How To Set Up A Publishing Company For Music
Should Musicians Self-Publish?
As a songwriter, you lot have probable heard talk of self-publishing your compositions. You've likely noticed, while perusing the fine impress in the liner notes of your favorite albums, that about all major artists have created their ain publishing company.
This means that they've incorporated a publishing company, through which the publisher'southward share of income flows.
The other half of publishing acquirement, known as the writer's share, flows directly to the individual writers, and cannot be assigned or transferred to a publisher.
Then: why practise major artists self-publish and should you do the same?
The "why" is fairly straightforward: for tax and liability reasons. When your songs are earning plenty revenue, information technology makes sense to contain to let the publisher'due south share of revenue to flow through a company rather than yous individually, and thereby be taxed at a much lower corporate rate. From a liability perspective, god prevent yous are ever sued for plagiarism, the party suing tin simply become after the corporation's assets, not your business firm and machine.
The "when" is not and so clear. I say "when" rather than "if", equally all songwriters contain a publishing company at some stage. When is the correct fourth dimension for you? If your songs are earning under a few thou dollars a twelvemonth, it doesn't probable justify the costs of incorporation and maintenance of the company. Equally long equally y'all're registered as a writer with SOCAN in Canada and ASCAP/BMI in the USA, you will receive 100% of the publishing revenue, as an individual.
There are few scenarios that might indicate that the time is right. If you find yourself licensing music internationally, entering a sub-publishing deal with a foreign publisher, or being offered a co-publishing bargain from a third party publisher, the time is right to comprise your own publishing entity. This entity would then be the contracting political party to the in a higher place agreements.
Some other scenario is if you lot desire to act as a publisher yourself and sign other writers to your company. This involves administering the rights of these writers, including issuing licenses, collecting revenues and distributing royalties.
Once you constitute that y'all'd like to self publish, telephone call your performing rights organization (PRO). They will perform a proper noun search, and let you know if you have the greenish light to register the business organization name with the authorities. You will probable need to be creative in selecting your company name because any name that is identical or too similar to an existing music publishing company will be rejected in order to avoid confusion and the potential of payments existence issued to the wrong company.
Once you've successfully incorporated and have a business bank account set up and confirmed with your PRO, yous complete an application with the PRO, sign a publishing agreement (consult with an entertainment lawyer), and you are in the concern of publishing.
Remember, being cocky published and being a successful publisher are two different things, then yous may still want to partner with a publishing company when the right opportunity arises. For more on this topic, email me.
Post Info
- music publishing, entertainment law, musician, publishing company, self-publishing
Expert Legal Advice for Entertainers
If you lot take your career in the entertainment industry seriously and desire honest, expert legal advice to have it to the next level, you've come up to the right place.
64 Responses
Comments are closed.
Source: https://lawyerdrummer.com/2017/09/musician-create-publishing-company/
My question is if i fabricated the music and produced a tape with an artist would i copyright the complete song or just my music?
You can't really divide the two, which is an interesting part of co-writing. Email me to chat further
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
I'yard pretty curious about the to a higher place question as well…
Hi Fallon,
You tin can't "copyright" one part of the song or the other. Meet my article here https://lawyerdrummer.com/2014/01/what-rights-practise-song-co-writers-have/ on the topic.
So you both would annals the song (perhaps fifty/50, perhaps some other split) with your PRO, and both take total buying of the Joint Work. The revenue carve up would be divided, merely not the buying.
Email me with further questions, happy to assist!
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
Tin you proper name a few self-publisher artists?
About smaller artists are self published. Some big names are as well, where they create their own pub company and might get the assistance of a bigger pub house like Warner Chappell etc.
Thanks
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Confused of course with music business lol. I am about to perform on several songs with a band. The ring leader is taking half of the publishing and giving the other musicians the other l% which is fine but should I start my ain publishing visitor to receive money if the songs are played on radio, boob tube, etc. Thank you!
Non needed until you're earning over $50-60K I would suggest. Mostly tax benefits. So just be cocky-published (i.e. in your name) for now.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Swan Franklins is a self publish songwriter and producer. although indie he does mostly everything on his own.
Give thanks you so much for the info! I've been looking everywhere for this easy explanation! I am going to cocky-publish my EP when registering information technology on BMI. If the money starts flowing in big-time, I'll start my own publishing company. Thanks for this write-up!
My pleasure Sonia!
