Music Publishing Explained

Music publishing is the business of managing the rights to songs — the compositions, not the recordings. If you write songs, you are a publisher whether you realise it or not. The composition copyright is separate from the master recording copyright, and it often generates more long-term income. Understanding publishing is essential for any songwriter who wants to be paid properly for their work.

When you write a song, you automatically own 100 percent of the publishing rights (unless you have a publishing deal that says otherwise). If you co-write with other people, the publishing is split between all the writers according to whatever agreement you make. Always agree on splits before or immediately after a writing session and document them in writing. Disputes over splits years after a song becomes successful are one of the most common and most damaging conflicts in the music industry.

A publishing deal is an agreement where you assign or licence some or all of your publishing rights to a publisher in exchange for services: pitching your songs for sync, collecting royalties globally, and providing advance payments. A good publisher actively works your catalogue and opens doors that would take years to access independently. A bad publisher sits on your songs, collects their percentage, and does nothing.