Music Publishing Deep Dive

Publishing Deal Types

Not all publishing deals are created equal. The type of deal you sign determines how much money you keep and how much control you retain over your songs.

Full Publishing Deal (Traditional)

• How it works: You assign 100% of your publishing rights to the publisher
• Revenue split: You keep 50% (writer's share), publisher keeps 50% (publisher's share)
• What you give up: Ownership and control of your compositions for the term of the deal
• What you get: Advance, active pitching for sync placements, global administration, creative development
• Best for: Songwriters who need funding and full-service representation

Co-Publishing Deal (Co-Pub)

• How it works: You keep 50% of the publishing, assign the other 50% to the publisher
• Revenue split: You keep 75% total (100% of writer's share + 50% of publisher's share), publisher keeps 25%
• What you give up: Half your publishing for the term, some administrative control
• What you get: Advance (usually larger than admin deal), active pitching, administration
• Best for: Established songwriters with leverage who want active representation with better terms
• This is the most common deal for songwriters with bargaining power

Administration Deal (Admin)

• How it works: You retain 100% ownership. The admin publisher handles collection and registration for a fee
• Revenue split: You keep 80-90%, admin publisher takes 10-20% as a fee
• What you give up: A small percentage for administration services
• What you get: Professional registration, global collection, accounting — but usually no advances and minimal active pitching
• Best for: Independent songwriters who want to keep ownership and can generate their own opportunities

Sub-Publishing

• How it works: Your primary publisher partners with publishers in foreign territories to collect international royalties
• Why it matters: Publishing rights are territorial. A US publisher might not be able to effectively collect royalties generated in Japan or Germany
• Revenue impact: Sub-publishers take a cut (typically 15-25%), reducing what reaches you
• Key consideration: Direct deals with foreign collecting societies (through your admin) can sometimes be more efficient than sub-publishing chains

Understanding the Money

The Writer's Share vs. Publisher's Share

Every composition royalty is split into two halves:

• Writer's share (50%) — Always belongs to the songwriter. Even in a full publishing deal, this goes directly to you through your PRO
• Publisher's share (50%) — Belongs to whoever owns the publishing rights. In a full publishing deal, the publisher keeps all of it. In a co-pub, you keep half of it

This distinction is important because your PRO pays the writer's share directly to you, regardless of your publishing deal.

Types of Publishing Royalties

Performance Royalties

• Generated when your songs are performed publicly (radio, streaming, TV, live venues)
• Collected by PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC)
• Largest source of publishing income for most songwriters

Mechanical Royalties

• Generated when your songs are reproduced (streams, downloads, physical copies)
• In the US, collected by the MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) for streaming
• Statutory rate for physical/downloads: 12.40 cents per song (2024-2027)

Sync Fees

• One-time fees negotiated for each TV, film, ad, or game placement
• Highly variable ($1,000 to $500,000+)
• Negotiated by your publisher (or you, if self-published)

Print Royalties

• Generated from sheet music sales
• Minimal for most songwriters today, but still exists

Self-Publishing

You can be your own publisher. Here is what that involves:

• Register as a publisher with your PRO (separate from your songwriter registration)
• Register your songs with your PRO, the MLC, and any other relevant collecting societies
• Administer your catalog — Track registrations, monitor royalty payments, handle licensing requests
• Consider an admin service — Companies like Songtrust, CD Baby Publishing, or TuneCore Publishing handle administration for 10-20% while you retain ownership

Pros of Self-Publishing

• Keep 100% of all publishing revenue
• Maintain full control over licensing decisions
• No obligation to any publisher

Cons of Self-Publishing

• No advance
• No active pitching for sync placements
• Administrative burden of registration and tracking
• Potential for missed royalties without professional administration

Maximizing Your Publishing Income

• Register every song with your PRO and the MLC. Unregistered songs do not generate royalties
• Register as both songwriter and publisher to collect both shares
• Keep metadata clean — Accurate song titles, writer splits, and ISWCs prevent payment delays
• Pitch for sync — Proactively submit your catalog to music supervisors and sync agents
• Co-write strategically — Every co-write is a new publishing asset in your catalog
• Audit your statements — Review royalty statements regularly to catch errors or missing payments
• Think globally — Ensure your songs are registered in all major territories

The Decision Framework

• Just starting out with few songs: Self-publish with an admin service
• Growing catalog, need active pitching: Consider a co-pub deal with a reputable publisher
• Established with leverage: Negotiate the best co-pub terms you can, or stay admin with strategic sync representation
• Never take a full publishing deal unless the advance is life-changing and the term is short