Music publishing deals — the complete guide
Understand what you're signing before you sign it
How music publishing deals work — the five deal types, how royalties split between songwriter and publisher, what advances and reversion clauses mean, and whether you need a deal at all.
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The core topics in this guide. Each hub goes deep on one part of music publishing deals.
Types of music publishing deals — which one is right for you?
The five types of music publishing deals explained — full publishing, co-publishing, administration, sub-publishing, and single-song deals — and what each one means for your rights and income.
Read moreHow to get a music publishing deal — what publishers look for and how to approach them
What music publishers actually look for before signing a songwriter, the steps to take before approaching them, and how to make your pitch stand out.
Read moreMusic publishing royalties explained — what they are, where they come from, and how to collect them
How music publishing royalties work in the UK — the four types, who collects them, PRS for Music and MCPS explained, and how to make sure you are collecting everything you are owed.
Read moreMusic publishing contracts — what to look for before you sign
The specific contract terms to examine before signing a music publishing deal — royalty splits, term and options, reversion, publisher obligations, delivery requirements, and sub-publishing.
Read moreSelf-publishing your music — how to keep 100% and collect everything yourself
How to self-publish your music in the UK — what you give up by signing a publisher, how to collect performance, mechanical, sync, and international royalties yourself, and the infrastructure you need.
Read moreA music publishing deal is a contract between a songwriter and a music publisher. In exchange for the publisher promoting, licensing, and administering your compositions, you give them a share of the income those compositions generate — and, depending on the deal type, a share of the ownership.
Understanding how publishing deals work before you sign one is essential. The specific terms — how income splits, what you retain ownership of, how long the deal lasts, and how advances are recouped — have long-term financial consequences that compound over years. This guide walks through every part: what a deal is, the five deal types, how royalties work, how to get a deal, what to check in the contract, and the self-publishing alternative.
Publishing is about the composition
Music publishing concerns the composition copyright — the underlying song you write, as distinct from any particular recording of it. Every song contains two copyrights: the composition and the sound recording. Publishing deals concern the composition only. A publisher registers songs with PROs, pitches tracks for sync, licenses compositions, and collects royalties from territories worldwide.
The two-share structure
All publishing income is traditionally divided into two equal halves: the writer's share (50%) and the publisher's share (50%). The writer's share is paid directly to you by your PRO (PRS for Music in the UK) regardless of any deal. What happens to the publisher's share — and who owns the copyright — depends on the deal type you sign.
Do you even need a deal?
In the UK, songwriters can collect publishing royalties directly without a publisher. The question for every songwriter is specific: what does this publisher offer that I cannot access independently, and is that worth what I am giving up in rights and income share?
How TYFRA supports publishing
TYFRA Contracts generates and manages publishing agreements with digital signing and expiry monitoring, plus Learnea AI for plain-language clause explanation. TYFRA Vault stores the composition metadata and split documentation that underpins every registration. TYFRA Finance tracks PRO income alongside sync fees and all other revenue.
Before signing any publishing deal, independent legal review from a music solicitor is not optional.
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These aren't separate apps. Your tracks, metadata, splits, contacts, and conversations stay connected—so every tool in the TYFRA suite can work from the same source of truth.
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