Music Publishing: How Your Songwriting Generates Income

As a songwriter, you earn money by licensing your songs for various uses, and collecting the corresponding license income. This process of generating income from your songwriting is music publishing. To understand music publishing, you should understand the distinction between a song and a sound recording. You should also understand the exclusive rights a copyright owner holds in his songs and sound recordings. If you're a bit foggy on these issues, you might want to review the article, What Exactly is A Music Copyright?.

While some songwriters choose to handle their own music publishing, many songwriters work with a music publishing company. Music publishing companies are important in at least three areas. Naturally, their most important function is marketing and promoting your songs. Second, the music publishing company handles all the administrative paperwork involved with copyrighting, licensing and collecting royalties for your songs. Finally, a music publishing company may help you develop as a songwriter by finding other songwriters and lyricists with whom you can collaborate. In return for its services, the music publishing company generally receives 50% of all songwriting revenue.

The most significant revenue for the typical songwriter comes from issuing the following licenses:

Mechanical Licenses

Performing Rights Licenses

Synchronization Licenses

Print Licenses

Foreign Licenses

Let's briefly go through each one.