Types of Publishing Deals

Choose the one that fits your goals.
When it comes to music publishing, the type of deal you sign determines how much control you keep, how royalties are split, and what services the publisher provides.

Each deal type offers different trade-offs between ownership, revenue, and support. The right choice depends on your goals: whether that’s keeping control, maximizing income, or gaining global reach.

The standard terms of a publishing deal include:

  • Term: the length of the deal
  • Scope: what works are included
  • Delivery: how many songs are owed to fulfill the term
  • Splits: revenue breakdown by exploitation
  • Retention: how long the publisher controls the songs
  • Advance: how much the writer gets up front

Here are the three (3) most common publishing deals:

Full Publishing Deal

The songwriter is signed exclusively to a publisher for a time period, and is given an advance check against future royalties (the amount of which is negotiated & depends on the writer’s bargaining power).

The publisher owns the copyright and typically takes the publisher’s 50% share of royalties, while the songwriter keeps the writer’s 50% share. In return, the publisher handles the administration and actively works to exploit the songs and maximize earnings.

Co-Publishing Deal

The songwriter and the publisher are co-owners of any songs written during the contract period. The songwriter collects the 50% writers share, and as “co-publisher”, splits the publisher share 50/50 with the publisher.

In the end, the writer receives 75% of the income, and the publisher receives 25%.

Administration Deal

The songwriter licenses a selection of their self-published songs to an outside publisher (or independent administrator) for a time period.

For a fee of 10-20%, the publisher is responsible for handling the administration on behalf of the songwriter. In this deal, the writer retains 100% of the copyright.

Other publishing deals types include:

Single Song Agreement

The writer grants publishing rights for one or more pre-existing songs to a music publisher.

Step Deal

Standard publishing deal that “steps“ into a co-publishing deal if and when the writer is signed to a record deal.

Sub-Publishing Deal

An administration deal for one or more foreign territories

Collection agreement

Similar to an administration deal, the collection agent only handles royalties and isn’t responsible for exploiting the copyrights.

Purchase agreement

When one music publisher acquires the catalog of another publisher (whole or partial).

Participation Deal

An entity shares in the income without any of the publishing ownership.

Music Placement Deal

A team pitches their client‘s music for TV, film, and advertisement sync opportunities. They have no ownership stake, and collect a fee for the placements they secure.

Bottom line: Always know the deal you’re signing, because it shapes both your rights and your royalties.

Additional info: