Guide
Music publishing royalties, and how to actually collect them
A song can be streamed millions of times and still leave money on the table. Here are the four royalty types, who pays each one, the registrations that decide whether the money reaches you — and how to get all of it collected for a flat 15%.
The four types of publishing royalty
Performance royalties
Paid by: PROs and collection societies (ASCAP, BMI, PRS, GEMA, SACEM, SOCAN, APRA)
Triggered by: Streaming, radio, TV broadcast, live performance, public venues
Split 50/50 between the writer's share and the publisher's share. Your PRO pays the writer's side only.
Mechanical royalties
Paid by: The MLC in the US, societies and agencies elsewhere, plus DSPs
Triggered by: Every reproduction of the composition — streams, downloads, physical
Usually paid entirely to the publishing side, so unregistered works lose all of it.
Sync fees
Paid by: The production or brand licensing the song
Triggered by: Film, TV, advertising, games, sport, trailers
Negotiated per placement. Usually paid as one fee, split between the master and the publishing side.
Neighbouring and secondary income
Paid by: Societies and collective management organisations
Triggered by: Private copy levies, lending, cable retransmission
Small individually, meaningful across a working catalog, and almost never collected by accident.
Writer's share vs publisher's share
Performance income is divided into two halves. The writer's share goes to you through your PRO. The publisher's share is only paid to a registered publisher. If no publisher is named against the work, that half sits in an unclaimed pot and is eventually redistributed to other rightsholders by market share.
This is the single most common reason a self-released writer sees less than expected. Appointing a publishing administrator claims that half without changing who owns the song.
Why worldwide registration matters
Your home society only collects in its own territory and through reciprocal agreements that are slower and less complete than a direct registration. A stream played in Brazil, a TV sync in Germany and a radio spin in Japan each generate income through different local societies. Registering across 60+ societies is the difference between collecting most of the money and collecting some of it.
The metadata that decides whether you get paid
Royalties are matched by data, not by name recognition. Get these right and matching happens automatically:
- Exact song title, consistent across DSPs, societies and the label copy
- Your IPI/CAE number and your co-writers' IPI numbers
- ISWC for the composition and ISRC for each recording
- Splits that total exactly 100% and match what the co-writers filed
- Recording artist name and release date
How we collect all four for you
MusicPublishing.org registers every work across 60+ societies, collects performance, mechanical, sync and secondary income, and chases unclaimed royalties from earlier periods. We keep 15%; you keep 85% and 100% of your copyrights. There is no up-front fee and no subscription.
We also pitch your catalog for sync in film, TV, advertising, games and sport — most admin-only companies stop at registration, so that fourth revenue line never gets worked. Placements we source split 50/50 on the placement fee; sync that arrives on its own stays 15/85.
Send your catalog and we will have the agreement to you within one working day.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I collect publishing royalties?
- Register as a writer with a PRO to collect the writer's share, then appoint a publishing administrator to register the same works and collect the publisher's share in every territory. MusicPublishing.org does that worldwide for 15% of what we collect, so you keep 85% and all of your copyrights.
- Why am I only getting half my royalties?
- Performance income is split into a writer's share and a publisher's share. If no publisher is named on the registration, the publisher's share is usually held as unclaimed and eventually redistributed. Naming an administrator claims it.
- How far back can unclaimed royalties be recovered?
- Most societies allow retroactive claims for a limited window, commonly two to three years, though it varies by territory. The sooner works are registered, the more can be recovered — we chase back-claims as part of the 15%, at no extra cost.
Put your catalog on collection
You keep your copyrights and 85% of what we collect. Nothing to pay up front.