What is the Publisher Share and Why Aren't You Claiming It?

What is the publisher share?

When PRS for Music distributes a performance royalty, it divides the total payment into two equal parts: the writer share and the publisher share. The writer share goes to the songwriter or composer. The publisher share goes to the music publisher — the entity responsible for licensing and administering the composition. This 50/50 split is the default across most collecting societies worldwide and has been the standard for decades. It exists because publishers historically took on significant costs and risks in promoting and licensing songs, and the split was designed to compensate them for that work. The problem for independent artists is that this system was designed in an era when every songwriter either had a publisher or had a major label deal that included one.

Why independent artists lose the publisher share by default

If you are an independent songwriter who has not registered a publisher with PRS, the publisher share of your performance royalties is either held in suspense or, after a period of time, redistributed to the broader membership. It does not automatically revert to you as the writer. PRS will pay your writer share correctly, because you are a member. But the publisher share is a separate entitlement that requires a separate registration. Most independent artists are unaware of this distinction. They join PRS, register their works, and receive quarterly statements — but those statements only reflect the writer share. The publisher share of the same streams and broadcasts is not appearing anywhere, because there is no publisher registered to receive it.

How to claim your own publisher share

There are three ways to bring the publisher share under your control:

• Self-publish — register your own publishing entity with PRS as a publisher member. This gives you full control of both the writer share (as a writer member) and the publisher share (as your own publisher). You will need a company name and a separate membership application. The publisher share then distributes to you directly.
• Sign with a music publisher — a traditional publishing deal transfers some or all of your publisher share to a publisher in exchange for administration, advance funding, and licensing services. Under a co-publishing arrangement, you retain 50% of the publisher share; under a full publishing deal, you assign it entirely. Read any publishing contract carefully before signing.
• Appoint a publishing administrator — a publishing administration company (like Code Group Music) registers as publisher on your behalf and collects the publisher share for a commission, without taking ownership of your copyrights. This is the most common route for independent artists who want the income without the administrative burden of self-publishing.

The practical difference between writer share and publisher share

To make this concrete: if a track generates £1,000 in PRS performance royalties in a quarter, £500 goes to the registered writer and £500 goes to the registered publisher. If you are the sole writer and there is no publisher registration, you receive £500 and £500 goes elsewhere. If you have registered your own publishing entity or appointed a publishing administrator, you receive £500 as the writer and £500 as the publisher, for a total of £1,000. The difference is not marginal — it is literally half of every performance royalty your songs generate for the entire duration of your catalog's active commercial life.

How much money is at stake?

The amount varies enormously depending on your catalog size, streaming volume, and broadcast reach. What is consistent is the ratio: the publisher share is always exactly equal to the writer share. Whatever you have been collecting from PRS as a writer, there has been an equivalent amount uncollected on the publisher side. For a catalog with a significant streaming presence and any broadcast history, that uncollected amount accumulates meaningfully over time. There is also a retroactive dimension: if you register a publisher now, you may be able to claim historical uncollected publisher share for recent periods, depending on how long PRS has held the funds. Acting sooner rather than later limits the amount permanently lost.

Code Group Music's Publishing Administration service registers as publisher on your behalf, collects your publisher share from PRS and affiliated societies worldwide, and handles the administration on a commission basis — without taking ownership of your copyrights. A free Catalog Assessment will show you exactly which of your works are currently missing publisher registration. Start at codegroupmusic.co.uk/#catalog-assessment.