What is a Letter of Relinquishment (LOR)?

It is used to let parties know that a publisher is no longer managing your songs.

A Letter of Relinquishment (LOR) acts as proof of termination from your publisher or publishing administrator so you can inform other parties they no longer control your songs. It carries a lot more weight in counterclaims than a Letter of Direction (LOD), a document that does not grant ownership of your work.

This is why collection societies often ask us to provide a LOR from your old publisher before we take over your songs: because it prevents a potential conflict.

LORs come in many different forms, ranging from a formal signed document to a simple email with your old publisher stating they relinquish all claims for your songs. Make sure you always have either on hand in the event your songs become part of a dispute between your old and new publisher.

Here is an example of what a LOR looks like:

Pro Tip: Whatever the form of your LOR, make sure that you have it on hand in the event your songs go into conflict between your old and new publisher.

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