How to Invest in Royalty Income - SmartAsset (2024)

How to Invest in Royalty Income - SmartAsset (1)

Investing in royalty income can provide long-term returns to investors seeking to fund retirement or diversify a portfolio beyond stocks and fixed-income securities. Owning rights to royalties provides a steady income that tends to be insulated from fluctuations in the equity and bond markets. Investors can acquire rights to royalty income by purchasing shares of royalty trusts or bidding on royalty auction exchanges. If you’re thinking about investing in royalty income, you may want to speak with a financial advisor first. SmartAsset’s free tool can match you with advisors that serve your area.

Royalty Basics

A royalty is a payment received by the owner of an asset from someone else for the use of the asset. Often the asset consists of intellectual property. For example, the owner of a patent may receive a royalty payment from the manufacturer of a product for each unit made or sold using that patent.

Other examples of royalties from intellectual property include payments for the use of patents, trademarks and copyrighted materials such as books, films or musical compositions. In addition to intellectual properties, oil and gas and mining leases generate royalties paid for the use of natural resources.

Royalty income is considered passive income by the Internal Revenue Service. This means it is generally taxed at capital gains rates, which are usually lower than the rates paid by individuals for earned income such as wages and salaries.

Types of Royalty Income

There are many different sources of royalties. Here are some of the most common types.

  • Oil and gas landowners who retain the mineral rights can receive royalties consisting of a percentage of the value of energy resources extracted from their property.
  • Owners of land with mineral resources such as gold, silver and valuable metals are paid royalties for any minerals removed through mining.
  • An inventor receives royalty payments for licensing the use of the patent to makers of products using the patent.
  • Owners of valuable trademarks can receive royalties for licensing the use of their logos and brand names.
  • Composers of songs can get royalty payments for each time the composition is publicly performed, streamed, downloaded, played on the radio, used for a film or TV score or sold as a CD or record.
  • Movies and TV writers, directors, producers, performers and others who have copyrights to films and TV shows are entitled to residuals, as royalties are known in Hollywood, any time the show is streamed, played or sold on a DVD or other media.
  • Publishers typically pay authors or other copyright holders a royalty consisting of the percentage of the sale price for each copy of a book sold in hardcover, paperback, electronic or audio formats.
  • Business funding. Investors who provide money to new businesses may be repaid by royalties on revenues from products or services sold by the business.

Investors who receive royalty income will get the payments as long as a copyright, patent, trademark, mine, oil well or other source is generating income. This makes royalties a potential source of long-term and relatively stable income. About the only significant risk associated with investing in royalty income is the potential opportunity cost of better returns from having invested in riskier assets. Sometimes royalties can increase sharply, as when a song gets used in the soundtrack to a popular movie or there is a big rise in energy prices.

Investing in Royalty Trusts

How to Invest in Royalty Income - SmartAsset (2)

The easiest way to invest for royalty income is by purchasing shares of a royalty trust. These are publicly traded corporations that acquire ownership of rights to leases and deposits of oil, gas and minerals. The income generated from royalties is distributed to shareholders as dividends.

Royalty trusts that distribute 90% of their income as dividends escape the double taxation that burdens most corporations. Instead, investors in royalty trust shares pay taxes on the dividends at their personal rates. Owners of mines and wells can deduct as business expenses costs of operating their property.

Royalty trusts don’t actually do any mining or drilling. That part of the business is handled by another company. They allow investors to participate in the energy and mining industries without owning mines or wells.

Investing in Royalties Through Auction Sites

Royalty auctions offer another opportunity to invest in royalty income. A number of sites conduct online auctions of royalties for music, minerals and many other types.

Songvest, for example, focuses on music royalties. Investors can purchase fractional shares of the royalty streams from popular songs. EnergyNet lets bidders purchase royalty interests in oil wells, gas wells, logging operations and more. Royalty Exchange auctions rights to royalties on a wide range of properties, including music, movies, TV shows, oil, gas and many others.

Bottom Line

How to Invest in Royalty Income - SmartAsset (3)

Royalties can provide steady, stable, long-term income to investors. Royalties are generated by many types of assets, including musical compositions, oil wells, gold mines, books, movies and TV shows. As passive income, royalties are taxed at lower rates than wages and salaries. Investors can invest in royalty income through auction sites and royalty income trusts.

Investing Tips

  • A financial advisor can help you invest in royalty income as part of an overall investment strategy.Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
  • When it comes to investing, it’s a good idea to be prepared. SmartAsset has you covered with a number of free online resources that can help. Try using our free investment calculator today.

