Music Publishing Explained
Published: Tue, 05/13/08
If there's one question I get asked perhaps more than any other question, it's regarding what exactly a music publisher does. Technically, the moment you write a song you are the song's publisher, unless you assign the right to market your song to someone else. Think of the actual writing of the song as an art form, which of course it is, and the act of publishing and marketing the song as the business of turning your art into something that makes money.
As most songwriters have probably learned by now, there is no guarantee that simply writing a great song will generate money. The song needs to be properly exploited in order to bring the songwriter any income. Established publishers have established relationships with many different music supervisors and they are able to successfully connect songwriters with music supervisors and get their songs placed in order to generate revenue for both the songwriter and the music publisher. A songwriter could hypothetically contact music supervisors directly and initiate contact that way, and in fact the TV/Film directory I offer lists both supervisors and publishers, but it's easier to break into the business if you have someone who already has an "in" so to speak as many publishers do.
For an in depth education on how to navigate your way through the music licensing business and start generating money with your music, check out my program "The A-Z Of Music Licensing". It's the most comprehensive program I offer and explains very clearly EVERYTHING you need to know to start licensing your music either via a publisher or on your own. I also offer the program with one on one coaching where I work with your directly to help you get started.
And just a reminder that there are only a few more days left to pre-register for the "Intro To Writing Songs For Film and Television" course I'm offering. If you pre-register by 5/19 you'll save 20% off of the regular course tuition. This class is filling up fast - they're only ten slots total. If you want a great education on how to write songs specifically for the idiom of TV and Film this course is for you. As a bonus, everyone who takes the class will also get a free copy of the "A - Z Of Music Licensing" online edition. With the combination of both the course and the program you'll have a comprehensive understanding of both how to write songs for film and television as well as how to make money by licensing your songs after they are written.
I'm offering this course on a very limited basis and I'm not sure when I'll do it next. I'm in the process of starting a new and very exciting leg to my music licensing business that is taking up a lot of my time. But the good news is that all of my subscribers are going to benefit from this new development in a major way! More details about that to come...
Happy Songwriting,
Aaron Davison