Songwriter's Guide To Understanding Music Publishing
Updated: Oct 3
You wrote the song.
Maybe you also recorded it, produced it, uploaded it to Spotify, and released it under your own name.
So you own everything and you're getting all the money you're supposed to get.
Right?
Not necessarily.
One of the most confusing parts of the music business is that a song and a recording of that song are legally and financially two different things.
That distinction is the beginning of understanding music publishing.
Music publishing is the business of managing, protecting, licensing, and collecting money from the composition of a song: its lyrics, melody, and underlying musical work.
If you're a songwriter, composer, producer who receives writing credit, or independent artist writing your own music, publishing can determine whether you're collecting all of the money your songs generate.
And there can be more money floating around than the payment you see from your distributor.
Let's break this thing down.
What Is Music Publishing?
Music publishing is the part of the music industry concerned with the rights and income connected to musical compositions.
The word publishing throws a lot of new artists off because we're used to hearing it in connection with books, magazines, and websites.
Nobody is necessarily printing your song in a book.
In music, publishing deals with the intellectual property contained in the song itself.
That includes things like:
Melody
Lyrics
Musical composition
Songwriting ownership
Licensing of the composition
Royalties generated when that composition is used
If you write a song, you've created an asset.
When that song is streamed, performed, reproduced, recorded by someone else, played publicly, or used in visual media, different rights and different types of money can come into play.
Music publishing is the machinery built around managing those rights and collecting that money.
What Is the Difference Between a Song and a Master Recording?
This is probably the most important concept in this entire article.
When you write and record an original song, you can create two separate copyrights:
The Composition
The composition is the underlying song.
Think:
lyrics + melody + musical work
That's the side music publishing deals with.
The Sound Recording
The sound recording, commonly called the master, is the particular recorded version of that composition.
Think:
the actual audio recording people hear
Here's an easy example.
Suppose you write a song called Purple Spaceship.
You write the lyrics and melody and then record your own version.
You now have the underlying composition, Purple Spaceship, and a sound recording of Purple Spaceship.
Then another artist records a cover.
Their recording is a different master.
But it's still your composition.
That's why one song can produce several recordings while the underlying songwriting rights remain connected to the original writers and publishers.
What Is the Difference Between Songwriting and Publishing?
Songwriting is the creation of the song.
Publishing is what happens to the rights and money connected to that song after it exists.
A songwriter creates the composition.
Music publishing helps manage that composition commercially.
That can involve registering songs, tracking ownership, licensing uses, collecting royalties, pitching songs, handling paperwork, and making sure the right people get paid.
And yes, you can be both.
A songwriter can manage their own publishing rather than signing with a traditional publishing company.
This is commonly called self-publishing.
What Does a Music Publisher Actually Do?
A music publisher's job can vary considerably depending on the company and the type of publishing agreement.
Traditionally, publishers help songwriters turn compositions into income.
They may:
Register songs with rights organizations
Administer song ownership information
Collect publishing royalties
License compositions
Track where songs are being used
Collect money internationally
Pitch songs to artists
Seek film, television, commercial, and game placements
Connect writers with collaborators
Help manage catalogs
Negotiate certain licensing opportunities
Some publishers are heavily involved in developing songwriters and creating opportunities.
Others mainly perform administrative work.
That's why music publisher and publishing administrator don't always mean the same thing.
We'll get to that.
What Are Music Publishing Royalties?
Publishing royalties are payments generated by the composition, rather than simply the master recording.
The major categories songwriters should understand are:
Performance Royalties
Generated when a composition is publicly performed or transmitted.
Mechanical Royalties
Generated when a composition is reproduced, including many physical and digital uses.
Synchronization Income
Generated when permission is granted to synchronize the composition with visual media.
Depending on where and how your music is used, several types of royalties can potentially be generated from the same song.
This is one reason musicians sometimes believe streaming services aren't paying them everything.
Their distributor may actually be paying exactly what the distributor is responsible for collecting.
The missing piece may be sitting somewhere else in the royalty chain.
What Are Performance Royalties?
