If you use a sample covered by a WAVS Royalty License, clearance is required when any one of these happens: your track exceeds 1 million streams, is distributed by a major label, or is licensed for sync or master use.
Independent releases that exceed 1M streams
If your track is not major-label distributed and has not triggered clearance through a third-party synchronization or master-use license, royalties apply prospectively once it exceeds 1,000,000 cumulative streams across Apple Music, Spotify or YouTube. They are not backdated to the first million streams.
Delaying clearance does not delay when royalties start. For example, if the track reaches 10M streams before you clear it, royalties are calculated on the 9M streams beyond the threshold, provided no other clearance trigger applied earlier.
Major-label releases
A major-label distributed release triggers royalty obligations from the outset, including the first stream. There is no minimum stream count.
Synchronization and master-use licenses
A qualifying third-party synchronization or master-use license triggers obligations independently of stream count, including royalties on the license fee. You cannot wait until the track reaches 1M streams if this trigger already applies.
Does this also apply to songwriting?
Yes. The same timing applies to the Creator’s Songwriting Split and the Creator’s Share of master-recording earnings.
This article explains the existing terms; it does not change the applicable license or Terms & Conditions.