Frequently Asked Questions

Music publishing administration is the process of collecting money for the music you compose. When your music is used commercially, you, as the songwriter and copyright owner, are owed royalties. It's important to note that this royalty is different from the one paid for the distribution of a sound recording, which is a separate copyright and income stream. With an administration deal, as a songwriter, you keep 100% ownership and full control of your compositions. Master Publishing acts as your administrator, taking care of licensing, registering, and collecting royalties on behalf of the songs you write.

A common misunderstanding is thinking that being part of a PRO makes a publishing administrator unnecessary. PROs and publishing administrators are different and have distinct tasks, but both work together to ensure songwriters get paid. PROs collect performance royalties, while MROs collect mechanical royalties, and CMOs collect both. A publishing administrator like Master Publishing works with these societies to maximize your royalties globally and collect revenue from various sources, including mechanical royalties. Without a publishing administrator, royalties can take 18 months to several years to reach you, if at all.

A composition has two sets of rights: the writer's share, which belongs to the songwriter/composer, and the publisher's share, which can be managed by a publishing administrator. As a songwriter, you own both shares, but you can transfer the administration rights in the publisher's share. By attributing the publisher's share to Master Publishing, you maximize potential royalties because we directly register the songs with your local PRO and hundreds of other income sources worldwide.

A composition is a musical work, with or without lyrics, created by a songwriter/composer. A sound recording (master) is the recording of a performance of that composition—including beats, percussion, bass, guitar, vocals, etc. These are separate copyrights with separate income streams. A single composition may have multiple recordings (remixes, radio edits, etc.).

CAE and IPI numbers are international identification numbers (typically 9-11 digits) given to songwriters and publishers to uniquely identify rights holders. These are assigned when you join a PRO such as BMI/ASCAP. To register for Master Publishing, you need an IPI/CAE number first—it's crucial for accurate song registration and payments. You can get your number from your PRO by logging into your account or contacting them.

We collect multiple royalty types: Mechanical (interactive streaming, digital downloads, physical products, ringtones, cover versions, karaoke), Print (sheet music, lyric reprints), Sync (TV shows, films, commercials, video games, trailers), Micro-Sync (YouTube, TikTok), and Performance publisher's share (streaming, radio, TV, venues, restaurants, bars, gyms, retail outlets). Master Publishing registers your works worldwide to ensure you receive all publisher's share royalties due to you.

Yes! Royalties from streams are the fastest-growing income source for songwriters. Interactive streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music) generate 2 royalty streams: a performance royalty collected by your PRO and a mechanical streaming royalty collected by Master Publishing. Non-interactive streaming (Pandora, iHeartRadio) generates 1 royalty stream: performance royalties collected by your PRO or by Master Publishing for territories outside your registration.

Songwriters earn from four main categories: Mechanical Royalties (streaming, downloads, physical products, ringtones), Public Performance & Broadcast Royalties (streaming, radio, TV, live concerts, venues), Synchronization Licensing Fees (TV, films, commercials, video games), and Print Royalties (sheet music, songbooks).

When a song is written and recorded, two copyrights are created: the sound recording and the underlying composition. For licensed uses of compositions, songwriters get paid (collected by a publishing administrator like Master Publishing). For licensed uses of sound recordings, performers/artists get paid (collected by a distributor or record label). These are separate income streams.

Master Publishing processes and pays royalties 45 days after each calendar quarter ends: Q1 (Jan-Mar) payout in mid-May, Q2 (Apr-Jun) in mid-August, Q3 (Jul-Sep) in mid-November, Q4 (Oct-Dec) in mid-February. First royalty payment typically takes 9-12 months as societies process registrations. Foreign territories may take 12-18 months—this is standard for any publisher.

Sometimes unclaimed royalties can be collected for up to 2-3 years after they were earned, depending on collection society rules. To increase chances of claiming historical royalties, submit complete song information (co-writer names, shares, ISRC codes, recording details). Unclaimed income usually appears 2-3 quarters after you join.

Master Publishing charges $49 US per writer (one-time setup fee) plus 15% commission on collected royalties. You keep 85% of everything we collect. Note: there is a 40% commission on Synchronization earnings (audio-visual licenses). We only collect the publisher's share—the writer's share is paid directly by your local PRO.

