You don’t get your music published territory-by-territory yourself. Instead, you sign a single Publishing Administration agreement with a partner like Audiobulb. We then use our network of “Sub-Publishers” to register your songs directly with collection societies in every major music market—from the UK (PRS) to Japan (JASRAC) and beyond.
In the digital era, your music is global the second it hits Spotify. But your money isn’t. If you only register your song in your home country, your international royalties often get stuck in a “Black Box” overseas.
To get published in multiple territories properly, you have to move beyond “Reciprocity” and move into Direct Registration.
1. Why You Can’t Just Join Every Society
Some artists think: “I’ll just join the societies in the Top 10 streaming countries myself!”
Technically, you can’t.
- The IPI Lock: As we’ve discussed, you are assigned one unique IPI number. Most societies will not allow a songwriter to have “Full Membership” in two different countries simultaneously because it creates a data conflict.
- Local Requirements: Many societies (like GEMA in Germany or SACEM in France) require you to have a local address or a local bank account to join as a writer.
2. The Solution: The “Hub and Spoke” Model
Professional publishing works like a hub. You are the center (the Hub), and your publisher is the connection to all the different countries (the Spokes).
When you join Audiobulb, we don’t just “wait” for the foreign societies to send money to the US. We take your song data and “push” it out to our Sub-Publishing partners in:
- The UK & Ireland
- Europe (Germany, France, Italy, etc.)
- Asia (Japan, Korea, China)
- Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina)
- Australasia
These local partners take your song and register it locally. To the UK society (PRS), your song looks like a “local registration,” which means they pay out much faster and more accurately.
3. Distribution vs. Publishing: The Territory Gap
It is vital to understand that your Distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore) and your Publisher (Audiobulb) do two different things across territories.
| Action | Your Distributor | Your Publisher (Audiobulb) |
| What they do | Send your audio file to streaming platforms. | Registers your copyright with societies. |
| Territory Reach | Worldwide (Spotify/Apple). | Worldwide (PROs/MROs). |
| What they collect | The “Master” streaming share. | The “Songwriting” & “Mechanical” share. |
| The Result | You see the stream in your app. | You get the extra 20-30% in royalties. |
4. How the “Registration Chain” Works
If you use Audiobulb, here is the journey your song takes to get published globally:
- Step 1: You submit your song and split sheet to Audiobulb.
- Step 2: We register the song with The MLC and ASCAP/BMI (USA).
- Step 3: Our system automatically pings our sub-publishers in London, Berlin, and Tokyo.
- Step 4: Those partners register the song with their local societies (PRS, GEMA, JASRAC).
- Step 5: When your song is played on a radio station in Berlin, GEMA pays our German partner, who pays us, who pays you.
FAQ: Publishing Across Borders
Can I exclude certain countries from my publishing deal?
Yes. This is called “Territorial Carve-outs.” For example, if you already have a small publishing deal in Japan, you can tell Audiobulb to handle the “World Excluding Japan.” However, most independent artists prefer a “World” deal for simplicity.
Do I get a separate IPI number for each country?
No. Your IPI number stays the same. The local societies just “link” your IPI to the registration we make for you in their territory.
Is it expensive to publish in 100+ countries?
If you did it yourself, it would cost thousands in membership fees. With Audiobulb, we handle the cost of global registration as part of our administration service. We only get paid when you get paid.
Summary
Getting published in multiple territories isn’t about filling out 100 forms. It’s about picking one partner who already has the “Boots on the Ground” in those countries.
Your Next Step: If you have fans outside your home country, you are a global artist. Treat your business that way. Register your catalog with Audiobulb today, and we will start the global registration process for you within 24 hours.