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
Hi, proper name is AYIE BIIE . i'grand the i who emailed you yesterday. ok so i had a few questions. im just skeptical about a publishing visitor that i was signed to for 3 years. so basically i had a iii year pub contract , with a producer who started has the pub company Blast Coast. with in those years zero was placed, mainly due to not enough consequent piece of work. (thats what the pub founder said was the reason why).
so my #1 questions is should i exist signed with a publishing visitor that is owned by another producer. i just see this existence a conflict with getting my tracks to big placement. wouldn't he want to get his own tracks in there first?
#2 business organization so recently i spoked with him . He said that the company i was signed under he stopped working with. and went back to his original pub visitor. then basically when i signed with him i signed under a proper noun Mechach Media, he stopped working with them and then now technically im free from publishing. but he introduced signing to a five year contract with his original pub visitor. so my question is , is that legit. i dont want to notice out later on downwardly the road im still signed to that other company. . also his contract with his company is notwithstanding similar 50/50 sync. i own 100% principal . but is v years as well long to be with a pub visitor. that i may still never get placements.
#3 this pub visitor is more so boutique every bit they say, not a major company. should i be dealing with a pub company that doesn't offering advances.
sorry if this seems jumbled lol, i have so many concerns. Im due to sign with him. only want to become some clarity if i should embark with that. i can transport contract if need exist. Thank y'all sooo much for your time!
It does sound a flake sketchy. I would try to observe reviews online and/or from other artists that have worked with this publisher, to see what their track tape is like. Don't sign anything until you've done your due diligence. And feel free to send me the bargain they offered you, I'm happy to give my opinion.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Hey had one more question. could i have a publishing visitor and nonetheless sign with another publishing company.?
Y'all bet. Many artists create their own pub companies
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Hello, Kurt! Not bad article!
How about Songtrust? Information technology administrates the royalties and affiliets an creative person with PRO both every bit songwriter and publisher. The creative person even so owns 100% of copyright. In this example there is no demand in creating your ain publishi one thousand visitor, right?
Hi Mary
I think in that location would still be a great do good from a taxation perspective, every bit all the pub money would flow through the pub co rather than the writer personally.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
If I take a publishing admin set up (ie songtrust, sentric) is it worth information technology to still ready a self publishing entity for the long term?
Hello! If I am with a publishing admin ie Sentric or Songtrust, should I still set up my own publishing entity for the long term?
It would be worth information technology at some point Merilou, as you lot would pay a lower tax rate on those revenues. Every writer creates their own pub co at some point, and then information technology's really a question of when rather than if. And the "when" is when information technology makes sense financially.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
This is golden data! I capeesh this a lot Kurt!
My pleasure Derek
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
Hi Kurt,
Slap-up article every bit usual. Thanks!
Question: If I wait till down the road to start a publishing visitor and just sign-upward with a P.R.O. every bit an creative person, tin I transfer ownership of my old songs to my Publishing visitor once I commencement one?
Aye definitely
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
If a major publisher commissions someone to orchestrate an existing big band slice, paying him $7,000 for a work for hire to produce a handwritten usher's score…then later…
one.) Major publisher agrees to "Released [the arranger/orchestrator] from whatsoever and all contractual obligations.
2.) Major publisher allows [the arranger/orchestrator] to "Retain the payment of $vii,000 USD without further obligation to major publisher
3.) Major publisher agrees that "if [orchestrator/arranger] receives an offering to make this organization available via third-political party print publisher, [major publisher #1], as copyright holder of the original work, will enter into skilful faith negotiations with said publisher to approve a third-political party print license to administer the arrangement.
Then…
Is the orchestrated piece no longer a Piece of work for Hire?
Is the orchestrated piece now a Derivative Work?
Volition the orchestrator own re-create rights to the Derivative Work and be entitled to royalties going frontward?
Hey Kurt, fantastic commodity!
I take a few questions regarding my sixteen twelvemonth old son who is a creative person/songwriter, and is currently making music that's soon to be released. I'd like to know what's the best fashion to approach protecting him and his music, while maintaining 100% ownership of his works, since he's still a minor? Should I set up a pub co? If so, what would be the best structure? Also, is it necessary to sign with other pro's in addition to BMI or Ascap?
This whole journey and process is all very new to me, therefore whatever advice yous can give would be so greatly appreciated.
Best,
Jay
Electronic mail me Jay and I tin can assist. Sounds similar your questions require fairly in depth answers. There are many means to protect him and his music.
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
I'chiliad a songwriter and I have registered my songs with BMI. I want to exist completely protected. Do I need to copyright and practise I need to get a publisher license? I also want to make sure that different types of royalties are paid to me?