Photo credit: ©iStock.com/JNemchinova, ©iStock.com/RomoloTavani, ©iStock.com/Olivier Le Moal

Mark Henricks Mark Henricks has reported on personal finance, investing, retirement, entrepreneurship and other topics for more than 30 years. His freelance byline has appeared on CNBC.com and in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and other leading publications. Mark has written books including, “Not Just A Living: The Complete Guide to Creating a Business That Gives You A Life.” His favorite reporting is the kind that helps ordinary people increase their personal wealth and life satisfaction. A graduate of the University of Texas journalism program, he lives in Austin, Texas. In his spare time he enjoys reading, volunteering, performing in an acoustic music duo, whitewater kayaking, wilderness backpacking and competing in triathlons.

How to Invest in Royalty Income - SmartAsset (2024)

FAQs

How to Invest in Royalty Income - SmartAsset? ›

The easiest way to invest for royalty income is by purchasing shares of a royalty trust. These are publicly traded corporations that acquire ownership of rights to leases and deposits of oil, gas and minerals. The income generated from royalties is distributed to shareholders as dividends.

Are royalty stocks a good investment? ›

Firstly, they typically offer higher yields than traditional stocks. Secondly, these trusts often pay dividends more frequently, providing investors with a steady stream of income. Thirdly, royalty income trusts offer some tax advantages because the IRS doesn't recognize their dividends distributions as taxable events.

How to generate passive income from $100,000? ›

How to Invest 100k for Passive Income
  1. Invest in Stocks.
  2. Invest In P2P Lending.
  3. ETFs and Mutual Funds.
  4. Annuities.
  5. Emergency Funds.
  6. Invest Through a Robo Advisor.
  7. High Yield Savings Account.
  8. Invest in Cryptocurrencies.

What stocks pay royalties? ›

Royalty Payment Stocks List
SymbolGradeName
CRTACross Timbers Royalty Trust
STRBSitio Royalties Corp.
DMLPBDorchester Minerals, L.P. -
SBRCSabine Royalty Trust
6 more rows

How much monthly income will 100k generate? ›

A $100,000 annuity would pay you approximately $508 each month for the rest of your life if you purchased the annuity at age 60 and began taking payments immediately.

How do I invest in royalty income? ›

The easiest way to invest for royalty income is by purchasing shares of a royalty trust. These are publicly traded corporations that acquire ownership of rights to leases and deposits of oil, gas and minerals. The income generated from royalties is distributed to shareholders as dividends.

Is a royalty better than equity? ›

The main difference between royalties vs. equity is that with equity financing, you are selling a portion of your company for cash, while with royalty financing, you are selling the rights to future revenue from your product or service.

How to turn $100 K into $1 million in 5 years? ›

Consider investing in rental properties or real estate investment trusts (REIT). The real estate market is a fertile setting for a $100k investment to yield $1 million. And it's possible for this to happen between 5 to 10 years. You can achieve this if you continue to add new properties to your portfolio.

How to passively make $2,000 a month? ›

Wrapping up ways to make $2,000/month in passive income
  1. Try out affiliate marketing.
  2. Sell an online course.
  3. Monetize a blog with Google Adsense.
  4. Become an influencer.
  5. Write and sell e-books.
  6. Freelance on websites like Upwork.
  7. Start an e-commerce store.
  8. Get paid to complete surveys.

How to make $50,000 a year passive income? ›

5 Ways To Make $50,000 a Year in Passive Income
  1. Buy a Rental Property Online. ...
  2. Launch Your Own Mini-Fleet of Rental Cars. ...
  3. Stake Cryptocurrency. ...
  4. Buy a Blog. ...
  5. Buy Into a 'Goldilocks' Dividend Stock Fund.
Apr 24, 2023

Is 10% royalties good? ›

Generally, the standard royalty rates for authors is under 10% for traditional publishing and up to 70% with self-publishing. That's right.

What is the number 1 rule of stocks? ›

1 – Never lose money. Let's kick it off with some timeless advice from legendary investor Warren Buffett, who said “Rule No. 1 is never lose money.

How do royalty investments work? ›

Royalty financing is a type of investment where the business gets money based on future revenue. It's similar to an advance on a paycheck. The investors get their money back through royalties that are a percentage of the company's revenue.

Can I retire at 60 with 500k? ›

The quick answer is “yes”! With some planning, you can retire at 60 with $500k. Remember, however, that your lifestyle will significantly affect how long your savings will last.

How much does a $300000 annuity pay per month? ›

How Much Does A $300,000 Annuity Pay Per Month? A $300,000 annuity would pay you approximately $1,314 each month for the rest of your life if you purchased the annuity at age 60 and began taking payments immediately.

