Publishing your own songs is one of the most empowering steps you can take as a songwriter or musician. It allows you to protect your rights, earn royalties, and share your music with the world on your own terms.
In today’s digital era, you no longer need a big record label or publishing company to get your music out there. With the right tools and understanding, you can publish your own songs independently and still reach a global audience.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to publish your own music.
Understand What Music Publishing Means
Before you start, it’s important to understand what music publishing actually is.
Publishing is all about the ownership and licensing of your songs — not just the recordings, but the songwriting itself. When you write a song, you own the composition, which includes the melody, lyrics, and structure.
Music publishing ensures you:
- Get credit and royalties when your songs are used commercially.
- Protect your music from being copied or used without permission.
- Can license your songs for streaming, performances, film, TV, and more.
In simple terms, publishing is how you legally register, protect, and earn from your songwriting work.
Copyright Your Songs
Once your song is written, the first step to protecting it is copyrighting it. Copyright gives you legal ownership of your work and prevents others from claiming it as their own.
In the U.S., you can register your songs with the U.S. Copyright Office through its website. You can register one song or multiple songs at once as a collection. Once registered, you’ll receive an official copyright certificate that serves as proof of ownership.
If you live outside the U.S., check your country’s copyright agency. Even without registration, your song is technically copyrighted as soon as you create it — but official registration offers stronger legal protection.
Join a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)
To collect royalties from performances of your music (on radio, TV, streaming platforms, or live shows), you need to join a Performing Rights Organization (PRO).
In the United States, the main PROs are:
- ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers)
- BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.)
- SESAC (invitation only)
If you’re outside the U.S., look for your country’s equivalent — such as PRS (UK), SOCAN (Canada), or APRA AMCOS (Australia).
A PRO tracks when your songs are performed publicly and ensures you get paid the performance royalties you’re owed as a songwriter and publisher.
Set Up Your Own Music Publishing Company
If you want to be fully independent, you can create your own publishing company. This allows you to act as both the songwriter and publisher, meaning you’ll earn both halves of the royalties.
Here’s how to do it:
- Choose a unique name for your publishing company.
- Register it as a business (LLC, sole proprietorship, etc.) in your area.
- Register the publishing company with your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, etc.).
Once set up, your publishing company can officially handle licensing and royalty collection for your songs.
Distribute Your Songs Digitally
Publishing protects your songwriting, but distribution makes your songs available to listeners. To get your music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music, you’ll need a digital distributor.
Some popular options include:
- DistroKid
- TuneCore
- CD Baby
- Amuse
- UnitedMasters
These platforms help you upload your tracks and distribute them worldwide while letting you keep full ownership of your songs. Most charge a small annual fee or take a small percentage of your royalties.
Register with a Song Royalty Collection Agency
Besides performance royalties, there are mechanical and streaming royalties that you also earn. To collect these, register your songs with a mechanical rights agency or aggregator.
Some helpful services include:
- Songtrust – helps collect global royalties on behalf of independent songwriters.
- The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) manages U.S. streaming royalties.
- Harry Fox Agency – handles mechanical licensing for physical and digital releases.
These agencies ensure you’re paid every time your song is streamed, downloaded, or reproduced.
Promote Your Songs
Publishing is just the start — you also need to promote your music so people can find it. Share your songs on social media, create lyric videos, and submit them to playlists or music blogs. You can even contact churches, indie radio stations, or content creators who might feature your songs.
The more your songs are played, streamed, and performed, the more royalties you’ll earn — and the more your music will reach hearts around the world.
Keep Track of Your Royalties and Data
Once your songs are registered, distributed, and published, you’ll start earning royalties from different sources. Keep detailed records of your earnings, release dates, and song registrations.
Many PROs and distributors provide dashboards that track your streams, sales, and performance data. Reviewing this regularly helps you understand what’s working and where your songs are being heard.
Final Thoughts
Publishing your own songs might seem complicated at first, but it’s completely achievable with the right steps. By registering your copyrights, joining a PRO, and distributing your music digitally, you can take full control of your songwriting career.
Owning your publishing rights means owning your future as an artist. Whether your songs are for worship, pop, hip-hop, or country, your creativity deserves protection and recognition.
With passion, persistence, and the right publishing tools, you can share your music with the world — and ensure you get paid fairly for the art you create.