PMApub / Academy lessons / Module 2

Demystifying Writer vs. Publisher Splits

By PMApub Academy · Last reviewed 2026-10-13 · About 6 min read

The two halves of performance income

Under the standard model, public performance royalties for a composition are conceptually divided equally. One half is the writer share, and the other half is the publisher share. The writer share belongs to the people who wrote the song. The publisher share belongs to whoever owns the publishing rights in the song, which can be a music publishing company or the writer's own publishing entity.

For a songwriter with no outside publisher, the idea is that you wear both hats: you are the writer, and you are your own publisher. The difference is that the system treats those as two roles that must each be registered.

What happens when no publisher is registered

A writer can register directly with a PRO and begin receiving the writer share. But the publisher share can only be paid to a registered publisher. If you have not set up a publisher entity with your PRO, or engaged an administrator to handle it, there may be no payee for that half. Depending on each organization's rules, unclaimed amounts may be held for a period and eventually distributed in other ways or become unrecoverable.

The practical lesson is clear. If you are registered only as a writer and no publisher is set up, you may be missing a large portion of the performance money your songs generate. Check your PRO account to see whether a publisher is listed on each of your works.

Ways to set up your publishing

Independent songwriters generally have three routes:

• Create your own publishing company with your PRO. You choose a business name, register it as a publisher with your PRO, and add it to your song registrations. This gives you the most control but requires paperwork and responsibility for tracking everything yourself. Some PROs require a separate publisher application and fee, so confirm the current process.
• Use a publishing administrator. An administrator, such as Songtrust or PMApub Admin, registers your songs with PROs and collection societies worldwide, usually in exchange for a fee or a percentage of what they collect. You generally keep ownership of your songs, but you should read the agreement to confirm this.
• Sign with a traditional publisher. A publisher may advance money or provide services, and in return usually takes ownership of part of the composition or a share of income. These deals vary, and a music attorney should review them.

Choosing between self-publishing and an administrator

The right choice depends on your catalog, time, and goals. If you have a small catalog and are comfortable with the registrations, setting up your own publishing company can be a sensible first step. If you want worldwide collection or do not want to manage the paperwork, an administrator may be worth the cost. When comparing, ask about:

1. The fee or commission and what it applies to.
2. How long the agreement lasts and how you can end it.
3. Which territories and income types are covered.
4. Whether ownership of your songs changes in any way.
5. How and when you are paid, and what reporting you receive.

Never assume the terms are standard. Obtain and read the actual agreement.

Splits between co-writers and publishers

Splits and shares are related but not identical. Songwriter splits describe how the composition is divided among the writers. Each writer's own writer share and their publisher's share follow from that division. If Maya and a co-writer each own 50 percent of a song and both self-publish, then each is entitled to half of the writer side and to half of the publisher side, in simplified terms.

The totals still need to add up properly. Registration forms generally ask for each writer's percentage and each publisher's percentage, and mismatched numbers can cause a registration to be rejected or paid incorrectly. Write the agreed numbers down before you register.

A short action list

1. Log in to your PRO account and open a registered song.
2. Check whether a publisher is attached and whether the shares total correctly.
3. If not, decide whether to open a publishing entity or use an administrator.
4. Update your catalog sheet with the publisher name and registration dates.
5. Review any agreement with a qualified music attorney, and talk to an accountant about how the business entity affects your taxes.

For labels, managers, and teams

Publishing is where label and management work most often goes wrong, because the publisher share has no automatic recipient. Someone has to be set up to receive it, and someone has to own that task.

Map the structure first. For every writer on your roster, record whether they have an outside publisher, a self-publishing entity registered with their PRO, an administrator, or no publishing setup at all. Do this before release, not after the first royalty statement.

Watch for conflicts. A label that wants a publishing interest in an artist's songs is asking for something separate from a recording agreement, and the contract should say clearly whether any share of the composition changes hands. Keep these terms visible to the artist and have an attorney review them.

If you use an administrator, compare commissions, the territories and income types covered, the agreement's length, and how it ends. Keep the writer's ownership clear in the paperwork. Remember that registrations with a PRO and The MLC are not identical, and each has its own forms and data fields.

For royalty accounting, split the data by writer and publisher entity, and make sure the shares on each registration match your split sheets. Reconcile statements regularly. If a writer leaves your roster, update registrations and document who is now responsible.

Audit rights depend on the contract you signed with each administrator or publisher, so read for them before you sign. For catalog hygiene, check every work in each PRO account for a listed publisher and correct shares.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Registering only the writer share and assuming nothing else is needed.
• Believing the writer and publisher shares can be negotiated payment by payment. They follow the PRO's rules.
• Signing an administrator agreement without reading the term, the commission, and how it ends.
• Assuming an administrator takes ownership of your songs without checking the contract either way.
• Entering shares that do not match the signed split sheet.
• Registering a publishing entity with a name or details that do not match your contracts and catalog records, which makes later corrections harder.
• Forgetting that mechanical royalties also have writer and publisher components with their own registration.
• Skipping a periodic check of the PRO account for missing or unmatched publishers.

Action checklist

1. Open your PRO account and view a registered song.
2. Check whether a publisher is listed and whether the shares total correctly.
3. Decide whether to form a publishing entity, use an administrator, or both.
4. If forming an entity, read the PRO's current process and fees.
5. If using an administrator, compare commission, term, territories, and exit rights.
6. Have a music attorney review any administration or publishing agreement.
7. Ask an accountant how a business entity affects your taxes.
8. Update each registration with the publisher's name and shares.
9. Match the numbers to your signed split sheet.
10. Record the publisher name and registration dates in your catalog sheet.

Key terms

• Writer share: The half of performance royalties that belongs to the songwriters.
• Publisher share: The half of performance royalties that belongs to the owner of the publishing rights.
• Music publisher: A company or entity that owns or administers rights in compositions and collects income for them.
• Self-publishing: Acting as your own publisher, usually through a registered publishing entity.
• Publishing administrator: A company that registers and collects for a writer, usually for a fee or commission, without necessarily owning the songs.
• Co-publishing: An arrangement in which a writer and publisher share the publisher side of a song.
• Split: The percentage division of a composition among its writers or owners.
• Advance: Money paid up front that is typically recouped from future income.
• Mechanical royalty: Income for reproducing and distributing a composition, such as in a download or interactive stream.
• Recoupment: Repayment of an advance out of the royalties that would otherwise be paid.