The publishing company controls the copyright of the musical work, i.e. the creative element of music. When an artist has a publishing contract, the publisher will ensure the writer is paid for the use of their music in return for a fee or percentage of income.

This could be money that is paid for reproduction and sales of the song (via a record label) or from performances of the music (e.g. on radio stations).

The laws relating to copyright vary around the world, so it’s worth investigating the laws that apply in your territory.

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