What is publishing in music? Music publishing is the business of managing the rights to musical compositions and ensuring that songwriters and composers receive payment for their work. This involves licensing songs for various uses, such as in films, TV shows, commercials, and other media, as well as for public performances, sheet music sales, and digital streams. Music publishers handle the administrative tasks of registering songs with performance rights organisations (such as PRS for Music and PPL), collecting royalties, and protecting the intellectual property of songwriters and composers. They play a crucial role in the financial and legal aspects of a songwriter or composer’s career.

You can read more about the work of the Independent Music Publishers International Forum (IMPF) here: https://www.impforum.org/about/

It is also worth reading about Collecting Societies and Copyright within the Music Career Toolkit to get the full picture about music publishing.

But what benefit can a publisher bring to a songwriter or composer?  Here are a few key things they should be doing to support your career to the next level:

Online publishing models:

New administration models and companies in music publishing are transforming the landscape by offering artist-centric services and utilising advanced technology to simplify operations. They can provide an online platform for global royalty collection and rights management, enabling independent artists and smaller rights holders to manage their publishing effectively without relying on traditional publishers.

 These companies are democratising music publishing, making it more inclusive and efficient for artists across all levels. For more information, you can click the logos below!

Sentric Music

Sentric Music offers flexible deals and quick registration processes, maximizing revenue streams with minimal hassle.

Kobalt

Kobalt Music Publishing is pioneering with its transparent, real-time data reporting and extensive digital royalty collection network, giving artists more control and insight into their earnings.

Ditto Music

Ditto Music is enhancing the music publishing ecosystem with its streamlined services for royalty collection and rights management, ensuring that artists receive fair compensation for their work.