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Once you understand that publishing royalties exist, the question is how to collect them. There are three routes — self-administration, a publishing administration deal, and a traditional publishing deal — and they differ enormously in cost, control, and how much work you do. Here is how to choose.
The three options at a glance
| Option | What it is | Typical cut | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-administer | You join a PRO and a mechanical society yourself and register your own works | You keep nearly all of it (minus society fees) | Artists in one main market who want maximum control |
| Admin deal | A publishing administrator registers and collects worldwide for you | Roughly 10–20% of what they collect | Artists with international streams who want global collection without the admin |
| Publishing deal | A publisher takes a share of ownership in exchange for an advance and active work | A share of your publishing (often plus an advance) | Writers who want advances, sync pitching, and creative support |
Self-administration
You join your PRO and your mechanical society (such as The MLC in the US), register your works, and keep almost everything. The trade-off is that collecting worldwide is genuinely hard — you would have to deal with each foreign society yourself, and most artists leave international money on the table. Self-admin works best if your audience is concentrated in one market.
Publishing administration (the common middle ground)
A publishing administrator registers your works with PROs and mechanical societies worldwide and collects everything for a percentage, usually around 10–20%, without taking any ownership of your songs. Well-known options include Songtrust and TuneCore Publishing (which collects via Sentric). Note that CD Baby discontinued its CD Baby Pro Publishing service in 2023, and DistroKid does not offer publishing administration, so you generally pair your distributor with a separate admin. You can use an administrator alongside any distributor.
Traditional publishing deal
A publisher takes a share of your publishing copyright, often pays an advance, and actively works your catalogue — pitching for sync placements, arranging co-writes, and chasing royalties. You give up some ownership and control in return for money up front and a team. This suits writers who want investment and active promotion, not just collection.
How to decide
- Few releases, one main market? Self-administer and keep it all.
- Growing international streams? An admin deal is usually worth the small percentage.
- Want advances and active sync pitching? Consider a publishing deal, and read the terms carefully.
Whatever you choose, the worst option is doing nothing — because uncollected publishing royalties never come back. Royalty income is also taxable, so factor in tax on music royalties.