FAQ: Publishing

Yes. In fact, many songwriters set up a company to publish their own works.

A songwriter or composer is the creator of a work, which is a song, score or other musical composition. A publisher, on the other hand, is an individual or company that owns or administers the copyright of a work. The writer or creator of the work must assign the copyright to a publisher in order for that publisher to claim ownership.

Not yet. To join BMI as a publisher, please download the publisher application and follow the included instructions.

Although some performing right organizations collect annual dues, BMI does not. Instead, there is a one-time application fee of $150 to register a publishing company that is owned by an individual, and $250 for a publishing company that is a partnership, corporation (including sole stockholder corporations) and/or limited liability company. The fee is due when the publishing company is initially set up, and it is neither refundable nor deductible from future earnings. To get started visit our Join page.

One half is designated for the songwriter(s), and the other half is designated for the publisher(s) or copyright holder(s). Learn more about how BMI pays royalties. If you do not have a publisher, you will also receive the publisher’s share as a writer.

If you are just getting started, you will not need to set up a publishing company. Creating a publishing company will not mean that you receive more royalties. You are not leaving any royalties on the table.

No, that is not within the scope of our business.

For career advice, attend a BMI-sponsored workshop, or contact your local songwriters association, like the Nashville Songwriters Association, or NSAI, in Nashville.

Forms for changing the name and/or ownership of a publishing company are available on the Forms page.

Or download them directly, here:

• Publisher Name Change Form
• Publisher Ownership Change Form