Understanding how royalties are generated, collected and ultimately deposited in your bank account is as important as songwriting and performing - and it’s not as complicated as you think. The more you know about the business life cycle of a song, the better you’ll be at making smart decisions about your work when it’s released.

When songwriters think of making it big, it usually inspires thoughts of winning an industry award or a beloved artist performing their songs. But a major part of making a career as a songwriter is understanding that the music business is, yes, a business – and that means it's up to every songwriter to seek out education, to learn how to network, and get organized as much as any big CEO would.

Songwriters should know how to show off their work with the best advantage and how to make sure they are paid for their work. While not used by every songwriter, lyric sheets and split sheets are two important documents that may be of use to you as you grow, and something that you need to know how to create and use.

"The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you.” - Lost in Translation

Songwriting comes to each person in a different way - for some, it’s easier than others. It's not uncommon for songwriters to experience burnout, and many careers have plateaued or ended completely because of it. It's important to remember that burnout is usually the culmination of issues that are troubling you – whether it's friction with collaborators or a negative reaction to your songwriting from loved ones – and this can eventually rob you of the joy you used to take in it. Even though burnout has leveled many talents, you can avoid it – or, if you burn out, fight your way back. Here are a few ways to jumpstart yourself:

Despite its deep roots in musical tradition, covering and sampling other artists’ work is a sticky topic. Some songwriters have no issue with drawing inspiration from existing songs and sounds, while others insist it’s “cheating” and prefer a more traditional approach to songwriting.

You finally finished writing/producing that perfect song, worked out all the kinks and chosen the perfect words, and now you’re ready to share it with the world. How you move forward from here can define who you are as a creator/writer. The most important next step is to record, master, or mix your song. You can’t start collecting royalties or get public interaction until your songs are complete, so decide the way that works best for you and get finalizing.  

Music publishing today is the business of creating, producing and distributing the written song compositions, ensuring that the songwriter, composer, and creators receive royalties when their songs are used or reproduced. However, the journey it’s taken to get here has been a long one. It’s developed significantly since the 1800s, when, during the industrial revolution, print music was introduced as an option for venues to use for their patrons. As the demand for music in venues and establishments increased, classical music took the lead by delivering sheet music to be used by the in-house musician to entertain guests.

Almost every musician knows they can make some money off playing a gig or selling CDs, but not every musician knows the difference between each revenue stream, nor that they can make money in so many other ways. When you’ve finished (written, produced, or composed) a song and start to distribute your music, you're due royalties from the use of your composition -- more specifically performance and mechanical royalties. It’s important to know the different royalties you can collect - whether its from streams on Spotify or serenading your local coffee shop - and how to collect them since publishing royalties make up a significant part of your revenue as a creator or music business.