Kahlil Gibran said, “Music is the language of the spirit…,” a saying that has reverberated timelessly. Some people are privileged to speak that language eloquently, and it does not hurt that they can and should get paid for their talent, especially if that talent is a money maker. The most important aspect of the music business post-release is royalty tracking. It is not enough for an artist to focus solely on honing their craft; they must understand the business side of music and how to track music royalties to ensure they do not leave potential revenue on the table.
Although some might think that royalty tracking and collection entails music distribution alone, that is not entirely true. While music distribution ensures revenue collection from streaming/download platforms, another aspect of protecting contributors’ copyrights in music (especially songwriters and composers) is ensuring they are also paid their due royalties. This process is called music publishing. But before we continue, let’s quickly recap what music distribution is.
Music Distribution
When you think about music distribution, you think about getting the music to the broadest audience. It is the process of delivering music from the artist to the market, making it available to consumers. This can be achieved through streaming and digital download platforms, CDs, and vinyl. A distributor’s priority is working with record labels or independent artists to get the music into as many Digital Service Providers (DSPs) as possible.
Although vinyl is making a recent comeback, digital platforms have revolutionized the way we consume music. Music distribution has slowly shifted from the traditional sale of CDs and cassettes to what we now term digital music distribution. To learn more, check out this post on digital music distribution.
Music Publishing
Music publishing focuses on music composition, songwriting, and lyrics royalties. It involves the management and monetization of a song’s composition and lyrics. The publisher ensures that you collect your owed royalties for the exploitation of the music. Whenever the compositions are reproduced (mechanical royalties), used or synchronized against content or visuals (sync licensing), or performed publicly (performance royalties), the publisher ensures payment. These are just a few examples. Perhaps we will talk about what to look out for when choosing a publisher and the highlights of a music publishing agreement in a later post. For now, it is good to note that there are many instances where music publishing is essential in royalty distribution.
Difference
Royalty tracking and royalty distribution are the basic similarities between music distribution and music publishing, so let’s look at their differences.
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Scope:
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- Music Distribution focuses on the distribution and availability of sound recordings.
- Music Publishing focuses on the exploitation of the underlying composition and lyrics.
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Roles:
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- Music Distribution prioritizes the distribution of the song, ensuring it reaches as many hands as possible.
- Music Publishing prioritizes songwriters and composers, managing the copyrights and royalties associated with the composition.
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Revenue Streams:
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- Music Distribution manages revenue from sales, streams, and physical distribution.
- Music Publishing manages revenue from performance royalties, mechanical royalties, sync licenses, and other licensing agreements.
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Key Players:
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- Music Distribution involves distributors, record labels, independent artists, and digital platforms.
- Music Publishing involves music publishers, performance rights organizations or collecting societies, songwriters, and composers.
Conclusion
There are two different copyrights derived from music: the rights in the “sound recording” and the “composition/lyrics,” and for each of these, the owner is entitled to revenue collection. Yes, the artist and the songwriter can be the same person, but that is not always the case. How can a Nigerian artist, especially an independent artist, take advantage of music publishing? Get representation, preferably an entertainment lawyer, explore the various options available to you, and get attuned to the business side of music.
There are quite a few Nigerian music publishing companies, and some of them have publishing agreements with international publishing companies. This is important information because the nature of music publishing is territorial. While music distribution focuses on collecting royalties from the master recording, some companies may also offer publishing services. However, you should find out what specific royalty types will be collected on your behalf. It is necessary to do your research and identify what works best for you.
You can always use Royalti.io to analyze and make sense of all this revenue metadata pulled from different sources in a simple, decompressed dashboard. Not only does it sort your earnings, but it also reads splits contracts, and displays royalty shares accordingly.
