Songwriter vs. Producer vs. Artist vs. Publisher: Who Actually Does What?

If you’ve spent any time around the music business, you’ve probably heard the words:

Artist.

Songwriter.

Producer.

Publisher.

Sometimes those roles are all held by different people.

Sometimes one person holds two or three of them.

And sometimes one person is doing damn near everything. 😂

But just because the same person can wear multiple hats doesn’t mean the hats are the same.

Understanding the difference between these roles is one of the most important pieces of music business education an independent artist can have.

Because when money, credits, ownership and rights enter the conversation, words matter.

Let’s Start With the Artist

The artist is the person performing or recording the song as the artist’s release.

That could be a singer, rapper, band, duo or another type of recording artist.

But being the artist does not automatically mean you wrote the song.

It doesn’t automatically mean you own the composition.

And it doesn’t automatically mean you own the master recording either.

Those are separate questions.

For example, an artist can record a song written by someone else.

The artist may own or control the master under their particular agreement.

The songwriter owns or controls their songwriting interest according to the applicable agreements.

Different rights can exist at the same time.

That’s why simply asking:

“Who owns the song?”

is often not specific enough.

You have to ask:

Which part of the song are we talking about?

The Songwriter

The songwriter contributes to the composition.

That can involve lyrics, melody and other original musical elements that make up the underlying song.

If you write the lyrics to a song, you’re contributing as a songwriter.

If you create the melody, you may have a songwriting interest.

If multiple people contribute creatively to the composition, there may be multiple songwriters.

And this is where those split sheets we talked about become extremely important.

If four people agree that they each own 25% of the composition, that’s a songwriting split.

The exact ownership should be documented between the people involved.

Being in the Room Doesn’t Automatically Make You a Songwriter

This deserves its own little spotlight.

Being present during a recording session doesn’t automatically give someone songwriting ownership.

Neither does:

• Owning the studio
• Engineering the session
• Paying for the session
• Being the manager
• Being the artist
• Producing the record

A person’s actual creative contribution and the agreements surrounding that contribution matter.

When there’s uncertainty, document the agreement before the song gets released.

The Producer

A producer can play a major role in how a recording comes together.

A producer may help shape:

• The beat
• Arrangement
• Instrumentation
• Sound
• Performance direction
• Recording decisions
• Overall creative direction

But here’s where things can get confusing:

Producing a recording and owning songwriting are not automatically the same thing.

A producer may have a separate agreement concerning the recording.

A producer may also have a songwriting interest if they contributed to the composition.

Those are separate issues.

That’s why you shouldn’t assume:

“The producer gets publishing because they produced it.”

The actual arrangement depends on what the producer contributed and what everyone agreed to.

And that’s exactly why paperwork matters.

The Publisher

Now let’s talk about the word that confuses everybody.

Publisher.

A music publisher is connected to the composition, not the sound recording itself.

Publishing can involve administering, exploiting and monetizing a songwriter’s copyright interests.

A songwriter may:

• Publish their own work
• Have a publishing company
• Work with a publishing administrator
• Sign a publishing agreement
• Assign or license certain publishing rights under an agreement

And here’s another important distinction:

Being a songwriter and being a publisher are not automatically the same thing.

A songwriter can own a songwriting interest without having a traditional publishing company.

A publishing company can administer rights on behalf of a songwriter.

The relationship depends on the agreement.

Then There Is the Master Recording

This is where we need to separate the song from the recording of the song.

Think of it this way:

The Composition

The underlying song.

Lyrics.

Melody.

Musical composition.

The Master

A specific recorded version of that song.

Same song, different recording.

You could have one composition recorded by five different artists.

That’s one underlying song with multiple sound recordings.

Those masters can have different ownership and contractual arrangements.

This distinction becomes extremely important when you’re talking about record labels, independent releases, licensing and money.

One Person Can Wear Multiple Hats

And here’s where independent artists get interesting.

You might be:

The artist.

The songwriter.

The producer.

The owner of your recording company.

The person running your publishing company.

One person can absolutely occupy multiple roles.

For example:

You write the song.

You produce the beat.

You record yourself.

You release the recording through your own company.

You own your songwriting interest.

You may also control the master.

That’s a very different situation from an artist who:

• Didn’t write the song
• Didn’t produce it
• Signed a recording agreement
• Has another party controlling the master
• Has separate songwriters and publishers

Same song format.

Very different business structure.

Why Credits Matter

This is why we keep talking about credits throughout Artist 101.

Credits aren’t just something you fill out because a distributor asks for them.

They create a record of who contributed to the work.

For a release, you may have:

• Artist
• Featured artist
• Songwriter
• Producer
• Engineer
• Mixer
• Mastering engineer
• Publisher

Not every song has all of these roles.

But when they exist, they should be documented accurately.

Because years later, somebody may need to know:

Who actually worked on this?

Don’t Confuse Credit With Ownership

Another important distinction.

