Self-publishing means you are your own publisher. You retain full ownership of your publishing copyrights and collect all publishing income directly, but you also take on every aspect of the administration, registration, and exploitation that a publisher would otherwise handle.
What you need to have in place
At minimum, you need PRS membership for performing rights and MCPS membership for mechanical rights. You register all your works through the PRS/MCPS portal with complete metadata – song titles, co-writers, IPI numbers, splits, and linked ISRCs. You are responsible for ensuring your works are registered in all territories where they are being used, not just the UK. Without international registrations, royalties accumulate uncollected.
Beyond collective licensing, several income streams require direct action. Sync licensing requires you to negotiate individually with anyone who wants to use your music in film, TV, advertising, or games. Direct mechanical deals with streaming services are typically handled by publishers or administrators – as a self-published writer, you may miss this income entirely. Print music, if relevant to your catalogue, needs its own distribution arrangements.
Where self-publishing works well
Self-publishing suits writers with limited commercial activity, those who primarily write for their own artist projects, or those at an early stage who want to understand the mechanics before committing to a partner. It also suits writers who value complete control and are willing to invest the time.
Where it gets difficult
The breaking point is usually administrative. International usage generates royalties in territories where you are not set up to collect. Data management across thousands of digital versions of your songs requires systems you may not have. Sync opportunities depend on relationships with music supervisors that take years to build. And every hour spent on administration is an hour not spent writing.
The question self-published writers should keep asking is not “am I keeping 100% of my income?” but “am I collecting 100% of what I am owed?” If the answer to the second question is uncertain, it may be time to consider at least an administration deal.
