What is Publishing Administration?

Publishing administration is a service in the music industry that manages the administrative aspects of a songwriter’s or composer’s publishing rights. It involves handling tasks related to royalty collection, song registration, licensing, and rights management without taking ownership of the composition.

A publishing administrator typically registers songs with performing rights organizations (PROs) and other rights agencies, tracks where the music is used, and collects royalties from sources such as streaming services, public performances, mechanical reproductions, and synchronization uses.

Unlike a traditional music publisher, a publishing administrator usually does not promote songs creatively or acquire ownership shares of the composition. Instead, they manage the business and royalty collection side of the publishing rights in exchange for a percentage of the revenue generated by the songs.