Copyrighting 101 MUSIC PUBLISHING Songwriter Resources

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• Music Publishing Info

• Music Publishing Links

• Performing Rights Societies

Do you have more questions on music publishing? Post them in the Black Gospel Music Discussion Forum under MUSIC PUBLISHING and we'll try to get you an answer!

Music Publishing Info

• What is music publishing?

• Why should I publish my music?

• What are the responsibilities of a music publisher?

• How do I get paid after publishing my music?

What is music publishing?
Music publishing is the representation of writers for the purpose of collecting royalties for the sales and use of their songs. Earnings are generated four ways:

• Mechanicals (record sales)

• Performances, (radio/club play)

• Sync (movie/television play)

• Sheet music (printing of music)

Why should I publish my music?

If you write songs, publishing your something that you must do. It's a complicated business, however, and there are plenty of people who will gladly take advantage of your ignorance. Learn the facts about publishing so that you don't sign contracts without knowing what they mean.

The world of publishing is mysterious only if you haven't entered it yet. The jargon can be confusing, with co-publishing, splits, mechanicals, and the esoteric points-of negotiation that the industry has built up. You can learn it though. I will try my best to build upon this page by providing as much information as I can. In the meantime, there are some good books on music publishing available, and you should get your hands on one if you're serious about publishing your music.

• The Complete Handbook of Songwriting : An Insider's Guide to Making It in the Music Industry
  Written by authorities who know all the ins and outs of the music business, this complete guide covers everything about getting a song written, published, and produced. Glossary of industry terms. Appendices of company contacts and music publishers.
  
• Creating Melodies : A Songwriter's Guide to Understanding, Writing and Polishing Melodies
  Beginning songwriters as well as experienced ones wishing to enhance their ability to compose tuneful melodies can turn to Weissman's primer. He first defines a melody as "the single line of the structure that you can hum or whistle" and discusses generally how to read and write musical notation before delving into the melody-generating process. One interesting note: "The book is designed to be equally user-friendly for guitarists or keyboard players." Whether one is attempting to write ad jingles or pop tunes, Weissman's guide demonstrates the steps to follow in devising the melody and melding it with the lyrics.

What do music publishers do?

What music publishers do is work for you the songwriter.  If your songs are being recorded, even for small labels, their job is to make sure you get all that you're entitled to. Some of their duties include:

• Taking care of copyrights

• Getting your music notated/transcribed (sheet music)

• Public performance clearances

• Monitor your works to insure that possible source of income is tapped

• Issue mechanical licenses to record companies

The most important thing to learn about publishing is the fact that you will end up paying someone to do your administration. Not you, or your lawyer, or your uncle, or anyone who isn't a full-time publisher can do the job a professional can. The trick is to have a publisher working for you, not sitting back wailing to take his cut out of whatever comes in. One thing about negotiating  a publishing deal is that you don't get to keep 100% of your royalties. A good is to let  you keep 75% and for that 25%, the publisher should be able to get your songs to people you don't have access to (or don't know about). They will administer all the paperwork involved, and hopefully get you more royalties than you'd have without one. Getting 100% of ZERO (what you get if someone is not promoting your music) is ZERO!

How do I get paid after publishing my music?

Check the section below on Performing Rights Societies for more information on how these societies and how they work.

Do you have more questions on music publishing? Post them in the Black Gospel Music Discussion Forum under MUSIC PUBLISHING and we'll try to get you an answer!

Music Publishing Links

• National Music Publisher's Association

• Music Publishers' Association

• Facts for Songwriters

• Copyright Society of the USA

Performing Rights Societies

• Major Societies

  • ASCAP
    American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
    One Lincoln Plaza
    New York, NY 10023
    (212) 621­6000

  • BMI
    Broadcast Music, Inc.
    320 West 57th Street
    New York, NY 10019
    (800) 669­4264

  • SESAC
    Society of European Stage Authors and Composers
    55 Music Square East
    Nashville, TN 37203
    (615) 320­0055

  • FULL Phone Number Listing  
    (from the Music Yellow Pages)

• Society Info
  Check any recorded work and you will see noted somewhere the writer, the publisher and the collective society. These societies represent the public performance copyright interests on behalf of music copyright holder.

  • The Operating Dynamics Behind ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, The U.S. Performing Rights Societies
    This abstract explains the three(3) major copyright collective organizations and documents in detail the differences in how they operate.

  • Music in the Marketplace: Who Pays the Piper
    Here is a great source of information on the societies and answers questions on how and why royalties are paid to you by the major societies.

  • The ABCs of Performing Rights Licensing
    Some of the important issues involved in appropriate licensing for performances is explained. 

  • The Business of Music and the Music of Business
    Explains to you how to protect (copyright) your material, and how your money is collected and who will collect it.