What is Music Publishing?

Music publishing refers to the ownership, management, and monetisation of a song’s composition rights including collecting royalties when it’s played, streamed, performed, or licensed.

When a song is produced, there are 2 rights created: the Sound Recording (Master Rights) and the Composition (Publishing Rights). A music publisher looks after the rights in the Composition and will collect the performance and mechanical royalties generated by its usage. This revenue is then divided between the publisher and songwriter based upon the split agreement in place.

Music Publishing Explained

As a songwriter, navigating the music industry as a songwriter can be overwhelming especially when you’re trying to balance the creative process with the music publishing side of things. Music publishing plays a crucial role in ensuring you get paid for your work, but understanding how it works is essential if you want to protect your rights and maximise your earnings.

At its core, music publishing refers to the management and monetisation of a song’s composition rights — that is, the underlying music and lyrics, not the recording itself.

When a song is created, it generates two key rights:

• The Sound Recording (also known as Master Rights), this covers the actual recorded version of the song. It’s typically owned by whoever funded the recording  such as a record label, studio, or artist.

• The Composition (also known as Publishing Rights), this includes the melody, lyrics, and structure of the song the part that’s written rather than recorded.

In music publishing, multiple people can own a share of the composition. For example, even if you pay a producer upfront, they may still be entitled to a percentage of the publishing if they contributed to the songwriting process. This is why it’s critical to agree on splits (ownership percentages) from the start and to document them in writing.

Without a formal split agreement, disputes over music copyright ownership can arise later, potentially blocking royalties or sync opportunities. A clear, signed split sheet protects everyone involved and ensures that each contributor receives the royalties they’re owed.

What are music publishing royalties?

Music publishers work on behalf of the composition rights owners to collect 3 types of royalties:

Performance royalties

Performance royalties are generated from performances of a song, including concerts, radio play, tv broadcasts, festivals, and public venues.

Artists are still owed these royalties even if you perform outside of your home country. Collection societies have agreements with PROs across the globe which enables them to transfer royalties to the writer. However, for this to work, it is essential for artists to be registered with their local performing rights organisation (PRO) so that they can receive royalties from the foreign collection society.

Mechanical royalties

Mechanical royalties  are paid to the writer when their composition is reproduced onto a physical product such as a Vinyl or CD. This is also applicable for digital royalties, which are due when a sound recording contains your composition and is downloaded or streamed on digital platforms such as Spotify.

Unlike performance or sync royalties, mechanical royalties are collected by a Mechanical Rights Society. In the UK this is MCPS who are partnered with PRS for Music.

Sync licensing

When a song is used within adverts, films, TV shows and video games, this process is called sync licensing. For your song to be used, a licence will need to be negotiated detailing the terms of use and the fee to be paid. Each sync deal is different, but typically you will be paid an upfront fee for the use of your music.  Sync is an amazing deal to bag, as this can often pay more than most Physical music and digital sales.

How are publishing royalties collected?

The music publishing industry is huge, making it hard for independent artists with smaller catalogues to claim potential publishing revenue.

Music publishers, such as Horus Music Publishing, have direct relationships with PROs (Performing Rights Organisations) and other collection societies around the globe to ensure payments are made. PROs collect public performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers.

For a song to be played on radio, TV shows and commercials, broadcasters will typically have an annual licence deal in place with the PRO operating in their country.

For public performances in places like shops, gyms and restaurants, the premises must also have a licence. In the UK, The Music License collect fees from British businesses and organisations on behalf of their parent companies PPL and PRS for Music. PPL will then collect and distribute the license fee to the performers and record companies for the use of the recorded music. PRS for Music will collect and distribute the license fee on behalf of songwriters and publishers for the musical composition. Publishers will then take their share of the royalties based on the splits which are agreed upon in advance.

How are publishing royalties different from distribution royalties?

Music distributors are responsible for collecting the sound recording royalties. They collect and pay the master recording royalties generated from downloads and streams from digital platforms and subscription services like Spotify and Amazon Music.

Music publishers will collect royalties from the composition rights. These are earned every time the composition is sold, streamed, or played globally and you don’t have to be the master rightsholder to receive these royalties.

As a songwriter and recording artist, you earn money from both master recordings and the composition. This means you are also the automatic owner of your composition copyright which makes you a publisher by default. However not all PROs will recognise individual songwriters as a publisher without a publishing entity, therefore having a music publisher can help ensure all revenue is collected and distributed.

Why is music publishing important and what are the benefits?

Music publishers are responsible for songwriters and composers receiving their royalties for the use of their composition in sync, live performances, streams, or downloads. By having a publisher, this ensures you receive royalties from all revenue streams.

Music publishers can also provide you with opportunities to secure sync deals, allowing you more time to be creative and make music whilst they take care of the admin.

By signing up with a music publisher, you can benefit from:

• Getting your music heard by a wider audience.
• Increased revenue streams.
• Possible sync opportunities.
• More time to be creative and focus on making music.
• Protection as a songwriter and composer.
• Less Admin.

If you’re interested in working with a music publisher or would like to find out more about how publishing works, keep your eyes peeled for some exciting news coming from Horus HQ soon!

FAQs 

Do I need a music publisher?

Not necessarily but having one can make a big difference.

If you’re writing and releasing your own songs, you technically own the composition rights by default. However, a music publisher helps you register your works, collect royalties globally, and negotiate sync deals. Without a publisher, it can be difficult to track and claim all the money you’re owed  especially from international plays and uses.

How do I register for music publishing?

To start collecting publishing royalties, you need to register as a songwriter with a Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) like PRS for Music in the UK or BMI/ASCAP in the US.

Can I publish my own music?

Yes, as the songwriter, you’re automatically the owner of your publishing rights. This means you can choose to publish your own music under your name or set up your own publishing entity.

However, to fully access global royalties, you may need to register as both a writer and a publisher with your PRO. Some PROs won’t pay the publisher’s share unless there’s a registered publisher account.

What royalties does PRS collect?.

PRS for Music collects performance royalties; these are payments made when your song is played publicly. This includes radio, TV, concerts, festivals, streaming, and even background music in shops or gyms.