Songwriters who play live are encouraged to submit their APRA AMCOS Performance Reports by 31 July to get paid for their work. Last year, more than $4.5 million in royalties was distributed among the thousands of APRA AMCOS members who took the time to lodge Performance Reports (previously known as Live Performance Returns or LPRs). These funds are a welcome source of revenue for songwriters, who often put their earnings straight back into their careers. Perth artist Ruby Boots (aka Rebecca Chilcott), plays around 100 shows a year, and said that live performance royalties have helped to keep her on the road. “Four or five years ago I was in a bind scrounging around to pull enough money together for a national tour on the back of my second EP,” said Rebecca, who was nominated for Country Work of the Year at this year’s APRA Awards, and recently relocated to Nashville. “Being from Western Australia, the expense of getting a band over to the east coast hikes up the cost of touring in flights alone. That royalty cheque was literally the difference between me having sleepless nights about how I was going to make it happen and helping the tour become a reality.” Along with the financial return, Rebecca said that Performance Report payments also acknowledge theskill, effort and creativity that goes into crafting a song. “Being paid for my work as an artist is a huge nod,” she said. “It’s rewarding having an income stream that comes directly from your work.” To help songwriters submit their reports before the July 31 deadline, APRA AMCOS is holding free workshops around the countrywhere staff will be available to answer Performance Report queries and lend a hand with the online submission process. Full details follow. | 
