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Have you heard the term “sync” or “synchronization” before, but asked yourself “What is music sync”? At a basic level, granting a sync and recording license allows a third party to use the copyright...

Whether you’re a label, manager, publisher, or distributor, industry leaders should always encourage their artists to have honest and open conversations about split sheets. After all, not having them...

Lyric sheets may sound relatively simple — a piece of paper capturing a song’s key verses and choruses — but they’re often a deciding factor in securing major songwriting gigs or sync placements.

When TikTok shared its music report at the tail end of 2021, the company was quick to clarify its position on creators: “Music is at the heart of the TikTok experience. It’s the glue that connects...

Unless they’re part of the public domain, nearly every song in existence follows the same formula when it comes to copyright law. Namely a split between two distinct halves: a one-of-a-kind recording...

When Congress passed the Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA) in 1992, “digital recordings” didn’t mean Spotify downloads or bitcrushed MP3s. Back then — a decade before Napster’s shutdown, and Apple’s...

Whether you just signed a deal with a publisher or label, want to record and release a cover song, or plan on monetizing your music in any other manner (e.g., through its lyrics and viral YouTube...

YouTube can be a valuable source of revenue for songwriters, but understanding how royalties are collected—and whether you're receiving everything you’re owed—can be confusing. In fact, did you know...

As a music creator, you probably focus most of your attention on songwriting and performing, and rightfully so. But understanding how royalties are generated, collected, and deposited in your bank...

From hard rock to hip hop, it’s hard to find a hook-driven artist who hasn’t worked with a producer. But what if you’ve never stepped foot in a proper studio before? What is that experience actually...

Taylor Swift is one of the most well-known singers and songwriters in the world. In addition to her eleven Grammy wins over her almost twenty-year career, she was named the American Music Awards...

Navigating the music business can be tricky for creators, especially when dealing with the minute details of rights management and music contracts. That’s why we asked entertainment lawyer / music...

For the sixth consecutive year, the global recorded music market has seen exponential growth. Revenue for 2020 was $21.6 billion, up by 7.4 percent compared to 2019, per IFP’s 2020 Global Music...

Latin America is officially driving the global music industry’s biggest growth spurt. According to IFPI’s annual Global Music Report, Latin America saw a 17.1% spike in revenue in 2025, making it the...

According to IFPI’s annual Global Music Report, Brazil was the world’s ninth biggest market in 2024, landing right in between Canada and Mexico. Adding to its position as a global power player — and...

Radio broadcasting plays a significant role in the British media landscape, led by the publicly-funded and genre-agnostic British Broadcast Corporation (BBC). Unlike in the U.S., terrestrial radio in...

The music industry didn’t just enjoy its seventh straight year of growth in 2021. According to the BBC, international revenue increased at the fastest rate in more than two decades. So fast, in fact,...

We get a lot of questions asking us what the differences are between what Songtrust does, and what SoundExchange does. This makes sense - both companies collect royalties, both names start with an...

Producers have long flown under the radar in the music industry but they are starting to get more public attention; for example, producer tags are now very common, especially in hip-hop.

Over the last decade, video games have gone from a fun pastime to the main source of entertainment for younger generations. Or as The Guardian put it in a recent opinion piece, “video games have...

For most music creators, making their music available where people can listen to it is a crucial step towards making a living as an artist. And, with a lot of online distribution options, it’s never...

What makes a song “yours”? This feels like a philosophical question. You probably associate Whitney Houston with “I Will Always Love You,” as her legendary performance will always be the standard....

Whether you’re hosting a jam session in your basement or helping a pop star write their next hit single, collaborating with other musicians can be an incredibly productive way to create new material...

Music royalties are payments distributed to you for the use and/or reproduction of your music. To understand the importance of music publishing, a complex but vital piece of your music career, you...

According to the RIAA’s annual year-end report, streaming platforms were the music industry's biggest source of revenue in 2021, far surpassing physical sales and digital downloads at $12.4 billion —...

In January 2021, The Mechanical Licensing Collective, also known as “The MLC,” began administering blanket mechanical licenses, in addition to collecting and distributing mechanical royalties, for...

The high-dollar advance is a highly sought-after and much-discussed phenomenon in the music industry. Many musicians and songwriters hope to get signed by a major label or big-time publisher and get...

