What's the Difference Between the Writer's Share and Publisher's Share?

And why does it matter?

Every composition has two sets of rights: the writer's share and the publisher's share. As the copyright holder/creator, you inherently own both.

Performance royalties have always been split this way, with one half being sent to the songwriters directly (writer share) and the other half collected by a publisher (publisher share). Thanks to administration services like Songtrust, you now have the option to maintain full ownership of both shares, and collect both sets of royalties.

By entering into an administration agreement with Songtrust, you maintain ownership of your rights as a copyright holder and transfer administration rights to us so we can collect your publisher's share. Because we have direct relationships with performing rights organizations and other collection societies around the world, we are able to collect your global royalties without additional cuts, delays, or lost revenue.

Writer’s share royalties are delivered to the writer directly by their Performing Rights Organization (PRO). If you don’t have a publisher, your PRO will also collect your publisher share.

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