An introduction to music publishing from the Songtrust team. Great for songwriters, music publishers, record labels, managers, or anyone interested in learning more about how music publishing works. In this presentation, you will find information about the different types of royalties, how they are collected, and what rights songwriters hold. You can find more information about our digital publishing administration service on our web site: https://www.songtrust.com/

1. Intro to Music Publishing
Ken Consor

2. What is Music Publishing
• Music Publishing is the business of protecting
and exploiting musical copyright
• Publishers make sure songwriters are
compensated
• Isn’t ‘exploiting’ bad?

3. What is a copyright?
• Copyright is granted by law to a songwriter, giving them 6
Exclusive Rights:
1. To make copies (physical or digital)
2. To make derivative works (arrangements)
3. To perform the work publicly
4. To display the work publicly
5. To distribute the work
6. To perform the copyrighted worked by means of digital
audio transmission
• As soon as a song is in a “fixed and tangible form” (written
down on paper, recorded on a computer, etc), the
songwriter has a copyright

4. Royalties
• Royalties are payments to a songwriter made
every time a song is played in a public setting
(Performance), downloaded (Mechanical), or
used to go along with a visual work (sync)

5. Performance Royalties
• Performance Royalties are generated from public
performances of musical work
• Some main sources of performance royalties today is
radio play, streaming services (Spotify, YouTube), and
live performances
• Performance royalties are distributed by Performance
Rights Organizations (PROs)
• When songwriter registers his/her songs with a PRO,
they collect fees from businesses that use that song,
which they then distribute back to the songwriter
• In the USA, the two main PROs are ASCAP and BMI

6. Mechanical Royalties
• Earned from the reproduction of songs in physical and
digital forms
• Royalties are calculated by using the Statutory Mechanical
Royalty Rate. Currently it is 9.1 cents per track or 1.75 cents
per minute of playing time, whichever is greater. Interactive
streaming services such as Spotify also pay mechanical
royalties which are calculated differently
• Mechanical royalties are collected from societies who
monitor physical and digital reproduction - in the United
States, it is the Harry Fox Agency
• Harry Fox usually requires a songwriter to have a label that
provides a large release or distribution of a musical work,
that’s where an admin deal with Songtrust can help

7. Synch Royalties
• Generated when a musical work is ‘synced’ with
an audiovisual work, such as a commercial,
television show, video game, or movie
• Sync royalties have no set rate, but usually differ
based on popularity of the song, the audience
size (local vs. national broadcast), and amount of
time and presence of the song (background music
or main theme)
• Rates are negotiable

8. Buzz Words to Know
• Split sheet- sheet that determines the split ownership of a song
represented as a percentage. For example a song can be owned 50% by
John Doe for writing the lyrics and 50% by Adam Smith for writing the
music
• ISRC- International Standard Recording Code. 12-character alphanumeric
code used to uniquely identify a sound recording. Is a song has multiple
recordings or has been remixed it can have more than one ISRC. Typically
assigned by labels or distributors
• ISWC- International Standard Musical Work code. 11-character
alphanumeric code used to uniquely identify a musical work. If a song has
been arranged, rewritten, or translated it can have more than one ISWC.
They are assigned by PROs
• IPI- Interested Parties Information. 9 digit number that is used to identify a
songwriter or publisher. Also called CAE numbers (Composer, Author,
Publisher). They are like social security numbers just for songwriters and
publishers