Are you a songwriter, artist or producer looking to make spare money from your songs? We would be surprised if you answered no to that!
Of course, you can go it alone, but once you get to a certain point in your music career, you might want to get some help. This is where a music publisher comes in.
A Guide to Music publishing.
What does a Music Publisher do?
Music publishers can help you earn money from your songs in a number of ways and will actively look for ways to use your music on your behalf.
The most common way that a publisher will use your music on your behalf is by licensing your tracks out to be used in the media, including TV, films and adverts. This is called synchronization or ‘sync’. Your publisher will also be responsible for issuing the licenses and making sure you get a good deal.
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Publishers generally charge on a commission foundation, which normally works in your favour, as they’ll only enter income if you do. This gives them the incitation to secure you as important income as possible. The odds that they take depends on your contract with them and you should always seek legal advice when negotiating an agreement.
There is also the direct benefit you get from it, which is not just in songwriting but any form of collaboration that is cross-promotion. If you collaborate, then you’re exposing yourself to your partner’s audience, which should get you more fans.
Ultimately, a publisher ’s function also includes collecting the income from uses and the licenses that they issued. They cinch that you get the Croesus that’s due to you and that what you admit is correct.
The benefits of Music Publishing
Sync can be a useful form of income, offering you not only royalties but also an upfront fee, usually in the hundreds or thousands of pounds, as well as a decent amount of exposure.
Over the years, especially since Napster (I’m sure you know that story) sync has become more and more important for artists, so it’s worth looking into. Sync usually involves signing to a publisher and/or record label.
In addition to sync deals, by collaborating and co-writing you will be able to add more songs to your repertoire, particularly ones that are perhaps slightly different from your usual style. This can be beneficial as it gives you a more varied catalogue, opening you up to more opportunities.
There is also the direct benefit you get from it, which is not just in songwriting but any form of collaboration that is cross-promotion. If you collaborate, then you’re exposing yourself to your partner’s audience, which should get you more fans.
Copyright and Publishers
The role of the Publisher is based on copyright, which is the rights that you have for your music.
Copyright is split into two main sections: copyright in the song (known as publishing rights) and copyright in the sound recording (known as master rights). The publisher only deals with the publishing right, which is the songwriting side and includes the music and lyrics.
Traditionally, a record label will own the master right, which is basically the right to use a particular recording of that song, but if you’re a self-releasing artist or producer then you will most likely own this right yourself.
In a publishing agreement, you will generally assign the publisher your publishing copyright, to use and license your songs on your behalf. This means you are no longer allowed to do this yourself.
Do it yourself.
If you’re not ready for a publisher or if you’re not interested in assigning your rights, you can do it yourself or find other platforms to help you. Examples of those platforms are: dittomusic , distrokid, tunecore and many more or you can email us help you guide you on this journey @kofighozt on Instagram or email: info@kofighozt.com