DIY: Music Publishing Admin Tips
Music publishing administration is a process which includes detailed record keeping, keeping up with mechanical and performance royalty rates and acquiring rights to songs from composers, lyricists and songwriters. Publishing administration also involves the marketing of songs and the collection of royalties from artists assigned to a record label. With a knowledge and research ranging from performance to mechanical rights, an individual can establish their own publishing division.
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Tracking Performance Royalties
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Musicians, publishers and composers usually belong to a performance society. A performance society operates as guild and pays a certain royalty rate for performance of music over media such as television and film and in venues like nightclubs, disco clubs and retail stores. Examples of a performance royalty association are ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. A music publisher should become a member of all major performance societies and establish a database which tracks royalty payments to themselves of other artists on a record label. Most performance societies have online tools which a publishing administrator can use to track payments and download information into a spreadsheet.
Administering Copyrights
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Copyright protection is vital in the music business. Copyrights show the original lyricist, songwriter or composer of a composition and provide intellectual law protection for the individual. If a music publisher is administering copyrights, the Library of Congress has an automated system to assist in copyright administration. Music publishers can create a copyright account and submit music, a CD or phonograph recording to the copyright office. All copyrights contain a registration number which is assigned by the Library of Congress. If the publisher has a database, these copyrights can be tracked by entering information concerning the artist and copyright into the program.
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Mechanical Rights Administration
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Mechanical rights allow a musician to reproduce a copyrighted work by another songwriter, lyricist or composer. The role of the publisher is to issue a mechanical license to the artist who requests the right to record a composition which is mechanically (by CD, phonograph record or other audio media) reproduced. In this area, a publisher can use administrative organizations to assist in tracking mechanical fees owed to an artist. Publishers typically sign agreements to have other agencies track mechanical licenses, and these agencies have elaborate tracking systems which are Web-based with reports that can be downloaded into the publisher's computer.
Administrative Management
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Keeping accurate records of all publishing processes is vital to the success of a music publisher. Other administrative tips include setting up databases or a records management system which assigns catalog numbers to recordings, a record keeping system for master tapes or discs of recordings and a financial program for tracking and dissemination of royalties. There are comprehensive software packages on the market which can assist an aspiring publisher to track administrative tasks related to music publishing.
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