Publishing Rights, in Plain English
What “publishing” means: It’s the song (composition), not the recording. Publishing collects performance + mechanical royalties and keeps credits/splits correct.
Label vs. Publishing: Masters = recordings (70/30 split on label side). Publishing = songs (you keep ownership; admin only when needed).
When you actually need it: If you’re gigging locally, selling direct, or just starting to release music, you don’t need publishing administration yet. Those performances are already covered under venue blanket licenses, and the royalties would be minimal.
Once your songs are publicly released and start being streamed heavily, played on radio, synced to video, or performed regularly, that’s when publishing registration matters. That’s the point when your songs start generating performance and mechanical royalties beyond your master income.
What Riverstone Publishing does: Registrations (ASCAP/BMI etc.), split management, ISWC/IPI linking, reporting, simple licensing support.
What we don’t do: No creative ownership, no advances, no “magic pitching.” Just clean admin and protection.
In short: early-stage artists can wait. Once your songs have real reach, publishing ensures you get every royalty you’ve earned.
What Riverstone Publishing Does
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Registers your songs with ASCAP, BMI, or other PROs
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Links ISWC and IPI metadata
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Manages writer splits and credits
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Handles global collection and reporting
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Provides light licensing support for covers or syncs
Ownership & Transparency
You always keep full creative and legal ownership of your compositions.
Riverstone acts purely as an administrator — managing the paperwork, not the art.
A 10 % administration share is retained only from publishing royalties collected, to cover the cost of registration, reporting, and ongoing catalog management.
No creative control, no hidden fees — just clean administration for independent music.
Getting Started
If you’re ready to register your songs for publishing administration, use the link below to submit your first composition.
We’ll confirm your writer info, handle registration with your PRO, and send you a confirmation once it’s processed.