If you write songs, part of your income has nothing to do with your recordings. It comes from the composition itself, the music and the lyrics, every time the song is streamed, played on radio, performed live or used in a video. A music publisher's job is to register those songs, collect that money and look for new ways to use them. Publishing deals differ mainly in how much of your songs a publisher owns in return.
The two halves of songwriting income
Songwriting income is traditionally described in two halves: the writer's share and the publisher's share. The writer's share belongs to you as the author. In most systems, collecting societies pay it to you directly as a member, whatever publishing deal you sign. The publisher's share is what publishing deals are about.
Without a publisher, part of that publisher's side can go uncollected, especially from abroad, depending on how your society works and where your songs are played. That gap is the main reason independent writers start looking at deals.
Keep in mind that this is a different world from distribution. A distributor delivers your recordings to platforms and passes on the money from the master side. A publisher deals with the songs. You can have one without the other.
Admin deal: paperwork without giving up ownership
In an administration deal, the publisher registers your songs with societies and other collection bodies in many countries, tracks down income and pays you after taking a fee.
- Ownership: you keep your copyrights.
- What it takes: a percentage of what it collects, usually the smallest share of the three deal types.
- Term: often a few years, with a period after the end during which the publisher can still collect income earned while the deal was running.
- What you get: administration. Advances are small or absent, and active pitching is not usually part of the job.
It suits writers whose songs already earn money, especially in several countries, and who mainly want the registrations and collections done properly.
Co-publishing deal: sharing ownership for more support
In a co-publishing deal, you transfer part of the copyright in your songs, specifically a share of the publisher's side, to the publisher. You keep your writer's share and the rest of the publisher's side.
- Ownership: split between you and the publisher for the songs in the deal.
- What it takes: a larger part of the income than an admin deal.
- Advance: usually yes. It's money paid ahead of your royalties and recouped from them, not a gift.
- Commitment: often a minimum number of songs you have to deliver, sometimes with rules about how many must be released commercially.
- Retention: the publisher may keep its share of the songs long after the term ends. How long is one of the most important points in the contract.
- What you get: active work on the songs, such as pitching to other artists, sync placements in film and advertising, and co-writing sessions.
It suits active writers with momentum who want money up front and a team that works their catalogue.
Full publishing deal: the traditional model
In a full or traditional publishing deal, the publisher owns the whole publisher's side of the songs covered. You keep the writer's share and receive royalties according to the contract.
This was once the standard arrangement. Today it's less common for developing writers, and it is often linked to staff writing, where you write regularly for the publisher's projects. Ownership in such deals can last a very long time, sometimes for the full life of the copyright. That can make sense only if the advance and the publisher's work truly justify giving up so much.
Do you need a publisher right now
Signs that it's time to talk to publishers:
- your songs are earning in several countries and you suspect money is going uncollected
- you get sync requests and need someone to negotiate and answer fast
- you co-write a lot with writers from other countries and the splits are getting complicated
- you write for other artists and want your songs pitched
Signs that it's not time yet: you have a handful of songs and no real income from them. In that case, start by registering as a writer with a collecting society and registering every song properly. Take Leo Harlow, who writes for himself and two other singers. Until one of his songs starts getting played abroad, careful registration at home does more for him than any deal.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Which songs are covered: only new ones, or your back catalogue too?
- How long is the term, and how long after it does the publisher keep collecting or owning?
- Does any copyright change hands, and when, if ever, does it come back to you?
- What exactly is the publisher's share of each type of income?
- Is the advance recouped only from this deal, or also from other agreements you have with the same company?
- Who approves licences for sync, translations and adaptations of your songs?
- Which territories are covered, and who works for them locally?
- How often will you get statements, and can you check the publisher's books?
Read every draft slowly, and have a lawyer who knows music contracts read it too. A publishing deal can outlive the career it was signed for, so it deserves more care than almost any other agreement you'll sign.