Two separate royalty streams
Most artists focus entirely on distribution royalties — what you earn as the recording artist when your track is streamed — because that's the money that shows up automatically in your DistroVibe wallet. But there's a second, entirely separate royalty stream tied to the composition itself (the underlying melody and lyrics, as opposed to the specific recording of it), owed to whoever wrote the song, regardless of who performs it.
Why this often goes uncollected
Publishing royalties aren't automatically captured by distribution alone — they require registering your compositions with the relevant collection societies and publishing administrators, a separate process from simply distributing the recording. Many independent artists who write their own music are, without realizing it, leaving mechanical and performance royalties on the table simply because nobody registered the composition side.
What publishing administration does
Publishing administration (available on Artist Pro and Label plans) handles registering your compositions so you can collect:
- Mechanical royalties — owed when a composition is reproduced, including through streaming.
- Performance royalties — owed when a composition is performed publicly, including radio play and certain streaming contexts.
Who this applies to
This matters most if you write your own music (or co-write). If you're a performing artist releasing only cover songs or others' compositions, publishing administration for your own catalog isn't relevant in the same way — though see "Distributing a cover song" for the licensing requirements that apply in that direction instead.
Getting started
If you're on Artist Pro or Label and haven't set up publishing administration for your original compositions, this is worth doing even if your streaming numbers are modest — the registration itself costs you nothing extra beyond your existing plan, and any qualifying royalties you'd otherwise miss are pure upside.