With Master Publishing you keep 100% ownership, register unlimited songs for free, get coverage in 200+ territories with direct affiliations (vs. 50 territories with competitors), receive quarterly payments (4x/year vs. 2x at traditional publishers), can cancel after 1 year, and become eligible for sync licensing. The dashboard is powered by world-leading Rights App Technology.

Yes, after the first year. Send an email through your dashboard to request termination. If requested 45+ days before quarter end, termination takes effect that quarter's end. If less than 45 days, it's the next quarter's end. Master Publishing retains collection rights for income earned during the agreement for 12 months post-termination.

Yes, we recommend PRO membership. You'll need your IPI number to sign up. BMI/ASCAP membership provides huge benefits including awards, grants, resources, and writing camps. Music often won't be used on TV if songwriters aren't society members. Master Publishing doesn't collect writer's portion of live performance royalties—keep your PRO membership and submit live performance returns to collect those.

You need your CAE/IPI number for Master Publishing registration. PROs pay the writer's share of public performances directly to the composer. We handle your publishing share, but you need PRO affiliation to receive writer's share income. If you're not affiliated, we can register compositions with PROs as publishers but cannot register you as a songwriter.

Yes, you'll get statements for your writer's share directly from your local PRO (BMI/ASCAP). For your publisher share, Master Publishing handles it. We register with your local PRO and many other sources worldwide. You keep full ownership and control of your rights.

No, you can only submit your own original compositions. If a composition was written by someone else, their copyright and ownership controls it.

No, they must be your original compositions. We do not accept compositions you did not create. You can submit compositions with co-writes, but we'll only collect your individual share. Provide co-writer names and shares for proper registration.

Yes! Go to your Publishing Dashboard, click '+ Add New Song' and fill out the form. Include key data (Performing Artist, Album Name, ISRC Number, Release Date) to increase matching chances with societies.

Yes, but only with proper licenses. You may need: Mechanical License (for covers), Sample License (from both master owner and composition publisher), or Beat Licenses (check if exclusive/non-exclusive and any usage restrictions). Proper licensing is crucial to avoid copyright issues.

Yes! Add as many compositions as you want, whenever you want. Login to your account, click the Master Publishing tile, select compositions and enter your writer share for each.

Your share refers to how much copyright you own for a composition. If you wrote the whole song, your share is 100%. For collaborations, divide ownership into shares negotiated with co-writers, producers, or band members (e.g., 50/50 between lyricist and composer). Have written agreements with collaborators for clarity.

Every songwriter needs their own Master Publishing account and must pay the setup fee separately—each songwriter needs to agree to terms individually. Remember: adding co-writer shares for a composition doesn't sign up those co-writers. If collecting on behalf of co-writers, they don't need separate accounts.

Every songwriter needs their own Master Publishing account and must agree to terms and pay the setup fee. Each band member should create an account (even if not distributing music). If collecting on behalf of band members, they don't need separate accounts.

We don't accept: Sound Effects/Sound Design, Ringtones (unless containing original composition), Spoken Word (unless backed by original music), Royalty-Free Music, Binaural/Meditation Sounds (unless in accepted spoken word categories), and Public Domain Works (unless new unique arrangements disclosed during signup).

Reasons include: Not an original song, Uncleared sample, Public domain song (slight changes only), Certain song types (sound effects, ringtones from existing songs, spoken word without music), Royalty-free music, or Binaural/meditation sounds not in accepted categories.

Submitted: Being validated and prepared for submission. Processed: Successfully registered. Terminated: Removed from Master Publishing. Ineligible: Didn't meet requirements (contact support). Works are submitted weekly but society processing times vary.

Yes! Registering now ensures that when you release music, royalties come directly to you. However, you won't receive royalties until music is released and generating sales/streams.

Master Publishing cannot represent compositions under pre-existing agreements until those terms have ended. We can represent other compositions not subject to those agreements.

We collect from 200+ territories including: USA, Mexico, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, France, Slovenia, Macedonia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Albania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Greece, Brazil, and many more.