What is music publishing?
Music publishing is the process of managing and protecting the The controls creators or rights holders have over what they have created or produced and over their identity and image. in An original musical composition with or without lyrics. on behalf of A person who makes an original contribution to the creation of a musical composition or lyrics..
This includes:
Helping their songwriters develop and build their careers
Submitting information relating to musical works and sound recordings to an appropriate registration body, for example, copyright ownership information submitted to a Collective Management Organization or copyright office. new musical works with An organization that acts collectively on behalf of the rights holders it represents and collects and pays remuneration to rights holders.
Pitching, promoting, and marketing their songwriters' musical works
The process of granting permission to use copyrighted material, such as a musical work or sound recording. musical works for use in films, TV shows, and commercials
Collecting Money paid for the right to use a musical work, performance or sound recording, typically but not always in the form of recurring payments, for example from Services that provide video or music content over the internet for people to watch or listen to immediately.
Remember, when we say musical work, this refers to the written music and lyrics, not the Typically, the recorded performance of a musical work protected as a phonogram under copyright law.. They each have different rights, administered separately.
It is important to understand the different rights protected by National laws that protect creators' and other rights holders' moral and economic rights in musical works, performances, and sound recordings. and how they apply to musical works and sound recordings; visit our Music Creators’ Rights topic to learn more.
What does a music publisher do?
A company that represents songwriters, supporting their career development, monetizing musical works, and protecting copyrights. sign contracts with songwriters that allow publishers to exploit the songwriters' musical works and provide services to the songwriters. These contracts sometimes also provide financial support in the form of A payment made to creators before the musical work or sound recording is monetized. on future royalties.
Music publishers will then help develop a songwriter's career, taking care of The process of managing music-related rights and royalties on behalf of rights holders., promoting and registering their musical works, and ensuring they are properly To be publicly acknowledged for a contribution to the creation of a musical work, a live performance, or sound recording, for example, listing a songwriter's or performer's name. and paid.
Music publishers collaborate with many areas of the music industry ecosystem, from A company that invests in, manufactures, distributes, promotes, and monetizes sound recordings on behalf of the artist., to Sometimes called a studio producer or record producer, a person who typically helps a recording artist record a musical work. They are usually responsible for the entire recording process., and CMOs. They also work with the wider entertainment industry, managing A form of permission given to use copyrighted material, such as a musical work or sound recording, under certain conditions and usually for a fee. with audio and video streaming platforms, movie and TV studios, and anyone wanting to use their songwriters' musical works.
Music publishers often offer support during the creation process, among other things, by arranging collaborations with other songwriters for so-called When one or more creators write a musical work together. and helping to To submit a song to be considered for use or inclusion, for example, in a curated playlist, for a licensing opportunity, or for a sound recording. the creative work of their songwriters to other creators, record labels, and advertising agencies. This is usually done by the publisher's Artist & Repertoire: a department of professionals typically found in record labels and music publishers, who are responsible for discovering and nurturing talent, signing songwriters and performers to contracts, and overseeing their creative development. representatives.
For example, a music publisher might pitch a musical work written by one of their songwriters to an In the context of music, a solo performer or group of performers who perform a musical work live or recorded. signed to a record label. If the artist decides to record it, this will benefit the songwriter, who would typically receive the agreed royalties and a songwriter credit.
If the songwriter also has a A person who represents the interests of one or multiple creators, including artists, songwriters, music producers, or other roles. some parts of this work may be done together and in consultation with the publisher.
What’s the difference between a music publisher and a CMO?
Music publishers can work very closely with CMOs; both have a role in administering rights and licensing, but they are not the same.
As described above, music publishers, in addition to managing and protecting rights, play an active role in the growth and success of their songwriters' careers. If you work with a music publisher, they will likely handle most of this for you.
CMOs, on the other hand, administer rights and collect royalties on behalf of songwriters and music publishers when their musical works are used, but they don't play the same role in developing a songwriter's career as music publishers do.
Learn more on our CMOs page.
What’s the difference between a major and an independent publisher?
All music publishers have largely the same role, with the main difference between a major and independent music publisher being in the company's market share.
A major music publisher is typically a company that owns and controls a significant share of the global music publishing market.
An independent music publisher is usually a company that has around 5 percent or less of the global market share.
You can view more publishing companies on the Independent Music Publishers International Forum (IMPF) and The International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP) websites.
Video credit: Tiffany Orvet, Daniel Sundström, Eric Ivar Persson, David Wells, Tobias Leo Nordquist, Ponny Höijer, William Engström, Parapix