How to Prepare a Catalog for a Publishing Administrator
A practical catalog-preparation checklist for songwriters evaluating publishing administration, from work data and splits to registrations, recording links, and unresolved authority.
The short answer
Prepare a publishing-administration catalog by documenting each composition, its writers and shares, publisher or administrator, registrations, related recordings, territories, agreements, and unresolved conflicts. Keep composition data separate from master data, label unknown fields instead of guessing, and ask each administrator to respond to the same inventory. The catalog packet is a decision tool, not proof that any party owns or can license a right. Use qualified music counsel for unclear authority or contract terms.
Three things to know
- 01
Build one row per composition and preserve the source for every writer, share, registration, recording, and agreement field.
- 02
Separate the musical work from each sound recording because publishing administration and master services may cover different rights and counterparties.
- 03
Treat missing data and conflicting claims as work items. A clean list of unknowns is more useful than a complete-looking catalog built from assumptions.
What should the catalog packet include?
Use these fields to make an administration conversation specific without overstating what has been verified.
- 01
Composition identity
Title, alternate title, writers, roles, shares, identifiers, and the source for each field.
- 02
Registration map
PRO, MLC, administrator, international, or other relevant registration status with last-checked dates.
- 03
Recording links
Related recording titles, ISRCs, release metadata, master owner, and a separate recording-ledger reference.
- 04
Scope questions
Royalty type, territory, media, current mandates, licensing authority, approvals, and post-term handling.
- 05
Exception log
Missing documents, conflicting shares, duplicate registrations, unresolved contacts, owners, deadlines, and next actions.
What should be in a publishing-administration catalog row?
Start with one row for each composition, not one row for each release. Record the composition title, alternate titles, writers, writer roles, writer shares, publisher or administrator names, performing-rights affiliations, known identifiers, and the recording or recordings that embody the work. The MLC registration workflow identifies work, writer, publisher, administrator, share, and optional recording information as useful registration fields. Keep a source or document reference beside each value so the next reviewer can distinguish a signed split from a memory or a streaming credit.
How should you separate the composition from the master?
Use two linked ledgers: a composition ledger for the musical work and a recording ledger for each sound recording. A publishing administrator may be asked to register, collect, account for, or license composition rights, while a distributor, label, or master owner may control recording delivery and recording income. The U.S. Copyright Office treats a musical composition and a sound recording as separate works. Link the ledgers with identifiers and titles, but do not assume that authority over one automatically includes authority over the other.
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Meet ClefWhat ownership and split evidence should you gather?
Collect signed split sheets, songwriter or producer agreements, publishing schedules, assignment or administration notices, and relevant registration records. For each writer, note the agreed share, whether the share is writer or publisher side, and who is authorized to register or collect it. If a collaborator disputes a percentage, mark the row as unresolved and preserve both the dispute note and the document that prompted it. Do not force percentages to total 100 percent by inventing a correction. A publishing administrator needs an honest exception list to scope cleanup and avoid misrepresenting authority.
What registrations and identifiers belong in the packet?
Record the status and date of each relevant work registration, PRO affiliation, MLC work record where applicable, and international or administrator registration. Link each composition to related ISWC information if available, and link each recording to its ISRC and release metadata. A missing identifier is not a reason to guess: use a status such as not located, needs confirmation, or not applicable. Include the source system and last-checked date. If an administrator already has a mandate, confirm who is responsible for correcting duplicate, stale, or mismatched registrations before submitting the same share elsewhere.
How do you document territory, royalty, and licensing scope?
Create a scope column that says what is known about territory, royalty type, media, term, and existing mandates. Separate public-performance, mechanical, synchronization, and recording-related questions rather than using the single word royalties. Ask whether a proposed administrator handles a right directly, through a collection partner, or not at all. Also record pending licenses, known foreign activity, unmatched uses, and any approval requirement. These fields let providers answer the same question and help the artist identify gaps without claiming that a network or registration covers every territory or use.
What should you do with missing or conflicting catalog data?
Turn every gap into a named work item with an owner, source to check, date opened, and next decision. Examples include a missing writer share, a title that differs across registrations, a recording with an uncertain master owner, or an administrator mandate whose end date cannot be found. A practical review labels each row verified, incomplete, conflicting, or awaiting response. Do not present the catalog as one-stop or fully cleared while a material share, license, territory, or signatory authority remains unresolved. This guide is educational, not legal advice.
How should you send the packet to an administrator?
Send a redacted summary first, with the catalog rows, status labels, identifiers, territory questions, and a list of documents available for controlled review. Keep private contracts, personal addresses, tax details, and sensitive correspondence out of public links. Ask the administrator to state which works it accepts, what it will register or collect, which rights remain outside scope, what cleanup it requires, and how it handles pending income and exit. A clearly labelled constructed example would be a 12-song catalog with two incomplete splits: the useful next step is to request a cleanup plan, not to predict earnings or choose a provider from the example.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a complete catalog before contacting a publishing administrator?
- No, but label missing writers, shares, registrations, recordings, and agreements clearly. The gaps can become part of the administrator's scope and should not be hidden by estimates.
- Should a publishing-administration packet include master information?
- Include linked recording information when it helps identify a composition, but keep master ownership and recording agreements in a separate ledger. Ask which rights the administrator actually covers.
- Can I use streaming credits as proof of publishing ownership?
- No. Credits can help locate a question, but they do not replace signed agreements, split evidence, registration records, or confirmation from the responsible rights party.
- What if two people claim different shares of a song?
- Mark the composition as conflicting, preserve the competing evidence, and pause any representation that depends on the disputed share. Qualified music counsel should review unresolved ownership or authority.
- Does an administrator automatically handle every royalty for a song?
- No. The written scope controls. Ask about royalty type, territory, media, collection partner, approvals, reporting, and post-term handling instead of assuming one mandate covers every lane.
- Is this catalog-preparation guide legal advice?
- No. It is an operational checklist. Use qualified music counsel for splits, assignments, publishing or label agreements, samples, disputes, licensing authority, and other contract questions.