Songtrust is a publishing administrator who works to get all of your hard-earned publishing royalties collected and reported in one place, but what happens behind the scenes? How does Songtrust...

Music publishing can be a key revenue generator for authors and rightsholders in the music industry. However, in order to maximize those opportunities, it’s crucial to verify what the copyright law...

Disclaimer: The information provided below is not to be considered legal advice. Songtrust cannot provide legal advice or assistance but does encourage you to do as much research as you can, ask...

We’re nearing almost a full year into the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s safe to say that the COVID-19 virus has upended nearly everything we took for granted: How we socialize, how we shop, and how we...

From the ways we gather to hear live music to how we buy our groceries, there’s hardly a single thing the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t turned upside down. The disruption has hit many industries including...

Metadata is one of the most important, yet troublesome, elements of the modern-day music industry. Because of inconsistent recording info, millions of dollars never make their way to the right...

In June of 2018, Dutch producer YoungKio uploaded an unassuming track to BeatStars in the hopes of leasing it out and making a little extra money. Lil Nas X — a musician looking to make TikTok memes...

We've gone over virtual ways to generate music income through streaming services when you’re stuck at home. What we didn’t discuss was the types of royalties (if any) these platforms can earn you.

The role of a manager varies widely within the music industry. From pitching music to labels to handling your music publishing, the goal of a music manager is to support you and your career, and go...

Hearing your song on the radio or in a television show is a great feeling, but have you ever wondered how (or if) those uses earn you royalties as a songwriter? The short answer is yes; even if your...

En la década transcurrida desde su lanzamiento en EE. UU. en el verano de 2011, Spotify se ha convertido en la plataforma de transmisión de música líder en el mundo, con más de 345 millones de...

The music industry is made up of many different components — including streaming outlets, merchandise, sync placements, and publishing — but one of its biggest, oldest, and most vital moving parts is...

When you’re at the beginning of your music career, the music industry can seem like a giant fortress. You’re circling the walls looking for a way in, but the drawbridge is up, and the gates are...

A crucial part of music publishing is how pay sources, collection societies, and publishers work together to ensure songwriters receive what they earned. Reciprocal agreements (which we’ll expand...

When it comes to collecting the royalties your songs earn, there are many types of pay sources in the U.S.

The music industry — especially the publishing side — is full of acronyms. ASCAP, BMI, IPI, and DSP are just a few examples. Working songwriters are also forced to familiarize themselves with...

A common misconception in our industry is that collection societies such as ASCAP or BMI in the US cover all of a music creator’s publishing needs. While essential, they represent just one part of a...

Music fans everywhere are familiar with the biggest names in music. However, it’s interesting to learn that many music fans aren’t as familiar with the most prominent names in songwriting.

Getting booked to perform during the Super Bowl Halftime Show is regarded as one of the most monumental milestones a performing artist can have in their career. The performance takes place on one of...

YouTube can be a lucrative and audience-building platform for creators, artists, and songwriters, but it also tends to confuse even the most experienced users when it comes to monetizing videos and...

You’ve probably heard the phrase “it’s who you know” before, especially if you work in the music industry. On one hand, it’s easy to shrug this sentiment off, and on the other, many argue there’s a...

In the decade since its U.S. launch in the summer of 2011, Spotify has become the world’s leading music streaming platform, with over 345 million active users and 150 million subscribers globally.

One of the most vital steps in ensuring you collect all your royalties is affiliating with your home collection society. This allows you to officially register your songs for royalty collection and...

We encounter it time and time again: a songwriter doesn’t understand why their work isn’t fully registered in their Songtrust account. While we’ve streamlined the song monitoring and registration...

Whether you label yourself a producer, composer, beat-maker, singer-songwriter, or performing artist, you’re a creator to the core. And if you’re creating music — whether it’s composing alone at the...

Lyrics are often overlooked in favor of the more immediate melodies and hooks when people discuss great songwriting, but a masterful turn of phrase can mean the difference between a memorable song...

Songtrust’s goal is to be the technical partner to the publishing industry, whether that’s individual creators, management companies, law firms representing musicians, boutique publishers, record...

Music publishing is a complex, often confusing topic, even for those of us who work in the industry every day. The following article is a perfect starting point for making sense of it all: seven...

Sometimes a song bursts forth on its own, fully formed and ready to be shared with the world. These are the moments creators live for — the ones that make all those false starts and long nights feel...

