The Mysterious World of Music Publishing

Artrockers,
The Music Biz is a pretty straightforward beast, it's an industry like any other; make a product, try and get people to buy it - simples! Of course, the route to that logical conclusion can, and often is labyrinthine, ultimately it's as basic as selling beans at Tesco's. But how many of us (be honest now) really understand Music Publishing? I, after many years in the biz, just about get it...just about. 'It's all about printing sheet music isn't it?' is something I hear all the time, and the answer is...Well, yes it is, but...And I run out of energy at the very thought of having to explain how it works. There'a a lot of myth and misunderstanding surrounding music publishing, there is a body that totally gets it of course - music publishers, and sometimes I wonder if the fog of misunderstanding suits them just fine. Of course publishing is as straightforward as releasing records really; there are three main income streams form publishing; Mechanical Royalties: As a writer you get paid a cut of the manufacturing costs of your record - the more they press, the more you get. Performance Royalties: These are paid to the writer for radio-play (mainly the Beeb), Live performances in a PRS registered venue, TV plays etc, and finally - Synchronistaion: Which means that you get paid a royalty for use of your music in an advert, film, TV prog, computer game etc. And as record sales decline and more releases are bought as downloads the Mechanical Royalty earns writers a great deal less than it did, so Performance and Synchronisation become more essential to keep body and soul together.
See? Simple!
So, if you sign a deal with a Publisher they will collect this money for you, for a percentage, otherwise you join PRS-MCPS and they (theoretically) collect this money for you.
Now then, just this last week I've been trying to track down royalties owed to me for a composition I co-wrote some years ago, recently featured on two major label compilations. And the process has revealed that I don't know anything about publishing either (so I guess you can disregard my potted guide above). It is the land of the accountant and the lawyer, and you know how those guys like to keep it simple...Ha!
I have no doubt that there are thousands in my position - have you ever written a song that's made it to release and has had a little radio play? Then somewhere, hidden in the shadows, is money that you have earned and are owed. Good luck getting it.
Time for some transparency I reckon, time to throw a light on Music Publishing so that we can all understand the process.

Tom Artrocker

PS Are Futurheads some of the nicest folks ever assembled as a band? I've always thought so, lovely people. So I've very much enjoyed watching the video of the making of the latest Artrocker Magazine cover, have a look yourself here (Futureheads Original Penguin Artrocker Magazine Cover Shoot)