Music Publishing
The business of acquiring, protecting, and monetizing rights to musical compositions.
Definition
Music publishing involves managing the rights to musical compositions (songs) as distinct from sound recordings. Publishers acquire rights from songwriters, register works with performing rights organizations, issue licenses, collect royalties, and pursue sync placements.
Major publishers represent vast catalogs while independent publishers focus on specific genres or developing artists. Publishing generates revenue through mechanical royalties, performance royalties, sync licenses, and print income.
Why It Matters
Publishing rights represent valuable intellectual property that generates income long after recording costs are recouped. Proper publishing administration ensures creators receive all owed royalties from global exploitation.
For songwriters, understanding publishing helps them make informed decisions about rights, partnerships, and career development in an increasingly complex royalty landscape.
Examples in Practice
A songwriter signs a publishing deal that provides an advance and administrative support, enabling full-time focus on writing while the publisher handles business.
A sync placement in a major streaming show generates publishing royalties that exceed the original advance, demonstrating catalog value.
A catalog acquisition prices songs based on historical and projected royalty streams, valuing proven earners at 15-20x annual revenue.