Did you know a song
is divided into two parts?
The composition, owned by the songwriters and publishers. The sound recording, owned by the artist or record label.
The composition
The composition generates income through mechanical royalties for reproductions and streaming, public performance royalties when the song is played publicly, and sync licensing when the music is paired with visual media.
The sound recording
The sound recording, refers to the actual realized version of the song. It generates revenue through digital downloads, physical sales, streaming royalties, neighboring rights, and sync licensing for the specific recording used.
How your composition earns money
Every time your music is streamed, performed, or licensed, it generates different types of royalties. Understanding these revenue streams is key to maximizing your earnings as a songwriter.
Mechanical Royalties
Mechanical royalties are earned when your composition (melody and lyrics) is reproduced through on-demand streaming or downloads on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and digital music stores. Each interactive stream or download generates a royalty for the songwriter and publisher.
Public Performance Royalties
Public performance royalties are earned when your composition is played publicly. This includes radio airplay, live venues, clubs, restaurants, retail spaces, and broadcasts on TV or online platforms. Any time your song is performed or transmitted in a public setting, a royalty is generated for the songwriter and publisher.
Sync Licensing
Sync licensing is when your composition is licensed for use alongside visual media such as films, TV shows, commercials, video games, and online content. When a song is approved for sync, it typically generates an upfront sync fee paid to the rights holders.
Our story
We help independent artists understand their rights, collect their royalties, and navigate music publishing with transparency, fairness, collaboration, and education.
WAYU Publishing was born out of a shared vision between Julian Castañeda, founder of WAYU Records, and Leonardo Ortegon, also known as MIICHII, a producer, composer, and DJ with a background in Music Business and Audio Engineering from Full Sail University. Together, they saw a recurring issue in the independent music world: incredible artists releasing music without understanding how to collect the royalties they were rightfully owed.
Having spent years building WAYU Records into a respected record label focused on organic and melodic electronic music, Julian recognized that many of the artists were missing out on crucial publishing revenue. Meanwhile, Leonardo, with his deep experience in music production and business, had firsthand knowledge of how confusing and fragmented the world of publishing could be, especially for emerging artists.
WAYU Publishing was created to bridge that gap. It's a platform built by artists who know the system and want to help others navigate it — ethically, transparently, and with long-term impact. Every artist we work with is selected with care, not just for their sound, but for their vision. Our mission is to demystify music rights, ensure fair royalty collection, and provide opportunities that help artists grow beyond just streams.
How We Support Music Creators
We provide the help and expertise you need to maximize your creative impact and royalty collection, protect your rights, and deepen your understanding of the music publishing landscape.
Every Stream Counts
We collect publishing royalties across a wide range of regions, continuously expanding our global reach.
Educational Resources
Access our comprehensive library of articles, guides, and tools to understand your music rights and revenue streams.
Transparent Payments
Receive regular, timely payments with detailed reports showing exactly where your royalties are coming from.
Rights Management
Our team ensures your compositions are properly registered and protected worldwide.
Community Support
Join a thriving network of fellow artists, sharing experiences and insights to help each other succeed.
Sync Opportunities
We pitch music for film, TV, ads, and visual media—matching the right sound to the right story.
Copyright Protection
We actively monitor and protect your intellectual property rights across all platforms and territories.
Career Development
Leverage our experience to grow your career through one-on-one guidance and mentorship.
Our values
The core principles that guide every decision we make, shaping how we operate, who we partner with, and how we support artists at every stage of their careers.
Transparency
Clear splits. Honest reporting. No surprises. We believe trust is built through clarity, and that's non-negotiable.
Fairness
We ensure artists keep what they've earned — no hidden cuts, just fair deals and respectful publishing support.
Collaboration
We're a growing network of creatives who support each other and believe in shared success, not competition.
Education
We empower artists with the tools and knowledge to understand how their music earns and how to protect it.
Frequently asked questions
We're artists ourselves — so we built WAYU Publishing to reflect the kind of support we always looked for: transparent, fair, and rooted in community.
Not necessarily. Most distribution platforms only pay you for the master recording side of your music. That means you may still be missing out on publishing royalties—like mechanicals and performance royalties—unless you've taken steps to collect them through a publisher or administrator.
To start the process, we need basic information about you and your music. After the initial signup, we'll request more specific details about your compositions, releases, and where your music is distributed.
Yes! Labels control recordings, we handle publishing. If you're a writer, we can help collect on your behalf.
We handle the full spectrum of publishing royalties. That includes mechanical royalties from streams, downloads, and physical sales; performance royalties from radio, TV, live shows, and public plays; and sync royalties when your music is licensed for film, TV, ads, or games. We also ensure your works are properly registered worldwide so no royalty goes unclaimed.
WAYU issues payments quarterly, along with detailed reports showing where your royalties came from. We believe in transparency and ensuring you understand your revenue streams.
Contact the WAYU Publishing team
Ready to take control of your music rights? Our team is here to help you navigate the complex world of publishing and ensure you collect every royalty you're owed.
"Our mission is to help independent artists understand their rights, collect their royalties, and navigate music publishing with transparency, fairness, collaboration, and education."