Publisher's responsibility

When you pen and obtain a copyright for your original tune, it becomes your personal property. Any record company whose artist performs and records your song, and any person and/or organization that broadcasts, samples or prints copies of your lyrics and music pay you to do so.

It is the responsibility of the publisher to seek every possible opportunity for your songs to earn money. Your publisher is set up to help you exploit your song catalog and get your songs used by as many royalty sources as possible.

  • You And Your Royalties

    Royalty sources can be broken down into four general categories:

    1. Performance - Includes radio, venue and music video broadcasts, as well as concert and live television performances). Performance royalties are collected and paid to the songwriter from 1 of 3 Performance Rights Organizations: ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.
    2. Mechanical - Domestic (US) mechanical royalties are collected by domestic record companies for records sold. A record company and/or artist pay royalties to a songwriter for sampling or recording his tune.
    3. Synchronization - Synchronization fees are collected by the music publisher that grants a synchronization license to users or broadcasters of the songs, which then create a derivative audiovisual work in the form of movies, TV programs, commercials, etc.
    4. Print - Lyric sheet, hymnal and music book sales. Print music income is collected by the music publisher that grants a print music license to music printers which then prints sheet music or folios.

While most people only think of a song’s earning potential in relations to its current radio popularity and record sales, successful songwriters and publishing companies know that the income a song generates can stretch well past the life of its author. If handled properly, getting your songs published can mean not only life-long income for songwriters, but income for their children as well.

As a songwriter, you have two primary goals:

  • To get your songs published through as many royalty sources as possible so that you earn the maximum amount of money possible.
  • To retain ownership of as large a percentage of your song’s copyright as possible to ensure that you will be the one receiving those earnings.