Skip to content

Music Publishing

Songwriters get paid for the song, not just the recording.

Zen Music registers songwriters' compositions with collection societies worldwide and collects the songwriter and publisher royalties those songs earn: mechanical, performance and sync.

Serving artists and labels in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Timor-Leste.

  • Registered with collection societies across the region and beyond
  • Mechanical, performance and sync royalties tracked separately from streaming
  • Songwriter and publisher splits set once and honoured everywhere
  • Cue-sheet-ready metadata for sync licensing opportunities
Distribute Music
An original song splits into the composition (publishing) and the recording. The composition earns performance royalties, shared between writer and publisher, and mechanical royalties, paid to the publisher share. The recording earns digital performance royalties and recording revenues. Underlying melody, lyrics, and beat A specific recording of a song ORIGINAL SONG Composition (Publishing) Recording Performance Royalties Mechanical Royalties Digital Performance Royalties Recording Revenues (NOT MECHANICALS) Writer Share Publisher Share Publisher Share PRO PUBLISHING ADMINISTRATOR (E.G. ZEN MUSIC)

What is music publishing?

Music publishing is the administration of a song's composition: the melody, the lyrics and the songwriting itself. Every recording earns two separate kinds of royalty: a recording royalty for the performance captured on tape, and a publishing royalty for the underlying composition. Most independent artists collect the first and never claim the second.

Why does publishing matter for income?

Every stream, radio play, live performance and cover of a song generates publishing royalties that are separate from recording income. Many artists never collect them. Music publishing at Zen Music exists to collect that second half of the income.

Where are songs registered?

Zen Music registers works and splits with collection societies and administrators around the world, so mechanical and performance royalties are matched to the songwriter and paid out.

How are splits confirmed?

Before a work is registered, Zen Music confirms the songwriter and publisher splits with everyone involved: producers, co-writers and sample clearances. Getting this right once means every royalty the composition ever earns is paid out correctly, without disputes down the line.

Is the catalogue ready for sync?

Clean, consistent song metadata and cue sheets mean a catalogue is ready when a film, ad or game wants to license it.

Music Publishing in numbers

2
Royalty types unlocked
Worldwide
Society registration
100%
Composition ownership kept

More from Zen Music

  • Music Distribution

    Zen Music distributes music to 240+ streaming platforms worldwide, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and TikTok, on time and under the artist's own name.

  • Content Monetization

    Zen Music claims and monetizes artists' music across YouTube Content ID, TikTok, Reels and Shorts, with every use tracked and paid.

  • Rights Management

    Zen Music provides one place to manage splits, ownership and licensing across a catalogue, with neighbouring-rights claims, disputes and takedowns handled for the artist or label.

Ready to distribute music?

Artists and labels can tell Zen Music about a catalogue, and the team takes it from there.

Distribute Music