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 affiliated with a PRO/CMO and have a distributor pushing your songs out on all the major platforms, but don’t have anyone handling your publishing administration, don’t panic! We’ve got you covered.
Here are 10 reasons why Songtrust is the ideal publishing administration partner for your growing team, along with a clear and concise breakdown of what Songtrust does, what Songtrust is used for, and whether Songtrust is actually worth it.
1. Keep 100% of Your Copyright
While selling a stake in your work can be a strategic move for some experienced creators, many rights holders prefer full ownership of their music. When you register your work with Songtrust, you retain 100% of your copyrights – that means you maintain complete control over the use of your song(s). That includes key creative rights like syncs because we believe your songs belong to you; no one else should decide what is done with them on a daily basis.
Read a refresher on songwriter rights here.
2. Global Reach
Songtrust maintains direct relationships with 65 pay sources and collection societies in more than 215 territories around the world, giving us the greatest range of royalty collection coverage available to fiercely independent creators. That goes for whether you’re affiliated with a U.S.-based PRO like ASCAP or an international society like APRA AMCOS.
Our mission doesn’t end there, either; we’re continually strengthening and expanding our pay source relationships throughout the world. Our team is also global, with nine offices around the world, and access to the resources our parent company (Downtown Music Holdings) offers in 22 cities.
Check out our crash course in global music royalties here.
3. Track Royalties Your Way
We want to make sure you have a clear understanding of where your royalties are coming from. That’s why we created a comprehensive dashboard that allows you to easily follow the various types of royalties you’re collecting throughout the physical and digital world, and then make informed decisions about your music career.
We also pay out royalties four times per year — more often than many publishers. This means you’ll receive a transparent royalty report and a direct deposit every quarter, as long as your song is earning. After all, it’s your money; you’ve earned it.
Download our free Royalty Statement Guide here.
4. Flexible Terms
Songtrust is as flexible as publishing administration gets; we require only a one-year term, and you can select only the songs you want us to administer (but encourage you to add your entire catalog!). This gives you the freedom to steer your own career and feel confident that your royalties are being collected from every angle.
Traditional publishing deals often take a percentage of your musical compositions (25% to 50%, typically) in exchange for copyright administration services, creative opportunities (writing sessions, pitching for sync licenses, pitching your songs to recording artists), marketing and promotion campaigns, and team building.
During the term of a traditional publishing agreement, you’ll generally be required to not only allow your publisher to help guide your creative direction, but deliver a minimum number of songs and maintain a sound and image your publisher determines. That won’t happen with Songtrust.
5. You’re In Control
Our entire platform is self-service, from registering songs and tracking earnings to empowering you to troubleshoot and continue your musical education through our Help Center and Blog.
When it comes to more complex issues, we are just one click away. As a Songtrust client, you gain access not only to our global publishing royalty infrastructure, but also to a robust team of publishing and rights management experts who are ready to offer advice on publishing issues. A support form can also be found within our client dashboard after you log into your account.
6. Support Your Songs
In a more traditional publishing deal, you may be required to deliver all of your songs to your publisher, and write and deliver a minimum number of marketable songs during your term.
When you join Songtrust, you can register as many songs as you’d like. Be strategic; there is real inherent power in having as many songs as possible registered as soon as they are distributed. It’s your decision, and yours alone. We’ll focus on collecting your earned royalties.
7. Simple Fee
When registering with Songtrust, you pay a one-time fee of $100 per writer. This gives you access to our entire platform, global royalty collection across 215 territories, and the ability to register an unlimited number of songs through your account. And unlike many other administrators, we only take 15% of your publisher’s share — one of the lowest administrative fees in the industry.
8. More Than Your PRO/CMO
Every songwriter or rights holder needs to be affiliated with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) or Collective Management Organization (CMO) in their territory. Not only do these societies help rights holders collect their writer’s share royalties as well as the occasional publisher’s share, they also establish you as a songwriter in the music industry.
Local societies can’t cover every potential global pay source, though. We saw this discrepancy and decided songwriters needed a way to collect all of their royalties — performance, mechanical, and micro-sync — in one place. Because of this, we act as your publisher and collect all of your publishing royalties on your behalf where they’ve been earned so you can focus on what you do best: music.
9. Support
At Songtrust, you don’t have to worry about having your toughest questions tackled on an intermittent basis. For quick answers to frequently asked questions, our Help Center has over 400 articles to help you troubleshoot. Our client services team is available to answer intricate, pressing issues Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. EST. Their mission is to make music publishing less complicated and more accessible for you. You can find our support form within the Songtrust app if you need that additional support.
10. Education
We’ve worked really hard to create and foster an environment for songwriters to learn, network, and discuss everything from music industry issues to publishing resources. Whether it’s through our blog, monthly newsletter, or YouTube channel we’re constantly looking for new ways to connect and share information with anyone interested in publishing (even if you’re not a Songtrust client).
We also keep you connected through our social media platforms (look for us at @songtrust) ongoing webinar series, and playlists/stories that spotlight Songtrust clients.
If you have any further questions about the pros and cons of Songtrust, please reach out to our team or check out if we’re the right fit for you.