Performance royalties are generated when a composition is publicly performed or transmitted.
Examples can include:
Radio airplay
Television broadcasts
Certain streaming activity
Live performances
Music played in venues
Music played in businesses
Other qualifying public performances
In the United States, Performing Rights Organizations, usually shortened to PROs, play an important role in collecting these royalties for songwriters and publishers.
You've probably heard of organizations such as ASCAP and BMI.
If you've been making music for a while without understanding what those names actually meant, welcome to the club.
What Are Mechanical Royalties?
Mechanical royalties are generated when a composition is reproduced.
Once upon a time, the word mechanical made more intuitive sense because music was being physically manufactured onto things.
Records. CDs. Tapes.
The terminology survived the transition to digital music.
Today, mechanical royalties can also be generated by eligible digital uses, including interactive streams and downloads.
So when somebody streams a song you wrote, that stream can involve more than one royalty stream.
There may be money connected to the recording and money connected to the underlying composition.
They don't necessarily travel through the same pipeline.
What Are Sync Royalties?
Sync, short for synchronization, happens when music is synchronized with visual media.
Think:
Movies
Television shows
Commercials
Video games
Trailers
Online video
Other visual productions
If someone wants to use an existing recording in a movie, they may need permission for both the composition and the master recording.
That's another reason understanding the two copyrights matters.
There can essentially be two doors to unlock.
One belongs to the song.
The other belongs to the recording.
Sync can be especially valuable because licensing terms are generally negotiated for the specific use rather than functioning exactly like a standard stream payout.
What Is the Writer's Share and Publisher's Share?
Performance income associated with a composition is commonly discussed as having two halves:
The writer's share
and
the publisher's share.
The writer's share belongs to the songwriter.
The publisher's share belongs to whoever controls the publishing portion of that composition.
If you're self-published, that publisher may effectively be you or a publishing entity you create.
This distinction is important because simply joining a PRO as a songwriter doesn't automatically mean that every type of publishing royalty from every source is now being collected for you.
Music rights organizations perform different jobs.
That's where things start getting confusing.
What Is a Performing Rights Organization?
A Performing Rights Organization, or PRO, helps collect and distribute performance royalties for songwriters and publishers.
In the United States, familiar names include:
ASCAP
BMI
SESAC
Global Music Rights
These organizations license public performances of compositions and distribute eligible royalties to their members or affiliates.
Other countries and territories have their own rights organizations.
If your music earns money internationally, global collection can become significantly more complicated.
That's one reason publishers and publishing administrators can be useful.
Is ASCAP or BMI a Music Publisher?
No.
This is one of the easiest distinctions to blur when you're new to music publishing.
ASCAP and BMI are Performing Rights Organizations, not traditional music publishers.
Their job centers on performance rights.
A publisher can perform a much broader range of services involving administration, licensing, royalty collection, song pitching, catalog management, and creative development.
Joining a PRO and signing with a publisher are not the same thing.
Likewise, joining a PRO doesn't necessarily mean you've created a traditional publishing deal.
What Is The MLC?
If you're an independent songwriter in the United States, another name worth knowing is The Mechanical Licensing Collective, or The MLC.
The MLC administers blanket mechanical licensing for eligible digital music services in the United States and distributes corresponding mechanical royalties.
That makes it especially relevant to self-administered songwriters and publishers trying to make sure their works are properly registered and their digital mechanical royalties are being collected.
Your PRO and The MLC aren't doing exactly the same job.
Think of the music royalty system less like one giant cash register and more like several cash registers sitting in different rooms.
Your job is making sure you've got somebody collecting from the rooms where your money is landing.
Do Independent Artists Need Music Publishing?
If you write your own songs, you have publishing rights whether you're signed to a major company or releasing music from your bedroom.
The better question is:
Who is administering those rights?
Independent artists generally have several possibilities.
You can:
Handle parts of your publishing yourself
Establish your own publishing entity
Use a publishing administrator
Sign with an independent publisher
Enter a co-publishing arrangement
Eventually sign with a major publisher
You don't need a giant publishing company simply because you wrote a song.
