What Is the Writer’s Share vs. the Publisher’s Share?

Why This Split Exists

• It reflects ownership rights in the composition.
• PROs (like ASCAP, BMI) track and pay each share separately.
• Allows publishers to be compensated for managing, pitching, and licensing your music.

 Who Collects What

Role	Collects	Must Be Registered With
Songwriter	Writer’s Share	A PRO (ASCAP, BMI, etc.)
Publisher	Publisher’s Share	A PRO + The MLC
Self-Published Writer	Both	PRO + MLC or admin service

 Registering as a Publisher

If you want to collect the publisher’s share:

1. Set up a publishing entity (you can name it anything).
2. Register it with your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, etc.).
3. Register with the MLC to collect mechanical publisher royalties.

 Applies to Performance Royalties Only

This 50/50 split applies to performance royalties (radio, TV, streaming, live).

Mechanical royalties, sync fees, and other income follow different splits depending on contracts and ownership.

 Pro Tips

• Always register your songs with both your writer account and your publisher account.
• If you don’t have a publisher, create one to collect the full amount.
• Publishing admin services can help manage the publisher’s share globally.

Bottom Line:
Performance royalties are split 50/50 between writer and publisher. To earn your full share, you must either sign with a publisher or set yourself up as one.