What is the Difference Between the Writer’s Share and the Publisher’s Share?

A composition has two sets of rights: the writer’s share, which belongs to the songwriter/composer, and the publisher’s share, which can be managed by a publishing administrator like Master Publishing.

As a songwriter, you own both shares, but you can transfer the rights in the publisher’s share through a publishing deal. In a publishing deal, the publisher is authorised to issue licenses and collect royalties for the compositions covered by the agreement. However, in a Publishing Administration agreement, ownership isn’t transferred; only the right to administer the songs is given.

By attributing the publisher’s share to a publishing administrator, like Master Publishing, you maximise potential royalties for the writer’s share. This happens because the administrator directly registers the songs with your local PRO and hundreds of other income sources worldwide, ensuring a more efficient royalty collection process.

For example, let’s take the song ‘Cruel Summer’ performed by Taylor Swift, co-written by Taylor, Annie Clark and Jack Antonoff. Jack has an administration agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). With this arrangement, UMPG takes care of registering his works with various income sources globally, including ASCAP (the local PRO), and collects the publisher’s share. Jack continues to be paid directly by ASCAP for his writer’s share.

By handing over the administration of his songs to UMPG, Jack can focus on writing music instead of worrying about registration and royalty collection.