How Digital Distribution is Changing Music Publishing
In the past, music publishing primarily operated on a local scale, with royalties being collected from individual countries or regions. However, the rise of digital distribution has dramatically shifted the landscape, making music more accessible to global audiences. With songs now being streamed, purchased, and licensed worldwide, ensuring global royalty collection is more important than ever.
One of the most crucial elements of a modern music publishing agreement is the ability to collect royalties from all territories where your music is being played. This is where a publishing admin agreement, such as the one offered by Elizabeth Music Group (EMG), plays a pivotal role in ensuring songwriters, producers, and artists receive the royalties they deserve, no matter where in the world their music is being consumed.
In this educational article, we’ll explore how digital distribution has changed music publishing, why global royalty collection is essential, and how EMG’s admin agreement ensures that songwriters can receive their royalties from every corner of the globe.
The Global Impact of Digital Distribution
With the advent of streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and others, music has become more global than ever before. Whether it's a new track from an emerging artist or a timeless classic, listeners around the world can instantly access music at the touch of a button. This widespread access means that songs can generate royalties from countries far beyond the artist's home turf.
In traditional music publishing, royalties were usually collected in specific territories by local Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) or collection societies. However, the shift toward digital platforms means that royalties are often collected in different countries and regions by their respective PROs or agencies. Without the proper infrastructure, it can be difficult for songwriters to collect royalties from every region where their music is being streamed or played.
Why Global Royalty Collection is Crucial
As music becomes more global, it’s vital for songwriters to have a system in place to collect royalties from every territory where their music is being played. Here’s why:
1. Royalties Aren’t Always Paid Out by U.S. Pay Sources
In the digital age, a song’s royalties are often collected and paid out by the territory where the music is consumed. For example, if a song is streamed in the UK, the royalties won’t be paid by U.S. organizations like ASCAP or BMI, but rather by UK-based collection societies such as PRS. This means that if an artist doesn’t have global royalty collection in place, they could be missing out on significant income from royalties earned abroad.
For instance, let’s say a team member at Elizabeth Music Group (EMG) is based in the UK and listens to one of your songs on Spotify. While you might receive royalties from the U.S. platforms, the royalties generated from the UK stream will be collected by PRS, not by the U.S. pay sources. If you don’t have an agreement in place that ensures royalty collection from all regions, the income generated from that UK stream could go uncollected. With streaming services and online stores becoming more accessible, having global collection is critical to ensure you are receiving your royalties properly.
2. Songs Can Be Streamed in Multiple Countries Simultaneously
Digital distribution enables songs to be streamed, downloaded, or licensed all over the world in real-time. Whether your music is gaining popularity in Brazil, being featured in a TV show in South Korea, or being played in a bar in Germany, each of these regions will have its own system for collecting and distributing royalties. If you don’t have the right infrastructure to track and collect those royalties, you could be leaving money on the table.
Take a song that’s gaining traction in several countries. With digital distribution, the need for global royalty collection becomes even more urgent because your song could generate royalties across several markets simultaneously.
3. Digital Music Platforms Have Global Reach
Streaming platforms have truly global reach. A single song can cross borders in a matter of minutes, allowing your music to be heard by millions of listeners from different countries. Because of this global access, it’s essential to have your music published through a system that ensures royalties from every region are collected and distributed to you. A publishing admin agreement, like the one Elizabeth Music Group offers, ensures that your music is tracked across all territories and that you’re compensated fairly for every stream, download, or licensing deal.
4. Synchronization and Licensing Opportunities Can Be Global
Music licensing opportunities for TV shows, films, advertisements, and video games are not limited to one specific country or region. These opportunities can arise anywhere in the world, and your music could be used in a variety of international projects. Whether a song is synced in a commercial airing in the UK or a film in Japan, these opportunities generate income from a variety of territories.
If you’re not collecting royalties globally, you could be missing out on licensing income from projects happening overseas. A publishing admin agreement ensures that no matter where your music is used, royalties are collected from all territories and distributed to you.
How an EMG Admin Agreement Addresses Global Royalty Collection
At Elizabeth Music Group, the admin agreement provides an artist-friendly and transparent way of ensuring that songwriters are collecting royalties from every corner of the globe. Here’s how:
1. Global Network and Partnerships
EMG has established partnerships with collection societies and PROs around the world, ensuring that songwriters receive their royalties from every region where their music is played. Whether it’s a stream in the U.S., a radio play in Canada, or a sync placement in Asia, EMG’s admin agreement ensures global coverage for royalty collection.
2. Digital Infrastructure for Tracking Royalties
Through EMG’s admin agreement, songwriters gain access to their own personal royalty portal that tracks and monitors streams and plays across all platforms, no matter where in the world they occur. This technology ensures that royalties are accurately collected and promptly distributed to the songwriter.
3. Expert Guidance and Support
EMG's experienced team understands the complexities of global royalty collection. From helping songwriters navigate international markets to ensuring that all relevant PROs are properly registered, EMG provides expert guidance every step of the way. This means that no matter where your music is being played, EMG’s team ensures that you’re getting paid for it.
4. Full Ownership and Low Fees
Elizabeth Music Group offers a publishing administration that allows the songwriter to maintain full ownership of their songs. This allows the songwriter to have control over where and how their music is used. EMG’s pub admin deal is a one year deal with a one year post term collection period, which is way shorter than the industry standard. This short term deal is done so musicians have the freedom and flexibility to do what is best for their career. Additionally, EMG only takes a 15% commission on the royalties they collect on your behalf, which is less than the standard 50/50 publishing deals that many musicians are signed to.
Conclusion
As digital distribution continues to reshape the music industry, the importance of collecting royalties from all territories is more apparent than ever. With songs being streamed, downloaded, and licensed globally, having a robust system for global royalty collection is crucial to ensuring that songwriters receive fair compensation for their work.
Through an admin publishing agreement with Elizabeth Music Group, songwriters can rest assured that their royalties will be collected from all regions where their music is being consumed. Whether it’s a stream in the U.S., a play in the UK, or a sync placement in Japan, EMG’s global network ensures that songwriters are paid for their music, no matter where it’s being enjoyed. By partnering with EMG, you can ensure that your music reaches the world—and that the royalties generated by that global reach are paid directly to you.