Can I live off the interest of $100000? ›

Interest on $100,000

Even with a well-diversified portfolio and minimal living expenses, this amount is not high enough to provide for most people. Investing this amount in a low-risk investment like a savings account with a rate between 2% to 2.50% of interest each year would return $2,000 to $2,500.

Is royalty income a portfolio? ›

Royalties received from investment property also are considered portfolio income sources. It is one of three main categories of income. The others are active income and passive income. Most portfolio income gets favorable tax treatment.

Can you profit from royalty-free? ›

Royalty-free music simply refers to a single license giving you permission to use a track. This means artists can earn money from selling royalty-free licenses. But they can also earn royalties in other ways from the same songs.

Are royalties taxed as capital gains? ›

If you are purchasing the property itself and not just the license, it is considered an asset and must be amortized over time. If you sell your royalty interest, it will likely be considered a capital gain and thus subject to capital gains tax.

What is the disadvantage of royalty income? ›

2. The Cons of Royalty Financing
  • The cost of capital can be high. ...
  • There is no guarantee of success. ...
  • The business may have to give up equity. ...
  • The terms of the agreement can be inflexible. ...
  • There can be a negative impact on valuation. ...
  • The business may become reliant on royalties.
Mar 18, 2023

What is the best royalty rate? ›

It depends on you how you value your work, and what you feel customers want to pay. For physical products, we generally recommend royalties between 10% and 15% with an average around 12%.

How long does a royalty last? ›

The payment is made by the publisher/distributor and corresponds to the agreement (license) between the writer and the publisher/distributor as with other music royalties. The agreement is typically non-exclusive to the publisher and the term may vary from 3–5 years.

How to make $10 million in 10 years? ›

Bottom Line:
  1. Keep it simple.
  2. Invest $540,000 per year, every year, for 10 years.
  3. Invest for Growth.
  4. Invest with Conviction.
  5. Use market volatility to your advantage.
  6. Get started right away. On your own or with a professional advisor by your side.
Mar 17, 2022

Can $1 million last 30 years? ›

Assuming you will need $40,000 per year to cover your basic living expenses, your $1 million would last for 25 years if there was no inflation. However, if inflation averaged 3% per year, your $1 million would only last for 20 years.

Can $1 million last 20 years? ›

A recent analysis determined that a $1 million retirement nest egg may only last about 20 years depending on what state you live in. Based on this, if you retire at age 65 and live until you turn 84, $1 million will probably be enough retirement savings for you.

Can one person live off of $1000 a month? ›

Bottom Line. Living on $1,000 per month is a challenge. From the high costs of housing, transportation and food, plus trying to keep your bills to a minimum, it would be difficult for anyone living alone to make this work. But with some creativity, roommates and strategy, you might be able to pull it off.

How to make $10,000 a month side hustle? ›

How to Make 10k a Month [11 Ways]
  1. Start Dropshipping with Shopify. Have you ever heard about dropshipping? ...
  2. Offer Freelance Writing Services. ...
  3. Start a Bookkeeping Business. ...
  4. Open a Custom Pins Shop Online. ...
  5. Start Affiliate Marketing with Clickbank. ...
  6. Start a Blog. ...
  7. Sell T-Shirts through Tee Spring. ...
  8. Start a Web Development Business.
Apr 26, 2023

What's 50 000 a year hourly? ›

Takeaway. $50,000 per year is approximately $24.04 per hour, but it's not as simple as it may seem to convert annual salary to hourly pay. Information is accurate as of Feb.

How much money do you need to retire with $200000 a year income? ›

Using the 4% retirement rule as a starting point, if you want $200,000 per year in retirement by age 65, you will need $5 million saved up.

How much passive income is enough to retire? ›

Most experts say that you should plan on earning 70 to 90 percent of your current income. For example, let us say you will earn $70,000 per year before retiring. In that case, plan on earning between $49,000 to $63,000 per year from retirement savings and Social Security.

What is 5% royalty? ›

Royalty percentages: In most licensing agreements, the royalty rate is a percentage. So, if the royalty rate is 5%, then, for the duration of the licensing agreement, the licensee must pay the licensor 5% of the net of gross revenue generated by the intellectual property.

What is the 25 percent rule royalties? ›

The 25% rule also refers to a technique for determining royalties, which stipulates that a party selling a product or service based on another party's intellectual property must pay that party a royalty of 25% of the gross profit made from the sale, before taxes.

What is a fair royalty rate? ›

In most cases, licensors prefer a royalty rate that falls within 25% to 75% range of the sublicensing income. Their stake usually amounts to more than half of all profits. In rare cases, the licensee can negotiate a rate split and apply their own royalty obligation to the sale of sub-licensed products.

