What is a music publisher?
A music publisher takes care of the administration, exploitation and marketing of musical copyrights . copyrights. This means that if you write or compose songs, you are automatically the author - and a publisher helps you to manage these rights professionally and exploit them commercially.
The publisher ensures that you receive royalties from performances, broadcasts or streaming and can actively place your works in films, advertising or with other artists.
What does a music publisher do? The most important tasks
A professional music publisher takes on numerous tasks that relieve songwriters and composers:
- Administration:
Registering your works with collecting societies such as GEMA and managing copyrights. - Exploitation:
Ensuring that you are correctly remunerated for every use of your songs - whether on the radio, TV, streaming or live. - Promotion & placement:
Placing your songs with labels, producers, artists or film productions to create new sources of income. - Monitoring & billing:
Check that all royalties are correctly billed and allocated to you.
Music publisher, label and distributor: the most important differences
Many people confuse a music publisher with a label or distribution partner such as FEIYR - but the tasks are clearly separated:
| Scope | Main task | Typical source of income |
|---|---|---|
| Music publisher | Administration and exploitation of copyrights (songs, lyrics, compositions) | GEMA royalties, licenses |
| label | Production, marketing and publication of sound recordings | Sales, streaming, master rights |
| Distribution | Physical or digital sale of music (e.g. via Spotify, iTunes, Amazon) | Revenue share of sales/streaming |
In short:
- The publisher takes care of your songs (copyrights).
- The label takes care of your recordings (master rights).
- The distributor brings the music to the market.
How does working with a music publisher work?
When you sign a contract with a music publisher, you transfer certain publishing rights to your works to them. This means that the publisher is allowed to exploit your songs within the scope of the agreement and receives a percentage of your royalties (usually 30-40%). A reputable publisher ensures transparency, offers regular invoicing and active support.
Important: Read contracts carefully and compare offers - especially when it comes to exclusivity and terms.
When is a music publisher worthwhile for artists?
Whether a music publisher is worthwhile for you depends on your current career phase and your goals. Basically, a publishing house can take the pressure off you, promote you and increase your income - especially if you are already actively writing and publishing songs.
A publishing house can be particularly helpful if you:
- Write songs regularly and want your work to be actively exploited
- Want to save time and expertise on legal and administrative issues
- want to place your songs for other artists, films, series or commercials
- Want to work internationally - many publishers have worldwide networks
If, on the other hand, you are just starting out and have only released a few songs, it may make sense to manage them yourself first (e.g. through direct GEMA membership) and look for a publisher later.
Tip: If you want to publish your own music on FEIYR, you don't need a conventional publisher. With FEIYR, you have the option of publishing your own music as a so-called self-publisher.
Self-publishing as an alternative
Not every songwriter needs a big publishing house right away. Many artists start with self-publishing - i.e. their own small music publishing house that is registered with GEMA. This allows you to manage your rights independently, retain full control and get to know the administrative process.
However, you often lack the network, reach and legal expertise that an established publishing house can provide. In the long term, a mixed form can therefore make sense: independent administration at the beginning, later a publishing partner for larger projects.
Conclusion: publishing partner - yes or no?
A music publisher is not a must - but for many songwriters and composers it is a strategically valuable partner. They take care of the complex world of rights, ensure fair remuneration and create new ways of using your songs.
If you write music regularly and want to work professionally in the long term, it's worth looking into working with a publisher - especially if you want to focus on what you do best: Making music.
