For Songwriters
Publishing Administrator or Self-Administer? How Songwriters Decide
By the Starchild Music team · October 23, 2026 · 5 min read
The short answer
A publishing administrator registers your songs worldwide and collects royalties for a fee, without taking ownership of your copyright. Self-administering costs nothing in fees but takes your time, and it works best when your catalog is small and mostly domestic.
Every songwriter who licenses songs eventually asks whether to hire help collecting royalties. There is no single right answer. The choice depends on how many songs you have, how far they travel, and how much of the paperwork you want to own.
Here is how the two paths compare.
What an administrator does
Songtrust's guide to publishing administration says an administrator makes sure your worldwide registrations are complete and up to date, and that you can collect all the royalties you are due, including mechanical royalties it calls notoriously difficult to access.
It is a narrow job. The same guide says administrators do not distribute your music or offer creative services. Songtrust's help center also notes administrators don't pitch songs, don't give creative feedback, and don't advance money.
Think of an administrator as a back office. It handles the filing and the follow-up so you can write. Creative decisions, pitching and promotion stay with you unless you sign a different kind of deal.
What it costs
Fees vary. Songtrust's guide gives a 15% administration fee for a one-year term as one example, and notes that fees can vary among administrators.
The trade is simple. You pay a share of what is collected, and in return you get registration work and collection in territories you could not easily reach alone. Songtrust's own explainer on its model says the publisher's share of performance royalties is paid back to the writer, minus its fee.
Do the math with your own numbers. If your annual royalties are small, a percentage fee may cost little in dollars but still buy you time. If they are larger, the same percentage deserves a closer look.
What you keep
In a pure administration deal, you keep your copyright. Songtrust states that a publishing administrator doesn't take any ownership or control of your copyright.
A traditional publisher is different, and may take a share of ownership in exchange for pitching and promotion. Read any agreement carefully and consider a music attorney's review.
Ask whether the term renews automatically and how you can leave. Songtrust describes its administration deal as having a one-year term, so you should be able to find the equivalent terms for any provider you consider.
When self-administering makes sense
Songtrust's guide on when to start your own publishing entity or join an administrator suggests asking a few questions: Is your music streaming? Is it played outside your home territory? Will earnings justify the cost?
It notes that your local society isn't always able to collect royalties generated outside its territory. If your songs stay mostly domestic and your catalog is small, doing it yourself can be reasonable.
Self-administering is not a one-time decision. You can start alone and hire help later, or hire help and take the work back when your catalog is simple again. What matters is that registration happens.
- Self-administer if the catalog is small, mostly U.S., and you enjoy the paperwork.
- Consider an administrator if songs travel abroad, your catalog is growing, or you do not want to track registrations.
- Keep your own master list either way.
What you should always do yourself
Even with an administrator, you should know your songs. Check your splits, confirm the songs appear in The MLC's Public Work Search, and keep your license certificates. The MLC offers a Catalog Export Tool for this.
The Music Modernization Act also requires publishers and administrators to pay songwriters at least 50% of the amounts they receive, allocated in proportion to reported usage, according to The MLC. That is a useful protection to know about, and a reason to keep your contract on file.
The MLC recommends keeping your registrations complete and accurate, and that applies whoever files them. An administrator can register a song, but only you know whether a split is right.
How this fits with Starchild
Starchild licenses are separate from publishing administration. You keep your rights, earn 50% of each sale minus payment fees, and withdraw to your bank through Stripe once your balance reaches $50.
Whichever path you choose, register your songs. Our guide to registering with The MLC is a good starting point, and PRO, IPI and publisher metadata explains the codes involved.
Questions to ask before you sign
If you decide to use an administrator, read the agreement before you pay. Fees and terms differ, so compare them directly.
- What percentage does the administrator keep, and does it differ for performance and mechanical royalties?
- How long is the term, and what happens when it ends?
- Do you keep your copyright and the right to license your songs yourself?
- Which societies and territories are covered?
- Can you see your registrations and statements at any time?
The cost of doing nothing
The weakest option is to register nowhere and hope. Royalties need a home, and an unregistered song has none.
Songtrust's guide says there are no particular time frames for when to register. The better test is whether your songs are being played. If an artist has released a song you wrote, it is time.
Many writers start by self-administering with a PRO and The MLC, then move to an administrator later when the catalog or international plays justify the fee. That is a reasonable path, since you keep your rights throughout.