We spend a lot of time answering questions about music publishing here at Songtrust. The biggest one by far centers around whether or not creators even need traditional deals anymore. After all, if...

Mechanical royalties are earned through the reproduction of copyrighted works in digital and physical formats. They are paid out to songwriters as songs are sold, downloaded, and streamed. The...

When starting out as a songwriter, chances are good that you wrote strictly for yourself. You were still learning your craft, and these first efforts may not have been ready to show to others (or at...

Built for independent creators, publishers, and businesses by fellow songwriters and industry experts, our Modern Guide to Music Publishing will help you better understand how your songs earn money...

Note: This article focuses on how composition royalties are split in most countries, but many societies outside of the U.S. break down writer and publisher shares differently. If you’re unsure of how...

As an independent songwriter, it’s absolutely vital that — to quote The Clash — you know your rights.

Between PROs, IPIs, and ISRCs, you’re probably feeling a little fatigued by all the acronyms in music publishing at this point. The following article should help provide some clarity on the key...

A collective management organization, or CMO, is a non-profit organization responsible for registering, tracking, and collecting publishing royalties after they’ve been earned, and paying them out to...

At Songtrust, our mission is to connect songwriters, bands, producers, and all the people that work with them to the publishing royalties they are earning around the world. We believe fiercely in...

One of the most important concepts in music publishing is how each recorded song has two unique copyrights, or two “halves.” Knowing how these halves co-exist is essential to understanding the unique...

Given changes in the music industry in recent years — particularly direct distribution platforms that enable creators to work directly with streaming services, download stores, and physical retailers...

The tools needed to write a song can be as simple as what many songwriters have used throughout the centuries: a piece of paper, a pen, and an instrument. But in the 21st century, a songwriters are...

There’s no denying that streaming royalties are now a primary source of revenue for many songwriters. This is a complex area to cover, so we’d like to clarify where things currently stand within the...

The weeks leading up to Tax Day in the U.S. can be a flurry of stress and difficult decisions for just about anyone. This is particularly true for the artists and songwriters making a living in the...

Even if you’re new to the music business, you’ve probably heard about royalties: the revenue earned whenever a song is played, whether it’s live, pre-recorded, or streamed.

If you’ve begun to explore the broad topic of how songwriters actually earn money writing music, you may have come across the term “sync.” One of the most potentially lucrative opportunities...

Sometimes the business of being a songwriter can seem overwhelming — a revolving door of tasks ranging from registering with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) and Collection Management...

A major frustration the music community faces today is songwriter and producer discovery. There is not a single destination that displays credits, and the sources that aim to do so lack easy...

Launched as the “first artist-owned streaming service” with the help of such heavyweights as Beyoncé, Madonna, and its most famous board member (JAY-Z), TIDAL has made supporting new music its core...

As 2018 came to a close, our team went back and looked at all the data we had collected over the last year looking for trends that might stand out and give us insight into what we could expect for...

Disclaimer: The following article discusses how mechanical royalties apply to music publishing’s U.S. market. The examples, collection processes, and pay sources mentioned within may vary in...

As the music industry’s largest online community, SoundCloud provides independent songwriters a significant platform for reaching new and old fans. The only problem is it’s crowded with millions of...

As a songwriter, retirement isn’t exactly at the forefront of your mind - finishing your song, setting up that next gig, and getting new equipment is more likely. However, retirement is ultimately...

A song’s beat can sometimes be as important — maybe even more so in the case of EDM and hip-hop — than its lyrics or melodies when you’re trying to make a hit track. But when a beat is created by...

While newer than its rival Spotify — Trent Reznor and Zane Lowe helped launch it in the summer of 2015 — Apple Music’s ties to original digital music store iTunes makes it one of the music industry’s...

Professional songwriters can generate different sources of income from their songs in the same way authors create additional income by turning a novel into a movie, TV series, or graphic novel. It...

For many songwriters and musicians, the idea of signing a publishing deal sounds like reaching the pinnacle of success. In fact, some music creators find it so exciting that the only question they...

It takes more than hit songs and a hot sound to turn music into a full-time career. Working with a distributor and publisher will help you manage the business side as well — not just the fun part.

Spotify has become a wildly popular streaming platform over the past decade. So popular, in fact, that it can feel impenetrable for many indie musicians and songwriters. (As of 2021, Spotify boasted...

