Music Publishing 101: What New Artists Need to Know About Royalties

Most new artists have heard the word royalties but are not entirely sure what they are or how to collect them. Understanding music publishing is one of the most important things you can do early in your career — before you release anything.

Two Types of Rights in Every Song

Every recorded song has two sets of rights: the master recording and the composition (also called the publishing or sync rights). The master recording is the actual audio file — who owns the recording itself. This is typically owned by whoever paid for the recording, whether that is the artist, a label, or a producer. The composition covers the underlying song — the lyrics and melody. This is where publishing royalties come from.

Types of Royalties

Performance royalties are generated when your song is played publicly — on radio, in a restaurant, in a store, or at a live venue. These are collected by PROs (Performing Rights Organizations) like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC in the US. You must be registered with a PRO to collect these. Mechanical royalties are generated every time your song is reproduced — streamed on Spotify or downloaded. Streaming platforms pay these at per-stream rates. Sync royalties are paid when your music is licensed for use in TV, film, ads, or video games.

What You Should Do Right Now

Register with a PRO (ASCAP or BMI are free to join) before you release any music. Register your songs with your distributor and make sure the composition ownership is properly listed. Consider a publishing administrator like DistroKid Publishing, Songtrust, or AWAL to collect royalties globally. At Mania Records, our artists including ALEO have worked with major publishing entities including UMPG (Universal Music Publishing Group). We understand publishing deals and can help guide you through protecting your work properly.