For a songwriter to be successful, and for his/her music to have a life beyond the four walls in which it was written, a music publisher is vital. A music publisher has an important and varied role, which includes sourcing new music, licensing it for use in other territories around the world, and sync opportunities; that is the use of songs in things like television, film, and the computer games industry. Their role is also a business related one, including dealing with copyright issues, royalty payments, and other business/legal issues.

Publishers can work in several different ways. Some will often, if they recognise the potential in a song, or have an opportunity it may be suited for, agree to pitch it for a designated time span, to see if any record labels/artists/managers might be interested. There are no guarantees of the amount of work the publisher will put in, or that you will end up with a publishing deal at the end of it, but in some ways all interest is good. This method is most commonly used with new songwriters, whereas songwriters who are well known, and have a reputation in the business might sign a deal involving several songs, an album, or indeed all past and future material they produce.

Some publishing deals will assign copyright of material over to the publisher, in return for royalties, promotion, and other benefits, while others will leave control of the songs with the writers. There can sometimes be an advance on signing a publishing deal, then any forthcoming earnings will be split between the writer and publishing company.

Publishers can range from big names, to smaller, independent companies. Some will have sub publishers or partners around the world they work with, while others will focus their efforts on a particular territory or country. Getting the attention of any publisher, can be a long and gruelling process. There are many publishers who don’t accept unsolicited material, so networking, and making reputable contacts in the industry who can promote songs on your behalf, can be very valuable. That’s not to say it’s impossible to get your songs listened to, it just requires a certain amount of luck, good research, and persistence. Creating a buzz for your song won’t do any harm either.