There are few experiences more exciting for a songwriter than hearing your music played or streamed for the first time. It’s proof that the act of creating music is a reward in and of itself.

After many frustrating years for those in music rights management, a sensible, timely framework for managing the complicated business of music rights came into view in 2018. Artists, songwriters, and...

Picture a traditional recording studio scene: there’s the artist or band, their manager, maybe an A&R rep, audio engineer or tight-knit team of songwriters all working out tracks together.

On the surface, the Music Modernization Act (or MMA) is a bill that changes the way mechanical royalties are paid out to copyright owners, and how statutory boards and courts regulate collective...

One of the first financial decisions you’ll make as a band is how much to charge for your gigs. And while I’d like to say that setting an appropriate price gets easier the more you play, the truth is...

Multiple studies have shown that playing music is the most popular function for smart speakers — ahead of getting the weather and news — and that smart speaker owners are more likely to pay for music...

The way the US government views the definition differs from the way the music industry has evolved to view and make deals in regard to the writing splits of songs.

Splitting credits between a song’s co-writers can be tricky. Do you distribute them equally among band members, even if the lead singer wrote its lyrics and the hook everyone’s gonna hum for the...

All industries — whether it’s marketing, business matters, or music — host conferences for its members to exchange ideas and network. For many songwriters, writing, recording, and playing music can...

When you're on the road with little time to spare, it’s not always easy to grab a pad and a pen to scribble down a song lyric, or find a piano to flesh out the perfect chord. Maybe you have a...

Feeling like you’re stuck in a never-ending cycle of deadlines, putting out fires, and zero progress? It’s the absolute worst. How are you supposed to get ahead and thrive if you’re constantly...

As a songwriter, you are the publisher of any works you’ve written until you grant that right to another person or company. And as a publisher, you may want to set up your own “personal publishing...

Unless you’re one of those rare human beings who somehow manages to not let criticism penetrate your ego, it can sting quite badly when people have not-so-nice things to say about your music;...

The current economy continues to make it difficult to make ends meet for many of us. We may have readjusted our spending habits, and no longer shop as much as, or where, we used to — we may settle...

Are you a full-time artist with a widespread catalog of songs gaining traction online and elsewhere? Or at the very least, on the way to landing your first breakthrough single? If you’re already...

Live performances are an important part of every artist’s career, and knowing all the ways you can make money from them is vital. That means it's important to make sure you're getting the most out of...

Writer’s block happens to everyone — even the most passionate songwriters. It can be the most frustrating thing being unable to create new songs because you're unable to think of new ideas, stuck on...

One of the most commonly used but least understood terms in music publishing is “copyright.” The simplest definition is a form of intellectual property that is granted protections that are...

PLEASE NOTE: Before you consider resigning from a pay source or collection society, such as a Performing Rights Organization (PRO), please know this is a major decision that will likely have adverse...

If you’ve found yourself here, we expect that you have some basic knowledge of what synchronization is (and if you don’t we highly suggest heading to this article to learn more). And, hopefully,...

The rise of creative AI has some songwriters and publishers understandably fearing for their future. Will AI-generated music ultimately compete with artists and songwriters for real estate — and...

As an independent writer and musician, the words “music publishing” always gave me anxiety. Whenever it was brought up, it felt like someone was reminding me of an essay or test I had yet to start...

Professional songwriters and musicians can earn more money today than ever before. However, that doesn't automatically mean they're going to be set for life. We've all seen the hard-luck stories of...

It’s important for up-and-coming songwriters and musicians to consider every possible avenue for earning more royalties. Here is a brief list of ways you can attract more listeners and finally land...

Whenever songwriters use ordinary conversation in lyrics, the song quickly becomes very direct and very personal. It’s a profoundly effective technique, despite its simplicity. Conversational lyrics...

We’re in an awakening of mainstream LGBTQ representation in music where artists all across the spectrum can find success in their careers, but there is still a significant amount of work to be done...

I take delight anytime I’m at a tech gathering and no one brings up blockchain or bitcoin. It’s a buzz word and very few actually know what it means or what it entails. Blockchain is very fetch in...

Having a hit single in your home country is one thing — a revenue stream worth seizing if you already have a local PRO or CMO in place to help you collect royalties. But what if a record spreads like...

Unallocated royalties are royalties that are generated by song usage, but never paid out to a specific artist, performer, or songwriter due to missing information. If you haven’t properly registered...

