What is a Co-Publishing Deal?

A co-publishing deal is a type of music publishing agreement in which the songwriter and the publisher share ownership of the songwriter’s compositions. It allows the songwriter to retain a portion of the publishing rights while the publisher helps manage and promote the songs.

In a typical co-publishing arrangement, the publisher receives a share of the publishing rights and royalties in exchange for services such as song promotion, licensing, royalty collection, and administration. The songwriter usually keeps the writer’s share of royalties and a portion of the publisher’s share.

Co-publishing deals are common in the music industry because they allow songwriters to maintain partial ownership of their work while still benefiting from the publisher’s resources, connections, and expertise in placing and monetizing songs.