Managing Publishers
Publishers handle the business side of your songs—collecting royalties, licensing compositions, and protecting your works. Setting up publishers correctly ensures royalties flow to the right places.
Why Publishers Matter
Section titled “Why Publishers Matter”- Royalty collection - Publishers collect mechanical and performance royalties
- Licensing - Handle sync requests for TV, film, and advertising
- Rights protection - Monitor and enforce copyright
- Platform credits - Appear in detailed credits on streaming platforms
Creating a Publisher
Section titled “Creating a Publisher”To create a new publisher in LabelGrid:
- Navigate to Catalogue → Publishers
- Click Add Publisher
- Fill in the publisher information
- Click Finish to save the publisher profile
Publisher Fields
Section titled “Publisher Fields”| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Official publisher name |
| PRO | Recommended | Performance Rights Organization affiliation |
| IPI | Required if PRO is specified | 9-11 digit Interested Parties Information number |
| ISNI | Optional | 16-character International Standard Name Identifier |
| Controlled | Optional | Whether this is your own controlled publisher (boolean) |
IPI Number Format
Section titled “IPI Number Format”| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 9-11 digits |
| Format | Numeric only (spaces and hyphens are automatically removed) |
| Example | 00123456789 or 001-2345-6789 |
ISNI Format
Section titled “ISNI Format”| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | Exactly 16 characters |
| Format | Alphanumeric |
| Example | 0000000121212121 |
Publisher Types
Section titled “Publisher Types”Self-Publishing
Section titled “Self-Publishing”If you haven’t signed with a publisher, you can self-publish:
- Create a publisher with your own name or a business name
- Register as a publisher with your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, etc.)
- Collect both the writer’s share AND publisher’s share
Third-Party Publishers
Section titled “Third-Party Publishers”If you’ve signed a publishing deal:
- Add your publisher’s information
- Use their official name and IPI
- Set the correct ownership percentage
Administration Deals
Section titled “Administration Deals”Some publishers offer “admin” deals where they collect royalties but you retain ownership:
- Add them as a publisher on your tracks
- Specify the admin percentage
- Your PRO registration may need updating
Adding Publishers to Tracks
Section titled “Adding Publishers to Tracks”Publishers are linked to tracks through the composition splits:
- Open your release
- Navigate to a track’s Splits tab
- Under Publishing Splits, click Add Publisher
- Select or create the publisher
- Set the ownership percentage
- Save your changes
Ownership Percentages
Section titled “Ownership Percentages”Publishing splits should reflect your actual agreements:
Standard publishing deal (50/50):
- Writer: 50% (writer’s share)
- Publisher: 50% (publisher’s share)
Self-published:
- Writer/Self-Publisher: 100%
Co-publishing deal:
- Writer: 50%
- Writer’s Publisher: 25%
- Label Publisher: 25%
PRO Affiliations
Section titled “PRO Affiliations”What is a PRO?
Section titled “What is a PRO?”A Performance Rights Organization (PRO) collects royalties when your music is publicly performed (radio, TV, venues, streaming).
Major PROs
Section titled “Major PROs”| Region | Organizations |
|---|---|
| USA | ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR |
| UK | PRS for Music |
| Canada | SOCAN |
| Australia | APRA AMCOS |
| Germany | GEMA |
| France | SACEM |
Publisher PRO Requirements
Section titled “Publisher PRO Requirements”Your publisher should be registered with a PRO. When adding a publisher:
- Include their PRO affiliation
- Use their registered name exactly
- Add their IPI number
Controlled Publishers
Section titled “Controlled Publishers”The “Controlled” flag indicates publishers you own or control:
When to Mark as Controlled
Section titled “When to Mark as Controlled”- ✅ Your own self-publishing company
- ✅ A publishing entity you created
- ✅ Publishers where you’re the sole owner
When NOT to Mark as Controlled
Section titled “When NOT to Mark as Controlled”- ❌ Third-party publishers you’ve signed with
- ❌ Major label publishing divisions
- ❌ Co-publishers you don’t control
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”Publisher not appearing in credits
Section titled “Publisher not appearing in credits”- Verify the publisher was added to the track
- Check that the release has been delivered
- Allow time for platform updates (can take days)
- Ensure the publisher name is spelled correctly
Don’t know publisher’s IPI
Section titled “Don’t know publisher’s IPI”- Ask your publisher directly
- Search PRO databases:
- Leave blank if unavailable (not recommended)
Multiple publishers for one song
Section titled “Multiple publishers for one song”This is common in co-publishing situations:
- Add each publisher separately
- Set the correct percentage for each
- Ensure percentages total 100%
Best Practices
Section titled “Best Practices”- Get IPI numbers - Always include IPI numbers when possible
- Match PRO registration - Use names exactly as registered
- Keep records - Document all publishing agreements
- Update when changes occur - Keep publisher info current
- Verify percentages - Ensure splits match your contracts
Related Guides
Section titled “Related Guides”- Writers & Contributors - Adding songwriter credits
- Splits and Royalties - How royalties are calculated
- Creating a Release - Adding publishers during release creation
Need Help?
Section titled “Need Help?”If you have questions about publishers or publishing royalties, contact our support team.
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