Someone receiving a credit doesn’t necessarily mean they own every right associated with the work.

And someone having an ownership interest doesn’t necessarily mean they’re credited in the same way across every system.

That’s why contracts and documentation matter.

The credit tells people what role someone played.

The agreement can determine what rights and compensation attach to that role.

Those are related, but they’re not identical.

Where Split Sheets Come In

Remember our split sheet article?

This is where it becomes practical.

If multiple people contribute to the songwriting, the group should discuss and document the agreed songwriting percentages.

For example:

Writer A — 50%

Writer B — 25%

Writer C — 25%

Total:

100%

That tells everyone how the songwriting ownership has been divided.

Then there may be separate agreements dealing with production, master ownership, publishing administration or other business relationships.

One document doesn’t necessarily answer every question.

And Then There Are Performing Rights Organizations

Organizations such as BMI and ASCAP deal with performance rights and songwriter/publisher interests within their respective systems.

That’s why artists and songwriters need to understand what they’re actually registering.

A PRO registration isn’t the same thing as forming a publishing company.

And your PRO doesn’t magically determine every ownership question surrounding your song.

Your underlying agreements still matter.

That’s why understanding your paperwork is so important.

Here’s a Simple Example

Let’s say Jasmine writes a song.

She writes the lyrics and melody.

Marcus produces the track.

Jasmine records the vocal.

Now we have several different questions.

Who is the artist?

Jasmine, if she’s releasing the recording as her artist project.

Who is the songwriter?

Jasmine, assuming she’s the sole contributor to the composition.

Who is the producer?

Marcus.

Who owns the songwriting?

That depends on the songwriting contributions and agreements, but if Jasmine wrote the entire composition herself, she may be the sole songwriter.

Who owns the master?

That depends on the recording agreement and who financed, created or otherwise controls the recording under the applicable arrangements.

See the difference?

Four questions.

Not one.

Now Add a Co-Writer

Let’s change the example.

Jasmine writes the verses.

Marcus creates the melody and contributes to the lyrics.

Now Marcus may also have a songwriting interest.

The two need to agree on the songwriting split.

Maybe it’s 50/50.

Maybe it’s another percentage.

The point is:

They need to agree.

And they need to document that agreement.

Don’t wait until the song is successful.

That’s when disagreements become much more expensive.

Now Add a Record Label

Let’s make the example even bigger.

Jasmine signs a recording agreement with a label.

Now there may be contractual terms involving the master recordings.

But that doesn’t automatically mean the label owns Jasmine’s songwriting.

The recording agreement and the songwriting/publishing relationships are separate areas that need to be understood.

This is exactly why artists should never sign important entertainment agreements without understanding what they’re agreeing to.

And when you’re dealing with significant rights, get advice from a qualified entertainment attorney.

The Music Business Has a Lot of Hats

This is why the music business can feel confusing.

One song can involve:

An artist.

Multiple songwriters.

A producer.

A publisher.

A record label.

A distributor.

A manager.

An attorney.

A PRO.

A licensing company.

An engineer.

And more.

But you don’t have to understand every corner of the industry overnight.

Start with the basics.

Know what you created.

Know what you contributed.

Know what you own.

Know what you agreed to.

Know what someone else controls.

That’s a strong starting point.

Ask Better Questions

Instead of asking:

“Who owns the song?”

Ask:

Who wrote the composition?

What are the songwriting percentages?

Who owns or controls the master?

What publishing arrangements exist?

Who produced the recording?

What agreements have been signed?

Who has administration rights?

How are royalties being collected?

Those questions are much more useful.

Because the music business isn’t just one bucket.

It’s a bunch of connected rights, relationships and revenue streams.

Know Your Role Before You Sign Away Your Rights

You don’t need to become a music attorney.

You don’t need to memorize every copyright statute.

But you should understand enough to recognize when something deserves a closer look.

If someone says:

“Don’t worry about that paperwork.”

That’s your cue to pay attention.

If someone says:

“Everybody signs this.”

That’s not an explanation.

If someone says:

“You’ll get famous, so the details don’t matter.”

The details still matter.

Your career is a business.

Treat the rights attached to your work that way.

The Bottom Line

Artist.

Songwriter.

Producer.

Publisher.

These words aren’t interchangeable.

Sometimes they’re all different people.

Sometimes they’re one person.

And sometimes they’re a complicated combination of people, companies and agreements.

The important thing is knowing which role you’re playing and what rights are connected to it.

Because the earlier you understand the business side of your music, the easier it becomes to make informed decisions as your career grows.

You don’t need to know everything today.

But you should know enough to ask the right questions.

Make the music. Know your role. Document the deal. Protect the work.

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FROM THE SOUTHERN GIRL & CO. DESK

The music business gets a whole lot less intimidating when you stop treating it like one giant mystery.

There are different pieces.

Different roles.

Different rights.

Different relationships.

Learn them one at a time.

Because knowing your music is only part of being an artist. Knowing your business is part of protecting it.