International Royalty Collection

Sub-Publishing Deals

Sub-publishing agreements are licenses you grant to third parties to collect royalties on your behalf in specific territories. A sub-publisher gets paid a percentage (typically 10-25%) of royalties they collect in exchange for registering your works, pitching them to sync opportunities, and claiming your mechanical and performance royalties from local societies.

CISAC Societies

CISAC (Confederation of Authors and Composers) coordinates 130+ performance rights societies worldwide. Each country has its own society — ASCAP/BMI in the US, PRS in the UK, SACEM in France. These societies collect performance royalties from broadcasters, venues, and streaming platforms, then distribute them to rights holders. Without proper registration in each society, your royalties never reach you.

Why International Royalties Leak

Unregistered compositions are the silent killer. A song published in the US but not registered with SACEM or PRS means 30-40% of potential royalties vanish. Societies also have reciprocal agreements that work best when your metadata is consistent. Incorrect writer credits, misspelled names, or missing IPI numbers cause payment delays and orphaned royalties.

Territory-by-territory coverage gaps mean you're missing entire regions. Without a sub-publisher in Japan, your streaming royalties there don't get claimed. Without registration in Mexico, broadcast royalties disappear into the void.

Admin Deals for Global Collection

Administration deals give a third party rights to collect royalties while you retain ownership. An admin company registers your works globally, manages your society memberships, and handles collections for 15-25% of revenue. This is lighter than a traditional sub-pub deal — they don't exploit rights, they just collect what's already being generated. For independent songwriters, an admin deal is often the fastest path to capturing international revenue.