Music Publishers 

TRENDZ D'MUSIC (SINGAPORE) PRIVATE LTD
specialize in the management and promotion of musical compositions and copyrights.

With a team of experienced professionals, they provide various services such as licensing, royalty collection, and synchronization rights for music used in television, film, advertisements, and other media. 

Composers & Authors 
Music Publisher

Understanding ISWC: 
The International Standard Musical Work Code (ISWC) is a vital component in the music publishing industry, serving as a unique identifier for musical works. This system is crucial for composers, authors, and publishers in ensuring proper attribution and royalty collection. Here’s a breakdown of what ISWC is, why it matters, and how it benefits all parties involved in music creation.

What is ISWC?
Definition :

The ISWC is a unique alphanumeric code assigned to musical compositions, including songs, scores, and other musical works. It is managed by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC).

Format : 
An ISWC code typically starts with the prefix "T" followed by a series of characters (e.g., T-123.456.789). Each code is unique to a specific musical work, allowing for easy identification and tracking.

Why is ISWC Important?

1. Identification and Attribution : 
The ISWC serves as a global standard for identifying musical works. By assigning a unique code to each composition, it helps ensure that composers and authors receive proper credit for their creations.

2. Royalty Tracking and Collection : 
In the complex world of music royalties, the ISWC plays a critical role in tracking how a piece of music is used. It allows performing rights organizations (PROs), music publishers, and other entities to accurately collect and distribute royalties to the rightful owners.

3. Global Recognition :

With the rise of digital platforms and global distribution, having a standardized code like the ISWC facilitates international recognition of musical works. This means that whether a song is played in New York, Tokyo, or London, it can be easily identified and attributed to its creator.

4. Simplifying Administration : 
For music publishers and rights holders, the ISWC simplifies administrative processes.

By using a standardized code, it reduces confusion and potential disputes over ownership, usage, and revenue sharing.

5. Encouraging Fair Compensation : 
The ISWC helps ensure that everyone involved in the creation and distribution of music—from composers to publishers—receives fair compensation for their work.

This is especially important in an industry where multiple parties may be involved in a single piece of music.

How to Obtain an ISWC
Registration :
Composers, authors, and music publishers can obtain an ISWC by registering their works with a recognized collecting society or PRO.

These organizations typically have the infrastructure in place to assign ISWCs and manage the associated royalties.

Documentation :
To obtain an ISWC, creators will need to provide necessary documentation that proves their authorship of the work, including details about the composition and any co-authors.

Conclusion
The ISWC is an essential tool in the music industry that ensures the protection, identification, and fair compensation of composers and authors.

By providing a universal standard for musical works, it simplifies the complexities of royalty collection and enhances the overall efficiency of music publishing.

For any composer, author, or publisher, understanding and utilizing the ISWC is crucial for navigating the modern music landscape effectively.
 
Music copyrights explained
Music copyrights provide legal protection over your original music projects. They grant rights holders exclusive control over their use - including public performance and distribution. 

1. The Sound Recording (Master Rights)
When artists say they “own their masters”, they mean the copyright to the original sound recordings of their music - also known as the master rights.

‍Whoever owns the master rights to the original sound recording of a song will earn royalties whenever that song’s recording is broadcast or reproduced - and yes that includes streaming and downloads when you release music to any major streaming platforms or online stores.
The copyright to the Sound Recording is usually owned by the artist or record label.

Careers in the Recording Industry
When people reference the “music industry,” they usually mean the record industry—a vibrant business community formed around those who make a living through the creation, recording, and distribution of songs and albums. 
 
No organization is more associated with the industry than the record label—a multidepartmental company that promises to handle the business aspects of music so that artists can focus on their craft. Large record labels, such as those controlled by the so-called “Big Four” conglomerates, typically have marketing, publicity, promotions, legal, and A&R departments.

Other important groups in the industry include recording studios, music publishers, merchandisers, and the artists themselves.

The record industry has been dramatically affected by the internet revolution—established labels have seen revenue plummet because of music piracy, leading to the incorporation of new business models such as music streaming.

At the same time, new tools for self-publishing and marketing have led to a rise in independent releases and indie labels. 

One thing is for sure: 
the field is ripe for innovation.

2. The Composition (Publishing Rights)
The Composition or “Musical Work” refers to the underlying musical elements, structure and composition of a song. This may or may not also include lyrics.

‍The composition copyright is usually owned by the original writer or composer of a track.
If you haven't already, make sure you learn how to copyright your music so you can become the legal owner of your song & be the person in receipt of the royalties it generates!

So while each copyright has its own rules & properties about who gets paid & for what, the one we're worried about for this post is number 2 the compositional rights.

That's because music publishing deals exclusively with the royalties generated by a song’s composition.

