Deals, Contracts/Shares & the DIY Path

Protection, Control, and Long-Term Strategy

• Should I sign a publishing deal?

• This is up to you as a songwriter! Publishers support songwriters in many ways, including helping solidify careers, collaborating with labels, and gaining exposure for songs. 

• What does it mean by “writer’s share” and “publisher’s share”?

• Think of these as two whole parts, one of which belongs to the songwriter and one to the publisher, that come together to make up the total of one composition. The writer(s) will always own 100% of the writer’s share, but depending on the type of publishing deal you’ve signed, the publisher’s share may be split up.

• How long should a publishing deal last?

• When signing a pub deal, the typical proposal is an initial period of 1 year with 1-3 one-year option periods of the publisher’s choice following the initial period. This means that the publisher and writer will agree on the length of an initial period, the number of potential options, their lengths, and the advance amount. However, with each option period, it is up to the publisher to choose to renew the agreement and exercise the next option.

• What is co-publishing?

• Co-publishing deals include the sharing of copyright ownership between writer and publisher. Usually, this will be right down the middle of the publishing, 50% to the songwriter and 50% to the publisher, resulting in an overall 75/25 split (to the writer and publisher, respectively).

• What is an admin deal?

• In this case, typically a songwriter will retain 100% of the copyright/publisher’s share, but will pay a fee of 10-20% to their administrator.

• Can I build a career without signing anything?

• You certainly can! It’s completely possible to build a career without signing any deals. In this case, you must be just as diligent on the administrative side of your business as on the performance side.