Publishing Deal For Songwriter (Publishing Agreement)

A music publishing agreement is a contract in which a songwriter assigns the copyright of their songs to a publisher. The publisher is then responsible for exploiting the songs and collecting the income from licensing, and then sharing that income with the songwriter. The agreement includes a minimum commitment from the songwriter, expressed as a proportion of songs on commercially released albums, and the contract lasts for an initial term with the option to extend the contract for additional periods.

• The songwriter assigns the copyright in their songs to the publisher for a limited period

• The publisher is not absolutely obligated to exploit the songs, but is expected to do so

• The agreement provides for a minimum commitment from the writer in terms of the proportion of songs contained on commercially released albums

• The agreement runs for an initial term followed by optional extension periods, each with its own minimum commitment