Music publishers work on behalf of songwriters and/or composers to collect and pay out all of the royalties they earn from their compositions.

Publishers can collect 3 different types of royalties from sources all over the world.

‍Types of music royalties
- Performing royalties : Royalties generated from live performances of a song, including concerts, festivals, radio play or at a public venue.

- Mechanical royalties: Royalties generated for manufacturing physical copies of a song (such as CDs and vinyls), plus digital streams & downloads.

- Sync licensing royalties:

Royalties generated every time a song is broadcast through an AV media placement (think adverts, films & video games).
Essentially, however, each of these royalties relates to how an artist's music is used.

Whether that be copied or sold in physical or digital formats, performed live on stage or at a public venue, or even broadcast on the radio or in any kind of AV media.

In theory, an independent musician could try to claim some of the publishing royalties they’re owed without the help of a publisher.

But publishing is a complicated business. There are hundreds of organisations across the globe responsible for different royalty sources, and it’s practically impossible for artists with smaller back catalogues to build the relationships they need to claim all the royalties they’re owed. This can end up leaving potential revenue unclaimed.

‍That’s where a music publisher comes in.
Publishers have relationships with Performing Right Organisations and other collection societies across the globe, plus years of expertise tracking down every potential source of royalties.

It’s their job to make sure you get paid everything you’re owed.
 
A Performing Right Organisation (PRO) is responsible for collecting performing royalties on behalf of composers and songwriters in a given territory.

Most countries have their own Performing Rights Organisations, such as PRS in the UK or ASCAP, BMI and SESAC in the USA.
To claim the royalties that are owed to you, you'll need to have signed up with the right PRO in your region or area

(or have your music publisher do it on your behalf).

So what’s the difference between a Music Publisher and a Performing Rights Organisation?

PROs are generally owned and controlled by music publishers, composers and songwriters, and are there to license and collect royalties for millions of songs together - thereby reducing costs for everyone, and protecting the value of music by grouping copyrights together to negotiate and license to digital services, broadcasters and venues.

PROs do not collect mechanical royalties.

Your music publisher however will also be a member of a mechanical rights collection society, such as MCPS in the UK, in the USA 
(and hopefully many more around the world).

Types of publishing deals 
When signing a publishing deal, you’ll usually have 3 options:
- Full publishing deal
- Co-publishing deal
- Administration publishing deal
Full publishing deal

Full-publishing deals involve songwriters assigning all of their rights to their publisher. Within these contracts, songwriters would commit to producing a set number of songs during a specified period and forfeit their copyright to the publisher for all compositions.

In exchange, publishers would provide a range of services, such as promotional activities, financial advances and pitching the works to their network of industry professionals and contacts.

While less common than in previous decades, full-publishing deals still remain popular today. They are often seen when a publisher signs a promising but lesser-known songwriter, allowing the publisher to demonstrate their dedication to nurturing the artist's career despite the absence of a proven track record. The higher risk for the publisher does lead to a worse split for artists however.

Co-publishing deal
The most popular deal seen in today's publishing industry is the co-publishing deal. These deals are all about songwriters and publishing companies collaborating in releasing tracks - therefore splitting shares.
Because publishers only holds partial ownership within these deals, they have a heightened incentive to make sure the artist reaches their fullest potential and generates maximum royalties, making this deal more attractive to artists.

Administration publishing deal
Finally, we have administration deals. The publisher's main role throughout these types of deal is to gather royalties on behalf of the artist. 

Administration deals or agreements let you keep full ownership of your music, with publishing companies just taking a cut for helping register your songs with collection societies. This deal is popular amongst independent artists who want to keep 100% ownership of their songs.

Pitching your music for sync 
Another key part of music publishing is music sync licensing. This involves pairing music with visual projects - think TV adverts or movie sequences with epic soundtracks. 

When signing up to Ditto Pro, artists gain access to a whole range of sync pitching opportunities, with briefs coming from across the worlds of TV, film, video games and advertising. 

Achieving sync placements is a great way of enhancing your global profile and can really help boost your budget through sync licensing royalties. 
 
We'll handle all the administrative work and boring legal stuff when it comes to collecting publishing royalties globally.

This includes:
- Registering your music with your performing rights organisations worldwide
- Registering your music with mechanical rights collection societies
- Tracking and collecting all performing royalties across the globe
- Tracking and collecting all mechanical royalties across the globe
- Pitching your music for sync placements & collecting sync royalties

Now you have a solid grasp of how music publishing works and what steps you need to take to earn the most money from your music, you can get out there and start collecting more royalties! Think about what your priorities are, chat to your manager about which publishing deal is best for you, and keep promoting your music across social media and streaming platforms