For the last century or so, traditional publishing deals have been a bedrock of the music industry. In their simplest form, they’re a tradeoff: you give up a percentage of your ownership and...

The first day into my first job in music publishing, my boss took me aside and said, “Give it time, Mandy. It will take many years to master music publishing administration.”

Like any other entrepreneur, songwriters may experience cash flow problems sometimes and need to look for a loan or a credit line to keep the lights on. However, unlike businesses that own familiar...

Hitting the road in support of your latest songs can be an exciting experience. Even so, it's important to remember that touring isn't just an opportunity to travel and meet fans; it’s also a chance...

Now that on-demand outlets like Spotify and Apple Music dominate the market — accounting for 83% of the music industry’s total revenue as of 2020 — there’s really no way of getting around how...

Katie Jelen of Secret Road Music Services — a Nashville-based music publisher — once said she hears the words “I want a [publishing] deal!” more often than “we should grab coffee sometime.”

Whether you write original material alongside other musicians, producers, or a tricky combination of the two, one critical discussion that impacts the careers of most creators is a songwriting split...

Songwriting comes to each person in a different way; it’s easier for some than others. It's not uncommon for songwriters to experience burnout, and many careers have plateaued or ended completely...

For many songwriters, becoming an international sensation can be a lifelong dream. Thanks to an ever-growing global connectivity, it’s not only possible, but increasingly a reality. At this very...

Conceptually speaking, covering and sampling music can be considered two sides of the same coin. Covers involve the intellectual use of pre-existing material — a reinterpretation of an existing...

Savvy musicians know that YouTube is a great way to locate current and potential fans around the world. If you’ve started your own YouTube channel, you’re well on your way towards developing those...

While many setlists have been (and undoubtedly will continue to be) hastily scribbled on napkins and scraps of paper, that doesn't mean they're not valuable. After all, a handwritten Nirvana setlist...

Creators often overlook the critical steps that come after writing and recording a song, but it’s a major part of defining yourself as more than just a mere writer or musician. While tedious, getting...

Most people aren’t aware of it, but music publishing touches nearly every aspect of our lives. From the first song you remember hearing on your parents’ scratchy turntable to the ones you hear piped...

Once you’ve written, produced, and/or composed a song and started to distribute it, royalties are earned anytime it is reproduced or publicly performed. This revenue is split into recording-generated...

Songtrust is often asked about how we work alongside Performing Rights Organizations (PROs), the collection societies that help license, track, and secure the performance royalties your composition...

As an artist, sharing the hard work you’ve put into your songs is just as important as the songs themselves. You have so many options when it comes to connecting with your community — digitally on...

As a songwriter, you probably spend a majority of your time refining, reworking and iterating your work until it’s perfect. It’s not easy, especially when you’re just starting out, and your time can...

International Women’s Day gives us a chance to celebrate women’s achievements and reflect on what more we can do in our lives and in our companies to promote gender parity. Discussion and focus...

As more and more independent musicians find their footing in an increasingly competitive industry, traditional publishing deals — an advance and creative services in exchange for a controlling...

You've written a song — working tirelessly to make it perfect — and now it’s finally done. While you’re ready to share it, you quickly realize it must be registered if you want to make any money off...

Everyone involved in making original music — including band members, producers, songwriters, and composers — has the right to own a portion of their work and collect publishing royalties. To ensure...

As a music creator, especially one that is striving to have a full-time music career, there is so much that you have to do and keep up with to ensure that the music you worked so hard on is now...

You may know that performance royalties are owed to songwriters when their songs are performed live in concert, whether by themselves as a performing artist or by another performer. But how do you...

While streaming has become the way most people listen to music, it’s a broad term that can apply to anything from listening to an online radio station to watching a YouTube video.

Many historians trace the first radio transmission back to Christmas Eve 1906, when Reginald Fessenden used a handmade device to broadcast from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Those lucky enough to tune...

While it’s easy to tell a talented songwriter to “just write,” there’s a big difference between half-baked lyrics and a surefire hit single. Practice makes perfect; here are some tried-and-true paths...

We often get asked by songwriters about the benefits of self-publishing as opposed to entering into some form of publishing agreement. As an independent songwriter, you have a few different...

Great ideas, catchy melodies, unforgettable hooks — they don’t always come when it’s most convenient, but that just means that creators should be prepared to document their ideas at any time. Here...