How Do I Register a Song If I Am In a Co-Publishing Deal?

It’s easier than you think.

When adding a song where you are in a co-publishing agreement with another rightsholder, you should follow the same steps as a song where you own 100% of its publishing rights. The only difference is that you will have to add yourself twice: once as a client writer to represent the publishing share you own, and once as an outside writer to represent the publishing share that you do not control.

For example, let’s say I wrote a song and split its ownership shares right down the middle between myself and Universal. I would register this work in my Songtrust account as follows:

50% - client writer (publisher: none, or your personal publishing entity if you have one)

50% - outside writer (publisher: Universal)

Before adding a song into your account, it is important to review your agreement and make sure you maintain administration control of your publishing share. It is not uncommon to sign a co-publishing deal where you maintain a share of the publishing but relinquish all of its administrative rights to your co-publisher to administer. When you give up administrative rights, you cannot enter that song into an administration agreement with Songtrust.

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