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Yes. A publisher application can be completed online directly on our website or downloaded as a PDF.

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.

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

Although some performing rights organizations collect annual dues, BMI does not. Instead, there is a one-time fee of $175 to affiliate an individual publisher, $250 as publishing company that is a corporation (including sole stockholder corporations) or LLC and $500 for a partnership. 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.

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.

If you do not own a publishing company and there are no publisher shares on the work, you will see Manuscript as a publishing placeholder. This means the writer and publisher shares are flowing directly to the write

One half is designated for the songwriter(s) or composer(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 do not own a publishing company and there are no publisher shares on the work you will see Manuscript as a publishing placeholder. This means the writer and publisher shares are flowing directly to the writers.

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

BMI does not deal with the individual publishing companies in other countries. We only deal with the foreign rights societies for the collection of performance royalties.

At BMI, you need not affiliate a publishing entity in order to receive publishing shares, as we pay all royalties (writer and publisher) to the composer on any self-published works. If you prefer to receive your composer and publisher royalty streams separately, you may affiliate your publishing company by completing the BMI Publisher Application Form. Please note that while composer affiliation is free, there is a one-time fee of $175 to affiliate an individual publisher, $250 as publishing company that is a corporation (including sole stockholder corporations) or LLC and $500 for a partnership.