Co-Publishing Agreement
Share the publisher side. Keep the writer side. Get an advance.
A co-publishing agreement music deal sits between a light admin deal and a full exclusive songwriter deal. The songwriter assigns 50% of the publisher's share (25% of the total song income) to the publisher, keeps 100% of the writer's share (50%), and keeps the other 50% of the publisher's share. In plain terms: out of every dollar a song earns, the writer receives 75 cents and the publisher 25 cents — and the publisher handles administration worldwide.
Co-publishing is the deal songwriters sign when they want more than collection — they want an advance, active song pitching, sync outreach, and a publisher with a stake in their success. Publishers only commit capital and effort to co-pub deals when they believe in the catalog. In return for the advance and the work, they take a real ownership share (25% of the song) that can outlast the agreement depending on the term and reversion clauses.
MUSILOCK generates a co-publishing agreement music contract covering the essentials: parties, catalog covered, ownership split of the publisher's share, writer's share retention, advance amount and recoupment mechanics, term length and options, territory, administration rights and duties, approval rights over synchronization, creative services the publisher provides, audit rights, and reversion or rights-back clauses. Every key number and clause is editable in the wizard.
Signing a co-publishing agreement is a larger commitment than an admin deal, and deserves a real read-through by a lawyer before signing — especially the recoupment, reversion, and post-term terms. The MUSILOCK template is drafted to current industry standards and explains each clause in plain language, which makes the lawyer conversation faster and cheaper.
Electronic signatures via SignWell are legally valid worldwide under the US ESIGN Act and the EU eIDAS Regulation. Once both parties sign, the completed PDF lives in your MUSILOCK account. Bilingual output covers Latin-and-English publishing relationships, which are increasingly common as Spanish-language repertoire drives global streaming.
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Share the publisher side. Keep the writer side. Signed online.
Create this contractFrequently asked questions
What does 50/50 co-publishing actually mean?
A song is typically split 50/50 between the writer's share (the songwriter always keeps this) and the publisher's share. In a 50/50 co-pub, the publisher gets half of the publisher's share — 25% of the whole song. The writer ends up with 75%: the full 50% writer's share plus 25% of the publisher's share.
Are co-publishing advances recoupable?
Yes. The publisher pays an advance up front and then recoups it from the songwriter's future share of royalties before paying anything out. If the catalog never earns back the advance, the songwriter usually keeps the money (the advance is "non-refundable") but sees no royalty income until recoupment clears.
Does the publisher own my songs forever?
That depends on the reversion clause. Modern co-pub deals often include reversion: after a set number of years past the term (10-25 years is typical), the publisher's 25% share reverts back to the songwriter. Deals without reversion leave that 25% with the publisher in perpetuity. Negotiate for reversion if you can.
Can I still get synced to film and TV in a co-pub deal?
Yes — and often more easily, because a publisher with a sync team is actively pitching your catalog. Sync income is split according to the ownership split in the contract, and most co-pub deals require publisher approval (or joint approval) on sync licenses to protect catalog value.
Is this the same as a full publishing deal?
No. A "full" or "exclusive" publishing deal typically assigns 100% of the publisher's share (50% of the song) to the publisher. A co-pub assigns only half of the publisher's share (25% of the song). Exclusive deals bring larger advances; co-pub keeps more upside with the songwriter.