AMCOS receives an annual distribution from Screenrights. Screenrights is the copyright collecting society approved by the Government to collect royalties from educational and technical colleges (TAFEs) when they copy from television or radio, under provisions in the Australian Copyright Act.

Each year Screenrights sends details of all copied programme titles to APRA. APRA identifies the musical works contained in these programmes and the relevant copyright owner. Screenrights then notifies APRA of the amount of money that has been allocated to musical works in total and APRA allocates the money among each of the individual musical works according to its internationally recognised scheme of allocation. This scheme takes into account factors such as the duration of the musical works and its placement in the programme (ie whether it is a featured piece or background only) in determining the allocation.

Where the local copyright owner is a member of AMCOS payment is made to AMCOS. Distribution of these monies by AMCOS is usually made within six months after the end of the financial year ie by 31st December each year.