Many independent artists think they need a publishing deal to collect publishing royalties. That's not true. You can self-administer your publishing and collect 100% of your songwriter and publisher share.
What is music publishing? Publishing is the business side of songwriting. When you write a song, you own the copyright to the composition. Publishing royalties are the money generated when that composition is streamed, performed publicly, synced in TV/film, or reproduced in any way.
The two shares: Every composition has a writer's share (always paid to the songwriter through the PRO) and a publisher's share. If you don't have a publisher, you can claim BOTH shares by self-administering.
How to self-administer:
Step 1: Join a PRO (ASCAP or BMI) as a songwriter Step 2: Also register as a publisher with your PRO (you can use your own name or create a publishing company name) Step 3: Register with the MLC as a self-administered songwriter Step 4: Register with SoundExchange as both Featured Artist and Sound Recording Copyright Owner Step 5: Make sure every song you've released is registered with all three
Or use a publishing administrator: Services like Songtrust, CD Baby Pro, and Sentric handle the registration and collection process for you, typically for a 15-20% commission on the publisher's share. This can be worth it if you have a large catalog or release frequently.
Either way, check your registrations: Whether you self-administer or use a pub admin, gaps happen. RoyaltyCoPilot.ai shows you exactly where your registrations stand across the MLC, SoundExchange, and your PRO.