Publishing Deal
An agreement where a songwriter assigns some or all of their song composition rights to a publisher in exchange for services and advances.
Definition
A music publishing deal is a contract between a songwriter or composer and a music publisher, in which the songwriter assigns some or all of their publishing rights (ownership of the musical composition) to the publisher. In return, the publisher provides services including song registration, royalty collection, sync licensing placement, and often an upfront advance payment.
Publishing deals come in several forms: full publishing (publisher gets 100% of publishing share), co-publishing (songwriter retains 50%), and administration deals (publisher collects royalties for a fee while the songwriter retains full ownership).
Why It Matters
Publishing rights are one of the most valuable assets a songwriter can own. Unlike master recordings, which may lose relevance, a well-written song can generate royalties indefinitely through covers, samples, sync placements, and public performance. Understanding publishing deals is critical for protecting this long-term income stream.
For the music industry at large, publishing is a multi-billion dollar business. The terms of publishing deals determine how songwriters are compensated, how songs reach new audiences through licensing, and how catalogs are valued in acquisitions.
Examples in Practice
A songwriter signs a co-publishing deal with a major publisher, receiving a $200,000 advance and professional pitching that places their song in a hit TV series, generating $150,000 in sync royalties alone.
An independent songwriter chooses an administration deal, keeping 100% ownership while paying a 15% fee for global royalty collection — netting more income than a traditional deal because their catalog already generates consistent revenue.
A publisher acquires a legendary songwriter's catalog for $100 million, betting that the timeless compositions will continue generating royalties through streaming, covers, and sync licensing for decades.