Writer's Share vs Publisher's Share: What Is the Difference?

Two Halves of Publishing

The publishing income from a song (the composition) is divided into two parts:

• The writer's share: the portion that always belongs to the songwriter or composer.
• The publisher's share: the portion that belongs to the music publisher.

Traditionally these are split so that the writer's share and the publisher's share are treated as separate pools, even when the same person is entitled to both.

If You Are an Independent Artist

When you write your own songs and have no separate publisher, you are entitled to both shares. But to actually collect them you usually need to:

1. Register as a writer with a PRO to claim the writer's share.
2. Register as a publisher (or use a publishing administrator) to claim the publisher's share.

Many independent artists collect only the writer's share and unknowingly leave the publisher's share uncollected.

How This Relates to InterSpace

These publishing shares are completely separate from your InterSpace master royalties (from streaming and downloads), which we collect and pay you. To collect your publishing, register your works on the publishing side. See What Is Music Publishing? and What Is a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)?