How To Sign A Single Song Publishing Deal

 

 

 

Understanding the different music publishing deals within the music industry can help you out greatly. The reason for this is because when your music, concert tickets and merchandise slow down in sales, your publishing will always continue to flourish and generate you income. This is one of the 3 Reason’s You Should Sign A Publishing Deal

 

I was always told that music publishing is the bread and butter of an artists, and being in the industry as long as I’ve been, I see it to be true. I’m going to go on the record to say that publishing will always be the most and long lasting royalties an artist will ever receive in his life! That’s during his music career and after he retires.

 

 

What Is Music Publishing

 

Publishing is one of the most lucrative aspects of an artist’s career. If you are an artist who owns the copyright to your song, you can indeed make a lot of money when you license that music for performance or play. One thing to note is distinguishing sound recording from copyright ownership of the song (lyrics and melody).

 

 

The copyright owner of a song is entitled to certain exclusive rights in the song under the U.S. Copyright Act. Therefore, only the copyright owner of a song can use the song unless someone pays him to use it. When you pay to use a song you have to pay a license fee. Usually a performing rights license fee or a mechanical rights license fee.

 

 

 

Top Music Administration Companies

 

 

 

What Does a Music Publisher Do

Okay so when it comes to the music industry, a music publisher is responsible for ensuring the songwriters and composers of a song receive payment when their compositions are used commercially.

 

A composition or sing that is used musically includes being played on radio, performed at shows, used in commercials, Tv, and film.

 

 

How Artists Get Paid From Spotify

 

 

 

Music Publishing Contract

 

There are a variety of music publishing contracts. Depending on who you are as an artists, and where you are in your career, a publishing contract can be beneficial to you or hurt you.

 

Through an agreement called a publishing contract, a songwriter or composer “assigns” the copyright of their composition to a publishing company. In return, the company licenses compositions, helps monitor where compositions are used, collects royalties and distributes them to the composers.

 

 

 

Public Performance Royalties

Public Performance Royalties can generate a lot of income for an artist. This type of royalty is when the copyright owner of a song has the exclusive right to perform his song in public.

As I said before public performance includes: clubs, live concerts, radio, and television).

 

 

 

Performing Rights Societies or performing rights agencies such as the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), and SESAC are responsible for issuing licenses. They are also responsible for collecting money from people who want to play your music. So in essence they collect the license fee from these individuals planning to use your music.

 

An example of this would be a radio station wanting to play your music. What would happen is that they will purchase what is called a “blanket” performance rights license that will cover a year worth of radio spins of the artists music. This is more convenient and less time consuming than paying for a license every time the radio station wants to play the artist’s music.

 

 

360 Record Deal Contract Example

 

 

 

How To Sign A Music Publishing Deal

The most common publishing deal is a single song deal. A single song deal is commonly between an artist and a publishing company where the song writer agrees to give up 50% of the copyright to the publisher in hopes of the publisher shopping the song to get it into film, tv or sell it to a big artist.

 

The publishing contract is usually for a specific amount of time and once the contract is over there is an option to renew or not, depending on what is negotiated then. The standard contract is anywhere from 1-3 years. This all depends on how good your track record is as a song writer.

 

 

If you are able to have success with a few of your songs under contract you will more than likely get an option to extend your contract for a few more years, or they will ask you to come on as a full time staff writer. This means you will be apart of their writing staff, and your job will be to basically try to write hits all day. You will get writing credits but not own any of the songs since you are now employed by the publishing company. All songs you write for them will be theirs.

 

 

Becoming a song writer and signing this type of deal is not for everyone. You have to evaluate yourself as an artist and where you are in your career, and where you want to be in the future. If you are an artist that loves being independent and not sharing any of your publishing or copyright to your song, then this deal may not be for you.

 

 

On the other hand if you love creating hit songs and not mind giving up a little bit of your copyright and publishing in order to get ahead within the industry, by using the power of a publishing company then you will more than likely sit well with having this type of deal.

 

 

Always go with what you feel is the right decision not only for you but for your family as well. And remember you never have to go against your integrity r beliefs in order to make it in the music industry. Stick to what you believe in and keep pushing forward.