But you should understand where your songwriting royalties go and which organizations are responsible for collecting them.
That's the part that can cost independent musicians money when it gets ignored.
Is DistroKid a Music Publisher?
This answer has changed over time, so older articles and forum discussions can be confusing.
DistroKid's basic distribution service and DistroKid Publishing are separate things.
Ordinary DistroKid distribution delivers recordings to digital platforms and collects eligible recording income.
DistroKid now also offers a publishing administration service for qualifying songwriters.
Through DistroKid Publishing, the company can act as a publishing administrator, registering eligible works and collecting certain composition royalties while the songwriter retains ownership of the copyright.
So:
DistroKid distribution = master/recording side
DistroKid Publishing = composition/publishing administration side
Signing up for ordinary music distribution by itself does not magically administer all of your publishing.
That distinction is extremely important.
What Is a Publishing Administrator?
A publishing administrator handles much of the boring-but-important machinery surrounding a songwriter's catalog.
That can include:
Song registration
Royalty collection
Registration with collection organizations
International administration
Catalog data
Tracking composition income
The big attraction is ownership.
With many administration agreements, the songwriter keeps ownership of the composition while allowing another company to administer it in exchange for a fee or percentage.
That differs from some traditional publishing arrangements where ownership interests may be transferred or shared.
Services and contract terms vary, so always read the actual agreement.
What Are the Different Types of Music Publishing Deals?
Publishing contracts aren't all built the same way.
Here are some of the most common structures.
Traditional or Full Publishing Deal
In a traditional publishing arrangement, the publisher may acquire or control a substantial interest in the composition rights covered by the agreement.
In exchange, the publisher provides publishing services and shares income according to the contract.
Co-Publishing Deal
A co-publishing agreement allows the songwriter and publisher to share ownership or control of the publishing interest according to the deal terms.
These deals are common enough that you'll frequently hear the term once you start digging into professional songwriting.
Publishing Administration Deal
An administration deal focuses primarily on managing rights and collecting royalties.
The songwriter generally retains copyright ownership while the administrator receives an agreed fee or percentage for its services.
Self-Publishing
Independent songwriters can also administer their own publishing.
That gives you maximum control, but it also gives you maximum paperwork.
There is no universal deal that's automatically best for every songwriter.
The important questions are:
What rights are you giving up?
For how long?
What services are you receiving?
What percentage does the company take?
What happens to your songs when the agreement ends?
Those questions matter a lot more than how impressive the company logo looks.
Who Are the Big Three Music Publishers?
The three major global music publishing companies are:
Sony Music Publishing
Sony operates one of the world's largest publishing catalogs and represents songwriters and compositions across numerous genres and markets.
Universal Music Publishing Group
Universal Music Publishing Group, commonly called UMPG, is the publishing division associated with Universal Music Group.
Warner Chappell Music
Warner Chappell is Warner Music Group's global music publishing company.
You'll sometimes hear these companies referred to collectively as the Big Three music publishers.
But they aren't the entire industry.
Independent publishers and administrators including companies such as Kobalt, BMG, Concord, Reservoir, and many others also represent substantial catalogs.
And plenty of songwriters remain independent.
What Is the Difference Between a Music Publisher and a Record Label?
This becomes much easier once you remember our two copyrights.
Record Label
Primarily concerned with the sound recording, or master.
Music Publisher
Primarily concerned with the composition, meaning the underlying song.
A record label may invest in recording, marketing, distribution, artist development, promotion, and exploitation of masters.
A publisher may work with songwriting rights, licensing, royalty administration, song placement, and development of songwriters and composers.
Large music corporations may own both record labels and music publishing companies.
That doesn't make the rights identical.
Same building.
Different doors.
What Is the Difference Between Royalties and Publishing?
Royalties are payments.
Publishing is a rights-management and business system that can generate and collect certain kinds of those payments.
Not every music royalty is a publishing royalty.
For example, money generated by ownership of a master recording is connected to the recording side of the business.
Money generated by the underlying composition falls into the publishing world.
