbed them our Hardest Gigging Bands, put them in a playlist, and hailed their work ethic — and now we're grilling a few of them on their admin habits.

If you're the type to punch in your setlists the morning after, props to you. But if you're one of the many folks who tend to leave performance reporting in the too-hard, too-scary, too-spreadsheety basket, we have two pieces of good news. The first is that you're not alone: even some of Sydney's hardest-gigging acts will admit to leaving that extra cash on the table sometimes. The second is that it's actually easier than ever, and you get paid faster. A few years ago, APRA launched an app that streamlines the reporting process, and can even remember your setlists for you so you don't have to punch them in again every time - you can also register songs, update your member details or browse APRA AMCOS FAQs.

And the payouts are made at the end of every quarter, so you see your hard-earned cash sooner.

Below, read how three of Sydney's busiest acts — Maia Toakley, Yasmina Sadiki, and Doctor Robot (From The Year 9000000) — get it done.

MAIA TOAKLEY

2023 gig count: at least 15

When did you first find out you could get paid for performing your own songs?

I didn't know much about the industry when I first started but performance royalties were actually something in the beginning my dad would not stop pestering me about. I didn't believe him at first!

Are you a right-after-every-gig submitter or a batch-at-the-end-of-the-quarter kind?

It's genuinely one of my favourite admin tasks haha — I find it so satisfying to save up a batch and do lots at once!

Are you comfortable sharing how much you nabbed from your live performance royalties in 2023?

$528!

Any tips or hacks that have made PRs even easier?

It's honestly super straightforward but one simple hack is instead of reentering your setlists every time, APRA lets you select a previously saved setlist.

YASMINA SADIKI

2023 gig count: at least 18

When/how did you first find out you could get paid for performing your own songs?

I found out about Performance Reports when I signed up to APRA AMCOS. But in saying that, I also don't really understand them, because in the past, I have filled out Performance Reports, but they weren’t very easy to understand, I suppose, in terms of how it actually works. Every now and again, I'll get, like, $16 sent from royalties? But I'm unsure if any of that actually comes from performance royalties. [APRA AMCOS helpfully let us know that: "[m]embers can view their royalty sources in the desktop Portal. This splits it out between live performance royalties, social media, digital downloads etc. It’s not yet available in the App but we’re continually making improvements!"]

I'm actually really bad with them. It's also quite difficult, because a lot of my performance is improvised… Somebody did let me know that when I do these Performance Reports, I should label them ‘Improvisation 1’, ‘Improvisation 2’, because, you know, technically, they are my words and they're my songs, regardless of if they've been recorded previously or not! But that's a bit of an obstacle I faced with the performance reports. That may be why I never see much from them as well. [APRA AMCOS confirmed that "improvised works can be included in Performance Reports, as long as they are registered with APRA AMCOS".]

So when you do get to them, are you a right-after-every-gig submitter or a batch-at-the-end-of-the-quarter kind?

I would say every now and again… It is a little bit of a process for me, just because  I'm performing so frequently, it's honestly the last thing on my mind. I'm more focused on just getting paid [by] the venue or the event or something.

Are you comfortable sharing how much you nabbed from your live performance royalties in 2023?

It was actually quite recently, it was approximately $16.72. I always have a really crazy cent amount, like, it's only like 74 cents.

Not to sound like a teacher, but it sounds like you could be doing more with your Performance Report so that you might be able to get more this year.

Oh, definitely, yes. Every now and again, I'll just be refreshed and be like, ‘Oh, I need to do that, and I need to do that’ — or oftentimes people will actually remind me. I manage myself, so I think that's also another reason why it's always, like, on the back burner, there's always a million things I have to deal with. 

DOCTOR ROBOT (FROM THE YEAR 9000000)

2023 gig count: at least 22

When/how did you first find out you could get paid for performing your own songs?

I performed for years without knowing that I could join APRA AMCOS so easily! From 2015 to 2020 I played countless shows without ever knowing. I thought it was just something for professional musicians that compose for film/TV or are signed to a major label or something. Then a friend told me that it was easy, free money so I signed up straight away.

Are you a right-after-every-gig submitter or a batch-at-the-end-of-the-quarter kind?

I usually do it the day after. I love submitting them and watching the submissions list build up.

Are you comfortable sharing how much you nabbed from your live performance royalties in 2023? Or just if those earnings went to anything in particular?

Pretty much exactly $1000.

Any tips or hacks that have made PRs even easier?

Pre-save your setlists! It makes the process much easier! I've also had shows at warehouses and public spaces where I was surprised to find that they were listed as venues on APRA AMCOS and I was able to create a PR [for that show], so always check! [APRA AMCOS: "Even if the venue name doesn’t show up in the Performance Report submission form, you can still enter the venue name manually and you’ll get paid for live performance royalties. Note that private performances like weddings or corporate events aren’t eligible."]

Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity and brevity.