Music Publishing: How to Make Money from Your Songs

Omo, if you be songwriter or artist wey dey write hin own music, you fit dey leave serious money for table if you never sabi how music publishing work!

E no be by say you don release song or e dey stream well on Spotify, Apple Music, or Boomplay. Music publishing na another money wey dey your pocket—if you sabi how to collect am!

Make I break am down for you like pure water.

What Exactly Is Music Publishing?

Music publishing na how you make money from the composition of your song.

See ehn, every song get two copyrights:

1. Sound recording copyright – Na the actual recording of the song (e.g., the mp3 file wey people stream or buy).

2. Composition copyright – Na the lyrics and melody wey you write as a songwriter.

Music publishing only concern the composition that is, your lyrics and melody.

If you be songwriter or artist wey dey write hin own songs, you own this composition copyright, and you fit make money from am in plenty ways.

How Songwriters Make Money from Publishing

Na here the money matter dey enter! As a songwriter, you fit collect different types of royalties (money wey people pay you to use your song legally).

1. Performance Royalties

Every time your song play for radio, TV, club, concert, bar, or even TikTok, you suppose collect money!

Example:

If dem play your song for Cool FM, Boom! You don earn performance royalties.

If another artist perform your song live, Boom! You don earn again.

To collect this money, you need to register with a PRO (Performance Rights Organization) like:

ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC (for U.S. artists)

PRS (UK), SACEM (France), COSON (Nigeria)

2. Mechanical Royalties

This one na money wey streaming platforms and music stores (like Spotify, Apple Music, Boomplay, YouTube Music) pay anytime person buy or stream your song.

So if people dey stream your music non-stop, you suppose dey collect mechanical royalties on top.

3. Sync Licensing Fees

You know when you watch Nollywood movie or Netflix show and you hear music play for background? Dem dey pay money for that!

If your song enter:

Movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, TikTok ads, Video games

You go collect sync licensing money from the producer or company wey use am.

4. Licenses for Samples

If another artist wan sample your song or use your lyrics, dem gats pay you for permission.

Example:

If Wizkid use one line from your song inside hin new track, na big money wey go land for your pocket.

5. Printing Sheet Music

If people wan learn how to play your song on piano or guitar, dem fit buy the sheet music. You fit sell am online and make extra cash.

How Much Money You Fit Make from Publishing?

No lie, e no get fixed amount because everything depend on how big your song go.

If your song dey stream well and radio stations, clubs, or TikTok influencers dey use am, money go dey flow steady.

Some songwriters dey make millions from publishing without even performing their songs.

Example:

Ckay’s "Love Nwantiti" blow worldwide. Every remix, TikTok video, radio play, and sync deal dey generate publishing royalties for him.

Burna Boy, Tems, Fireboy, Olamide—dem all dey make crazy money from publishing, because their songs dey go far. Much Money You Fit Make from Publishing?

How to Collect Your Publishing Royalties

Okay, so how you fit collect all this money?

The truth be say e no easy to collect everything by yourself, because you gats register your songs with hundreds of companies worldwide.

Step 1: Register with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)

For Nigeria: COSON

For U.S.: ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC

For UK: PRS

For Africa: SAMRO

This na how you fit collect performance royalties from radio, TV, clubs, and concerts.

Step 2: Use a Music Publishing Administrator

If you be independent artist, e better make publishing company help you collect all your royalties.

Some good ones include:

Songtrust

Dem go help you track and collect money from all over the world.

Step 3: Get Your Song in a Music Library

If you wan make film producers, game developers, and YouTube creators fit use your music, register with platforms like:

Artlist, AudioJungle, Musicbed, Epidemic Sound

No Sleep on Your Publishing Money!

My guy, streaming money no be the only money wey you fit make from music. If you sabi how music publishing work, you fit cash out big time from your songs!

✅ Register with a PRO (ASCAP, COSON, BMI, etc.)

✅ Use a publishing admin (Songtrust)

✅ License your music for movies & games

✅ Make sure you dey collect your royalties worldwide

No let your talent waste, monetize your songwriting today and chop the money wey you deserve!

#MusicPublishing #SongwritersMoney #NoDulling