Publishing Administration

Music publishing is the business of managing the rights of songwriters and composers. At its core, it ensures that the creators of musical works are fairly compensated for the use of their intellectual property. Music publishers handle copyright administration and help maximize income through various royalty streams.

Managing royalties can be overwhelming for songwriters. From registering titles and responding to licensing requests, to dealing with counterclaims and cue sheet submissions—it’s a lot. You’ll also need to work with performance rights organizations (PROs), mechanical rights societies, and audio recognition services. Without the proper knowledge or support, it’s easy to miss out on income that rightfully belongs to you.

Partnering with a music publisher can relieve that burden. Publishers have the resources and industry connections to track down and collect royalties globally, ensuring you get paid what you're owed.

The arrangement is mutually beneficial. Music publishers earn a pre-agreed percentage of the revenue generated from the songwriter’s compositions. Their success is tied to yours—so they actively work to promote and monetize your music.

Think of a song as having two distinct parts:

• The Composition: The lyrics and melody, owned by the songwriter(s).

• The Recording: The recorded version of the song, owned by the performer or record label.

Music publishers manage the composition, while record labels manage the recording (also called the "master"). Both play vital roles in the music industry but handle different aspects of a song’s lifecycle.

According to the World Trade Organization, intellectual property rights are the legal protections granted for creations of the mind—including music.

If you write a song on your own, you own 100% of its copyright. However, if you collaborate with others, you’ll need to agree on copyright splits—the percentage of ownership each contributor holds. These splits determine how income is shared and should be documented clearly.

Music publishing revenue typically comes from three key royalty types:

1. Mechanical Royalties

Earned when a song is reproduced, whether physically (vinyl, CDs) or digitally (downloads, streaming).

2. Performance Royalties

Generated when a song is publicly performed—this includes radio, TV, live concerts, and even background music in stores or restaurants.

3. Sync (Synchronization) Royalties

Earned when music is synchronized with visual media such as films, ads, TV shows, or video games. These royalties are usually paid as a one-time fee by the licensee to the publisher.

Additionally, there are print royalties—revenue from the sale of sheet music. If specified in a contract, a publisher may also collect and distribute these to the songwriter.

Whenever a song is sold, streamed, downloaded, or performed, royalties are collected by organizations like Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) or Mechanical Rights Organizations. These societies distribute royalties to the music publisher, who then takes an agreed-upon commission and pays the remaining amount to the songwriter.

Each payment is accompanied by a royalty statement detailing how and where the song was used, along with the income generated during that period.

For sync deals, the royalty is usually a flat fee paid directly to the rights holder (often the publisher) for granting permission to use the song in a visual production.