Most independent artists register with a PRO and assume they are covered. They are not. Here is what publishing administration actually involves and how much it can change your income.
The gap most independent artists don't know exists
Registering with PRS for Music or ASCAP is a good start. But it is only a start. The majority of independent artists stop there, and in doing so, leave a significant portion of their royalties uncollected. Publishing administration is the layer of active management that sits between your registration and the money actually reaching you.
The 50% you are probably leaving on the table
Here is a concrete example. A UK-based songwriter with a mid-sized streaming catalog - say 2 million streams per month across Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube - should expect performance royalties from PRS, mechanical royalties from MCPS, and neighbouring rights from PPL on their recordings. If they registered with PRS as a songwriter member only, and have no publishing administrator, they are typically recovering between 40% and 60% of what they are actually owed. The rest leaks into undistributed pools, unmatched territory claims, and mechanical gaps.
A worked example: before and after administration
Consider a UK songwriter generating £3,000/year in PRS performance royalties. Without a publishing administrator: MCPS mechanicals unclaimed (~£900 estimate), international performance royalties from territories without direct PRS reciprocal flow unclaimed (~£600 estimate), sync income not actively pursued. Total estimated recovered with administration: £4,500–£5,500 per year - a 50–83% uplift on the baseline PRS figure alone. Administration commission on recovered royalties is typically 15–20%, meaning the net gain is still substantial.
What publishing administration actually covers
Publishing administration is the ongoing process of registering, tracking, and collecting the royalties generated by your compositions, not your recordings, but the underlying songs themselves. This covers several distinct streams:
- Performance royalties: earned when your music is played on radio, TV, in live venues, or streamed
- Mechanical royalties: earned when your compositions are reproduced, including digital downloads and physical sales
- Synchronisation fees: earned when your music is licensed for film, TV, advertising, or games
- Print and transcription income: earned from sheet music and lyric licensing
- Black box royalties: undistributed funds held by collection societies that can be claimed within a time window
Why a PRO registration alone is not enough
Collection societies like PRS, ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN can only collect royalties they know to attribute to you. If your works are not registered with every relevant society in every relevant territory, income generated in those territories simply goes uncollected. Most independent artists are only registered in their home territory, meaning anything earned internationally is lost by default.
The territory problem
If your music is streamed in Germany, France, Japan, Canada, and Australia, and you are only registered with PRS, the royalties generated in those territories go into an undistributed pool. A publishing administrator handles multi-territory registration so income from every country where your music is heard can be claimed.
What a publishing administrator does differently
A publishing administrator does not just handle your paperwork. The active component (pursuing unclaimed royalties, auditing society accounts, identifying and disputing underpayments) is where most of the value is recovered. Many new clients are surprised to find royalties that have been accruing for months or years, unclaimed.
Publisher vs publishing administrator: the critical difference
A traditional music publisher typically acquires a percentage of your copyright in exchange for their services. A publishing administrator like Code Group Music works on your behalf without taking any ownership of your music. You retain 100% of your copyright. We retain a small administration commission from the royalties we collect. That is the only exchange.
Sentric vs a direct PRS publisher account: which is right for you?
Some artists consider joining Sentric (now part of Believe/TuneCore) as a lightweight publishing administration option. Others open a direct PRS publisher account themselves. Here is how the options compare:
- Sentric/TuneCore Publishing: low-cost entry, automated registration, but limited active royalty pursuit, no territory-by-territory audit, and commissions that compound across distribution and publishing
- Direct PRS publisher account (self-managed): gives you control, but requires knowing what to register, how to track usage, and how to pursue underpayments yourself - most songwriters lack the metadata infrastructure to do this effectively
- Specialist publishing administrator (Code Group Music): active royalty pursuit, multi-territory registration, MCPS and international society management, sync licensing support, and full copyright retention - commission only on royalties collected
When publishing administration is better than a publishing deal
A traditional publishing deal makes sense when a publisher is actively pitching your music for sync, placing songs with major label artists, or funding your career development. If those things are not on the table, you are paying a copyright percentage for paperwork. Publishing administration gives you the infrastructure of a publisher without the copyright cost. The tipping point: if a publisher is not offering active creative services, administration is almost always the better deal.
Who needs publishing administration
Publishing administration is relevant to any songwriter, composer, or rights holder whose music is being performed, broadcast, streamed, or licensed, regardless of whether they are signed to a label. If you are making music that other people are hearing, you are generating royalties. The question is whether they are finding their way to you.
If you are unsure whether your catalog is being fully administered, our free Catalog Assessment is the best starting point. It takes under five minutes and we will respond with a clear, honest picture of where your royalties currently stand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a publishing administrator if I am already registered with PRS?
Yes. PRS registration covers your UK performance royalties, but it does not automatically capture mechanical royalties (MCPS), international royalties in territories without direct reciprocal flow, or sync income. A publishing administrator manages all of these streams together and pursues underpayments that a basic PRO registration will miss.
How much does publishing administration cost in the UK?
Publishing administrators work on commission - typically 15–20% of royalties collected on your behalf. You do not pay upfront fees. The model means the administrator only earns when you earn, aligning their incentive with yours. Code Group Music operates this way for all clients.
What is the difference between a music publisher and a publishing administrator?
A traditional publisher typically acquires a share of your copyright (often 25–50% of the publisher's share) in exchange for their services. A publishing administrator takes no copyright ownership - they manage and collect on your behalf for a commission, and you retain 100% of your intellectual property.
Can I handle publishing administration myself?
Technically yes, but in practice it requires maintaining registrations with MCPS, international affiliates, understanding work registration metadata standards, tracking usage, auditing distributions, and filing claims for underpayments. Most independent artists do not have the time, contacts, or metadata infrastructure to do this effectively.
What types of royalties does publishing administration cover?
Performance royalties (PRS), mechanical royalties (MCPS), synchronisation licensing fees, print and transcription income, and black box royalties - undistributed funds held by collection societies that can be claimed within a time window, typically three to five years.
Is Sentric the same as a publishing administrator?
Sentric (now part of Believe/TuneCore) offers lightweight publishing administration with automated registration. It is a lower-touch option, but it lacks the active royalty pursuit, territory-by-territory auditing, and direct society relationships that a specialist administrator provides. It is better than nothing, but not a substitute for active administration if your catalog is generating meaningful income.
Published · Updated