AMA is a public music distributor run by Argentina’s National Music Institute (INAMU): it charges nothing upfront and keeps 15 percent of what your recordings earn.
INAMU, the Instituto Nacional de la Música created by Law 26.801, presented AMA on 12 September 2023. The same artist registry that unlocks AMA also gates INAMU’s grant money, and the 2026 Annual Funding Call is open from 1 to 15 October.
How AMA pays
The terms sit in AMA’s FAQ and its distribution terms:
- Commission: 15 percent, taken only from earnings. The other 85 percent follows a per-recording split set by the master owner.
- Cycle: three settlements a year, in April, August and December. AMA notes that stores pay about 90 days in arrears, so a new release can miss its first settlement.
- Currency: balances of US$5 or more are paid in pesos, to a CBU or CVU (Argentina’s bank and fintech account keys), at the official exchange rate on settlement day.
- Codes: a free UPC (the release barcode), plus an ISRC with an “AR” prefix if you have none. ISRC means International Standard Recording Code, a recording’s permanent ID.
- Exit: no minimum term; leaving takes 30 days’ written notice.
The Central Bank’s wholesale reference rate was 1,517 pesos per dollar on 30 September 2026.
With your consent, AMA also files independent releases in the Banco Nacional de Música Independiente, which stations use to meet Article 65 of Law 26.522: at least 30 percent national music on private radio, half of it independently produced.
What AMA will not distribute
Getting in takes three steps: register with INAMU, own the master as its phonographic producer, and obtain a one-time distribution code. Codes come from INAMU trainings, provincial culture offices and musicians’ groups. INAMU lists one code-issuing call so far in 2026, a Zoom session on 27 May.
AMA refuses:
- recordings made with generative AI;
- samples, remixes and mash-ups, unless you own every recording involved;
- sounds or loops downloaded from libraries, unless you hold an exclusive authorisation;
- sound-alikes, DJ mixes, and generic mood compilations for sleep, yoga or workouts;
- covers that alter lyrics or melody without a licence.
The loop rule is the one that bites. Commercial loop packs are sold to everyone who buys them, so their licences are non-exclusive by design. A beat built on one fails, even when the pack’s licence allows release.
The grant behind the same registry
INAMU runs on a fixed share of Argentina’s audiovisual tax: Article 97(g) of Law 26.522 assigns it 2 percent of receipts. Javier Milei’s government tried to eliminate the institute early on, then backed off; in July 2025 the Economy Ministry approved its 2025 budget through Resolution 1009/2025, Franco Giumarra reported for Mosca.
The 2026 call’s bases and conditions commit 284.6 million pesos, about US$188,000:
- 258 regional grants of 700,000 pesos (about US$461), 43 for each of six regions;
- 60 national grants of 1.4 million pesos (about US$923);
- 20 grants of 1 million pesos for registered choirs.
The rules that change the maths
- Only projects declared in the registry before 1 October can apply; registration closed on 30 September.
- Anyone funded in an INAMU call during 2025 or 2026 is excluded.
- Beneficiaries cannot invoice themselves or their band: a recording grant pays guest musicians, engineers, studios and mastering, not you.
- Every peso must be accounted for within 240 days, plus a mandatory non-cash social action such as a hospital concert.
- Results come within 120 days; winners then have seven days to send bank details or lose the grant.
What to do with this
- If you are registered: apply by 15 October, and budget the recording line as third-party costs only.
- If you are moving catalogue to AMA: audit every track for library loops and samples first, then use AMA’s overlap method: identical metadata and audio, about 20 days live on both, then take down the old copy. Our guide to switching distributors covers the order.
- If you need dollar payouts or sample-based releases: AMA’s rules do not fit. Compare commission, payout currency, settlement frequency, threshold and content policy across any distributor, InterSpace Distribution included.
Related: how Argentina’s SADAIC lost its legal monopoly, and how Brazil’s music editais pay for recordings.
