Expert: Terrance Copley - 6/28/2007

Question
What's the difference between the two?

Thanks.

Answer
Hey Josh...thanks for writing.

Lets take a look at some of the very basics between the two
(since i am a record label signed musician and composer, i work with these issues all the time). When you record you own material, you automatically become the publisher as you have given yourself permission to record your own song. To protect you further, i would e-mail the U.S. Copyright  office and pay the $45.00 to have it officially yours. This serves as a safeguard from ripoff's that nobody can preform it, us it, record it E.C.T, without your permission. www.taxi.com is a good publisher to start with.

Copyright is a form of property. A copyrighted musical work can be owned by a person or company in the same manner as any other property. It can be bought and sold, either in whole or in partial shares. The person (or company) which owns or administers a copyright is usually called the music publisher.

The publisher represents the interests of the songwriter and works to maximize the revenue of its catalogue of musical compositions. The publisher usually makes a deal with the songwriter for the sharing of revenue. It often happens that a songwriter acts as his or her own publisher.

"Music publishing" originally meant the printing and sale of sheet music. Today, although publishers remain, to a limited degree, in the sheet music business, their main task is the promotion of the use of their copyrights through two routes: performance rights and reproduction rights.
 I also advise you to join BMI or ASCAP 9 ascap is free to join and register songs, you can do it online at www.ascap.com)so you go on record as the composer. Now if you want to maybe sell it or have it registered so anyone can record it or use it in any media, find a music publisher on the Internet (just search " music publishers" and contact the about you songs and the procedure to register with them).

They all have the option of saying no if they feel its not good enough  so recording your own songs needs to go with copyright if you want it copyrighted..i would... ( a right for others to copy with your permission), and publishing...getting an agency to add your song to their catalog in which other artists can shop for it. The publisher also makes sure you get paid and bargain for you on a price because they want to get paid too.So you don't need to publish you songs if you don't want to share and in the studio, you are the publisher of you original music.

Hope this helps,
Terry Copley
The Catz in the Hatz Band