If you're both the songwriter and owner of your recording, you may have money coming from both sides.
How Much Does It Cost to Publish a Song?
This question usually comes from a misunderstanding of what publishing means.
You do not necessarily pay a universal fee to "publish" a song in the way you might pay to print a book.
There are several separate things someone may actually mean:
Copyright registration: Registering a copyright with the appropriate government office may involve a filing fee.
PRO membership: Costs and requirements vary by organization and membership type.
Publishing administration: Administrators may charge subscription fees, commissions, percentages, or some combination depending on the service.
Music distribution: Distributors may charge subscription fees, release fees, commissions, or other costs to deliver your recording to services such as Spotify and Apple Music.
These are separate services.
Putting your song on Spotify is distribution.
Managing the rights to the composition is publishing.
Registering the work with a copyright office is copyright registration.
They frequently get thrown into the same conversational soup, but they're not the same process.
Do You Have to Copyright a Song Before Publishing It?
In the United States, copyright protection generally begins when an original work is created and fixed in a tangible form.
Formal registration with the U.S. Copyright Office provides important additional legal benefits and can be extremely valuable if ownership or infringement ever becomes an issue.
But copyright registration, distribution, PRO registration, publishing administration, and releasing a song are all separate actions.
Understanding that distinction prevents a lot of unnecessary confusion.
Do You Need a Music Publisher to Release a Song?
No.
You can independently write, record, distribute, and release music without signing to a traditional music publisher.
Publishing and distribution perform different jobs.
You can distribute your recording yourself through a digital distributor while retaining your composition rights.
The bigger concern for independent songwriters is making sure the publishing side isn't simply forgotten.
You can release the song without a publisher.
That doesn't mean publishing money stops existing.
Can You Be Your Own Music Publisher?
Yes.
Songwriters can self-publish.
For some independent artists, especially early in their careers, maintaining control over their compositions is very attractive.
But self-publishing doesn't mean doing absolutely nothing.
Someone still needs to handle registration, royalty collection, rights information, licensing requests, and any other administration necessary for the compositions.
You can personally handle some of that work or hire a publishing administrator while maintaining ownership.
Should an Independent Songwriter Get a Publishing Deal?
Not automatically.
A publishing deal should solve a problem or create an opportunity.
Maybe the publisher can open doors to writing sessions, artists, sync opportunities, international collection, industry relationships, or placements that would be difficult for you to reach alone.
Maybe what you actually need is only administration.
Maybe you're perfectly comfortable handling things independently right now.
Don't sign away rights simply because someone finally called you a songwriter and put a contract on the table.
Understand what the company is bringing to the relationship.
Publishing rights can keep producing income long after the original excitement surrounding a song has disappeared.
How Do You Start Collecting Music Publishing Royalties?
If you're an independent songwriter who is starting from scratch, think of it as a checklist rather than one magical registration.
You need to know:
Who wrote the song?
What percentage does each writer own?
Who owns the master recording?
Which PRO represents each songwriter?
Who is administering the publishing?
How are mechanical royalties being collected?
Are your songs accurately registered?
Are you collecting money generated internationally?
Who controls synchronization rights?
And if you write with other people, establish your songwriting splits early.
Do not wait until the song starts making money for everybody to suddenly develop a fascinating new memory of who wrote what.
Get your ownership percentages straight.
Music Publishing Doesn't Have to Be Mysterious
The music industry loves terminology.
Masters. Compositions. Mechanicals. Performance rights. PROs. Administrators. Publisher shares. Writer shares. Sync licenses.
It sounds like twelve different industries stacked on top of one another.
But the foundation is surprisingly simple.
The recording and the song are two separate assets.
Once you understand that, most of music publishing starts arranging itself around that idea.
The master generates one family of rights and income.
The composition generates another.
If you wrote the song, don't stop paying attention once you upload the recording.
Your distributor may only be one piece of the money trail.
Know what you own.
Know who is administering it.
Know which organizations are collecting for you.
And most importantly, make sure the song you worked so hard to create isn't out there earning money that nobody ever bothered to claim.
Comments