What is the 4 rule investing? ›

What is the 4% rule for retirement? The 4% rule states that you should be able to comfortably live off of 4% of your money in investments in your first year of retirement, then slightly increase or decrease that amount to account for inflation each subsequent year.

What is the 4% rule stock? ›

How the 4% Rule Works. The 4% rule is easy to follow. In the first year of retirement, you can withdraw up to 4% of your portfolio's value. If you have $1 million saved for retirement, for example, you could spend $40,000 in the first year of retirement following the 4% rule.

What is the 5 dollar stock rule? ›

When stocks cross the $5 barrier in a bearish manner and institutions sell, the market is flooded with shares and the price is driven down. When a stock rises over that $5 threshold, institutions and hedge funds can, and sometimes do, load up on shares which in turn drives the price higher.

What is an example of a royalty income? ›

An example of royalties would be payments received by musicians when their original songs are played on the radio or television, used in movies, performed at concerts, bars, and restaurants, or consumed via streaming services.

Is royalty income passive or portfolio? ›

ROYALTY INCOME IS PASSIVE INCOME FOR PURPOSES OF CALCULATING FTC. American Air Liquide Inc., et al. v. Comm.

Can you make money with royalty exchange? ›

With Royalty Exchange, artists sell all or some of their royalty streams of income for several years. Investors pay an upfront price for the royalties, but receive passive income for several years.

Are royalties profitable? ›

Royalties can be a profitable -- and beneficial -- business

Royalties can be profitable for both parties. For those granting the rights, it allows them to earn passive income and benefit from their invention, property, or ownership.

Are royalty deals better? ›

Royalty financing comes with a lower risk of default because the payments are much more flexible. If the company does default, the investors get paid back before those with a stake in the business. Investors are guaranteed a certain amount of profit with royalty financing.

How much can you make from royalties? ›

Total royalties owed to a songwriter can account for up to $. 09 per reproduction or sale of a song and up to . 02 per stream of a song. Mechanical royalties are owed to the composers (including the songwriters) and publisher of a musical work each time a song is sold (50% for the composer and 50% for the publisher).

What is the minimum investment in the Royalty Exchange? ›

At Royalty Exchange, you can make USD-denominated investments starting from $0. You can also buy and sell loans on a secondary market.

Is royalty income taxable? ›

Royalties. Royalties from copyrights, patents, and oil, gas and mineral properties are taxable as ordinary income. You generally report royalties in Part I of Schedule E (Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR), Supplemental Income and Loss.

What are the benefits of investing in royalties? ›

Typically, an investor may receive a regular monthly or quarterly payment based on a company's sales. These types of investments are considered less risky than traditional stocks because they are not dependent on the stock market or interest rates. Also, royalty investments add diversity to a portfolio.

Are royalties paid forever? ›

Royalties through self-publishing will pay for forever, or however long your book is listed for sale. You're making money off every book sold, so as long as people are still buying your books, you will still be getting a cut from those sales.

How long can royalties last? ›

For artists in the US, the copyright protection of a song lasts for the lifetime of the copyright holder and an additional 70 years after their demise. This law applies to all bodies of works that have been published since 1978. The payment on these royalties also lasts for the duration of the copyright protection.

What is the 25% royalty rule? ›

The 25% rule also refers to a technique for determining royalties, which stipulates that a party selling a product or service based on another party's intellectual property must pay that party a royalty of 25% of the gross profit made from the sale, before taxes.

What is a good royalty percentage? ›

In most cases, licensors prefer a royalty rate that falls within 25% to 75% range of the sublicensing income. Their stake usually amounts to more than half of all profits. In rare cases, the licensee can negotiate a rate split and apply their own royalty obligation to the sale of sub-licensed products.

How often should royalties be paid? ›

Published authors receive both advances and future royalties income based on book sales. Once books are sold, the book royalties are payable, then paid once or twice a year, according to the publisher, Penguin books.

Are royalties the same as dividends? ›

Royalty income is recognised on an accruals basis. Dividends are recognised when the shareholder's right to receive payment is established. See Insight box in Sale of goods for detail of proposed revenue recognition changes.

Who makes the most royalty money? ›

Let's take a look at the ten celebrities who earn millions of dollars as backend royalties from their shows.
  • 8 Ray Romano.
  • 7 Kelsey Grammer.
  • 6 Edie Falco.
  • 5 Betty White.
  • 4 David Hasselhoff.
  • 3 George Clooney.
  • 2 Ted Danson.
  • 1 Jim Parsons.
Sep 27, 2021

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