Can I Have Multiple Publishers for Different Songs?
While you might think having multiple publishers increases your chances of success, it often does the opposite by creating metadata conflicts and “frozen” royalties. To provide the best protection and collection, Audiobulb only signs exclusive administration contracts. This allows us to manage your entire catalog with “One Voice,” ensuring every stream is tracked and every […]
Should I Sign with a Big Publisher or a Small Independent One?
Big publishers offer prestige and advances, but they take a massive cut of your ownership (usually 50% of the publisher’s share) and often ignore smaller artists on their massive rosters. Audiobulb is a new breed of independent publisher that lets you keep 100% of your royalties for a flat fee of $19.99/year, while providing active […]
What Happens When My Publishing Deal Expires?
When your deal “expires,” it usually only means the Term has ended—the publisher can no longer claim your new songs. However, they likely still have rights to your old songs for a Retention Period, and they will continue to collect royalties for a Post-Term Collection Period (often 6–18 months) to account for accounting delays. At […]
Can I Terminate a Publishing Deal Early?
Terminating a deal early depends entirely on the “Termination Clause” in your contract. For Administration Deals (like Audiobulb), termination is usually simple with a 30–90 day notice. For Traditional/Co-Publishing Deals, early termination is extremely difficult unless the publisher has breached the contract (e.g., failed to pay you) or you have reached a specific “recoupment” or […]
What’s the Difference Between a Publishing Deal and an Admin Deal?
In a Traditional Publishing Deal, you give up a portion of your ownership (copyright) and income in exchange for an upfront payment (advance) and active career support. In an Administration Deal, you keep 100% ownership and pay a service fee (usually 10-20%) for someone to handle the paperwork and global collection. 1. The Administration Deal: […]
How Do I Claim Songs That Were Released Before I Joined a PRO?
Yes, you can claim royalties for songs released before you joined a PRO or a publisher, but you are racing against the clock. Most mechanical royalties (from streaming) are held in a “waiting room” for 2 to 3 years before being redistributed to other artists. At Audiobulb, we specialize in “Catalog Harvesting”—submitting your old songs […]
What Happens If My Metadata Is Wrong on Streaming Platforms?
If your metadata is incorrect, your royalties become “unmatchable.” When Spotify or Apple Music sends streaming data to collection societies, they use your metadata (like ISRC and ISWC codes) to find out who to pay. If there is a typo in your name or a missing code, the money goes into a “Black Box”—a holding […]
What Happens If Two People Claim the Same Song?
If two different parties (writers or publishers) claim more than 100% of a song’s ownership, the collection societies will immediately freeze all royalty payments for that work. The money is held in an “Escrow” account and will not be released until the dispute is resolved. Without a publisher to defend your claim, your royalties can […]
How Do I Split Publishing Percentages Fairly Among Collaborators?
There is no “legal law” for how to split a song, but there are industry standards. Most professional collaborators choose between Equal Splits (everyone in the room gets the same) or Proportional Splits (based on specific contributions). The most important thing is to sign a Split Sheet before the song is released. Audiobulb makes this […]
How Do I Register a Song With My PRO?
While you can log into ASCAP or BMI and register a song yourself, you probably shouldn’t. If you register only as a songwriter, you are only collecting the Writer’s Share (50% of the pie). Without a publisher to claim the Publisher’s Share, that other 50% often sits unclaimed in a “black box” or is eventually […]