Blog
-
The "Producer vs. Writer" Split Dilemma
Writing the lyrics does not mean you own 100% of publishing. In modern practice the producer usually owns half the composition unless you agree otherwise in writing.
-
The Alphabet Soup: ISRCs vs. ISWCs
ISRCs identify the recording. ISWCs identify the composition. If they are not linked, streaming platforms do not know who to pay for publishing.
-
The Ticking Clock on Unclaimed Money
Unclaimed mechanicals and performance royalties typically have a 2-to-3-year window. After that they hit the black box. Sign up before you blow up.
-
The Admin Deal vs. Co-Publishing Trap
Co-publishing advances are loans against 50% of your copyright forever. An administration deal keeps 100% ownership and charges a fee to collect.
-
Master vs. Composition (The Two Halves of Your Song)
Owning your masters is not the same as owning the song. A recording and a composition are two copyrights, and two royalty stacks.
-
The Feature Tax: Why Guest Verses Are Complicated
Paying a rapper $500 for a verse does not buy their publishing. Without a work-for-hire, they still own a share of the composition.
-
Live Shows: Leaving Money on the Stage
Venues already pay PROs for live music. If your originals are registered, you can submit setlists and collect performance royalties from your own gigs.
-
Catalog Valuation: Treating Your Songs Like Real Estate
Uncollected royalties make a catalog look worthless on paper. Registering with RightsTune builds the auditable history buyers actually want.
-
Do I Have to Leave BMI/ASCAP to Join RightsTune?
A publishing admin does not replace your PRO. Keep BMI or ASCAP, collect your writer share there, and let RightsTune catch the rest.
-
What Actually is a Mechanical Royalty?
Mechanical royalties started as a fee for pressing CDs. Today every stream is a digital reproduction, and your distributor does not collect that money.
-
The "I Only Stream in the US" Fallacy
BMI and ASCAP will not collect your international mechanicals. Why a German stream still needs a global publishing admin.
-
YouTube's Hidden Goldmine: Micro-Sync Royalties
Fan videos on YouTube and TikTok generate publishing royalties your distributor never collects. How micro-sync works and how to claim it.
-
Why Beat Leases Can Wreck Your Publishing
A $30 beat lease usually covers the master, not the composition. How producer publishing splits work, and how to register them correctly.
-
The Handshake Agreement Nightmare
A 50/50 studio handshake is not a split sheet. Why verbal deals freeze royalties, and how registering exact percentages keeps everyone paid.
-
Why Sync Licensing Changed My Career (And How You Could Ruin Yours)
What landing a sync placement taught me about cleared rights, tight supervisor deadlines, and why unregistered publishing kills sync opportunities.
-
The Harsh Financial Reality of Being an Artist
Mixes, ads, video, playlisting: indie costs add up fast. Why you can’t afford to leave global performance and mechanical royalties unclaimed.
-
The "Wait, I Have Money?" Moment
The day a distributor dashboard looked fine until publishing royalties showed what was left on the table. Master vs publishing, explained from experience.
-
The Full Lifecycle of a Song Registration
How song registration works: ISRCs, ISWCs, IPI numbers, metadata, CWR delivery to global societies, and matching masters to compositions.
-
The Waiting Game: Why Publishing Royalties Take About a Quarter to Arrive
Why publishing royalties take months after a stream, how the global society pipeline works, and how RightsTune takes about a quarter to first payout then pays monthly.
-
The Black Box: Where Your Uncollected Music Royalties Actually Go
Unclaimed publishing royalties go into the industry “black box” and can be redistributed by market share. Here’s how to stop your money from ending up elsewhere.
-
Myth: ASCAP and BMI Collect All Your Publishing Royalties
ASCAP and BMI only cover part of performance royalties. Mechanical royalties from Spotify, Apple Music, and international streams need a publishing administrator.
-
The Harsh Truth About DistroKid, TuneCore, and Your Royalties
Distributors collect master royalties, not publishing. Learn why DistroKid and TuneCore leave mechanical and performance royalties unclaimed, and how publishing administration fills the gap.