In today’s music landscape, many independent artists, producers, and songwriters are releasing music, building a following, and receiving payments from streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. But what most don’t realize is that they’re often only collecting half of the royalties their music is generating. This isn’t because of a lack of streams — it’s because a large portion of revenue is tied to something that’s widely misunderstood: music publishing.
Every Song Has Two Sides
To understand publishing, you first need to understand how songs are structured from a legal and financial standpoint. Every piece of music is made up of two separate components, each with its own stream of income:
The Master Recording
This is the final version of your song — the audio file you upload through a distributor like DistroKid or TuneCore. It’s what listeners hear on streaming platforms. The master is tied to royalties collected when your recording is played, downloaded, or licensed.
The Composition
This refers to the underlying song: the melody, lyrics, chords, and musical ideas that make up the piece. These elements exist even if you perform the song live or play it on an acoustic instrument. The composition earns a separate set of royalties — and this is where most artists miss out.
When your track is streamed, both the master and the composition earn money. But only one of those is being collected through your distributor. The composition royalties — which can be equally or even more valuable over time — require a different process to access. That process is what music publishing is all about.
Real-Life Scenario: Missing Half the Picture
Imagine you’ve released a song that starts picking up momentum — a few playlist placements, 100,000 streams, maybe even a DJ plays it at a local event. You log into your distributor dashboard and see your earnings from the master recording. It feels like you’re covered.
But what you may not see is that every one of those streams and plays also generated composition royalties. If your song isn’t registered with the proper publishing organizations, that money is just sitting in limbo. Over time, those unclaimed royalties either expire or get pooled and redistributed — not to you, but to whoever’s set up to receive them.
What Is Music Publishing?
Music publishing refers to the administration, registration, and collection of royalties tied to the composition of a song. It’s about making sure that the people who wrote the music — even if that’s just you — get paid whenever that music is used in any context.
Publishing includes:
- Registering your songs with collection societies around the world
- Tracking usage of your music across digital platforms, radio, TV, venues, and more
- Collecting royalties from streaming, downloads, live performance, and sync
- Ensuring credit is properly assigned to you as the writer or co-writer
Without publishing, even the most successful track can leave money on the table.
Types of Royalties Publishers Help You Collect
These royalties don’t come through your distributor and aren’t automatically deposited in your bank account. They require registration and active collection:
- Performance Royalties – earned when your music is streamed, played on radio, or performed live
- Mechanical Royalties – generated from physical sales, downloads, and streams on platforms like Spotify or Apple Music
- Sync Licensing Royalties – paid when your song is used in a film, commercial, or show
- International Royalties – earned when your music is played or used outside your home country
These royalties are collected by different organizations (like ASCAP, BMI, The MLC, PRS, etc.) depending on the region and type — and if you’re not registered with them, you won’t receive what you’ve earned.
Common Misunderstandings
A lot of artists assume that being signed up with a PRO like ASCAP or BMI is enough to handle publishing. In reality, those organizations only collect performance royalties and only within their respective countries. They don’t collect mechanical royalties from streaming or downloads, and they don’t cover all territories.
Another common misconception is that your distributor handles everything. While they manage your master royalties, they don’t manage or collect your publishing. That’s why artists often see earnings from their distributors but never realize there’s an entirely separate income stream going unclaimed.
And finally, many creators believe that unless they’ve had a major hit or sync placement, there’s no point in dealing with publishing. But every stream, every download, every use contributes — and over time, it adds up. Even a modest catalog of independent music can generate meaningful income if it’s properly registered and monitored.
Why Publishing Matters — Especially for Independent Artists
Publishing is not just a luxury for major-label acts. It’s a fundamental part of being a music creator. As an independent artist, producer, or songwriter, you’re already doing the work — writing, composing, producing, releasing. Publishing ensures you’re not just putting music into the world, but also building a structure to collect everything your work earns over time.
If you create original music, you are entitled to composition royalties. But entitlement isn’t enough. You need systems in place to claim what’s rightfully yours — especially as your music reaches more platforms and more countries.
In a world where streaming revenue from masters is often limited, publishing can make the difference between small payouts and sustainable income. It also opens the door to sync licensing, international collection, and long-term rights management — essential tools for building a music career that lasts.