FAQ - Publishing

As a songwriter, you inherently own the publishing rights to your music and you retain creative control.

There is no set formula. It is up to you and your publisher to negotiate the terms of a publishing deal.

A publisher’s main function, whether it’s an individual or a corporation, is to exploit (get your songs recorded, performed, etc.) your songs and collect income from that exploitation. A publisher works with producers, directors, music supervisors, record companies, commercial production companies and trailer houses to negotiate fees for licensing your music for artists to record and for use in movies and on TV, in advertising and other outlets.

You can advertise in any number of music trades like Billboard or contact organizations that deal with music industry employment (NARIP, for one) to find someone to handle your publishing catalog (if you’re willing to pay a salary). Publishing administrators wear many hats, from trying to place music to collecting money to making sure the paperwork is up to date. Administrators find money in anything that uses music-film, TV, advertising, web sites, ad infinitum.

You can set up your own publishing company by filling out an application at your local performing rights organization.

The Musician’s Atlas and the Music Registry are just two examples, but there are lots of directories on the market. Google can help you find them and most are available via Amazon.com or directly from the publishers.

Each performing rights organization has its own fees for setting up a publishing company and many impose an annual charge or collect annual dues. BMI, for example, charges a one-time fee of $150 for individually owned publishing companies and $250 for partnerships, corporations (including sole stockholder corporations) and limited liability companies.