You don't demand to comprise your own pub co to collect all the royalties. So long every bit you are registered with BMI, they should in theory be collecting everything for you.
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
Kurt this is great info. I will bookmark your site and your info.
I recently was able to go a A+ level mixing engineer to piece of work on my debut album for a heck of a deal.. and 1 of my old friends institute out and wants to publish information technology. He hasn't done that much music – he has done some but he'south been out of the loop a while.
Am I being cynical to think he's trying to capitalize on future opportunity from my album? I am thinking I should just self publish. I don't run into a benefit of a publisher unless they have some serious marketing / biz pull.
cheers much
I am not all the same in a identify to comprise my own pub company. But I am in the midst of signing a label deal right at present. If I am gear up with my PRO am I proficient to continue the publishing side of things for at present? What else do I need to exercise to ensure the pub coin from my records makes information technology's manner to me?
Yep, just register as self-published with your PRO and all the $$ volition period to yous personally. Rock on
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Thank yous for the informative commodity! I'thou getting set to affiliate with BMI every bit a new author. Since I'chiliad already incorporated for my music educational activity business, would it make sense to go alee and create my ain publishing company under my already existing corporation? Or does it still make sense to wait and do this after I start making money with my music?
If I should offset my own publishing co., is it then necessary to make full out a royalty assignment class to assign my publishing rights to my company? Am I understanding this correctly? Also, since yous said there is no way to assign or transfer writer's royalties to a publisher, would I then always take to collect those royalties directly and not be able to benefit taxation-wise by running them through my corporation?
My accountant advised me to receive all royalty payments via my corporation. However, he and so said that he didn't think I needed to fix a separate publishing company in order to do so (that I could only assign my corporation as the payee) Is that correct? This doesn't seem right to me. Wouldn't I still have to assign royalties in order to do and so?
Equally I'm sure you lot tin can tell, I'one thousand a bit dislocated and really in need of some clarity. I ust desire to make sure that I prepare things upwardly correctly before I proceed! Thank you for your communication.
I'd require more than info to requite a full opinion, and if you're not in Canada I can't actually advise on the corporate police force side of things, but mostly speaking – I think your existing visitor can exist used to flow pub revenue through. You might want to check with your local performing rights org (ASCAP or BMI in the USA) and see what their requirements are for registering a corp as a publishing company with them.
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
Thanks for the article! Regarding whether to copyright annals a vocal under the arts/writer proper noun vs. publisher name:
In Donald Passman's book "All You Need to Know Most The Music Business organization," later detailing how to kickoff a publishing visitor, including filing a fictitious business name, he states something that is unclear to me:
"Register the songs with the Copyright Office in the name of your publishing visitor. If the songs were previously copyrighted in your name, you need to file an assignment transferring them to the publisher'south name."
Why would these songs need to exist registered in the name of the publishing visitor, equally opposed to the writer? I understand this if the publisher and the writer were not the same person, simply in my instance, it's all owned by me!
Mostly information technology's for taxation benefits, i.e. your pub income flows through the visitor rather than to you personally. So you can have the publisher's share menstruum through your pub co, and the author'south share flows to you personally. Again, the chief benefit is taxes, only also express liability to a certain extent.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Hi Kurt, Cracking info on this site. Thank you.
In regards to this question and your respond I desire to enquire how and so do yous re-assign your copyrights to your publishing visitor If they've already been registered under your name as a author? In my case, both my married woman are represented by ane publishing company, endemic past me, and need to assign our copyrights to that company.
You can hire a lawyer to draft the applicable consignment agreements. Should exist fairly straightforward.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Yeah i got a question for y'all i resently had a song that was awarded a publishing deal but the thing is im simply an independant artist wit a regular twenty-four hours job question is i just dont wanna record in my basement no more an desire to do some major releases and become that out the mode so i can focus on my next projection
Only publishers an tape advances are hard to get by an i dont wanna have hits records an take it shelf for no reason this is why i work close wit producer an creative person any way. Y'all never give me feed back this is similar the 5th time im writin you
Please
Reply
Ghett $
Did they offer an advance for the publishing deal?
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
How-do-you-do,
I have a ii office question:
Nigh info out there says that as a songwriter/composer you're only getting l% of your money from PROs considering 50% is supposed to go to the publisher, so information technology's suggested to open one's own publishing if one want's to receive 100% of rights. I am dislocated considering your commodity seems to say that a composer can register a song as self published to get 100% of royalties. Is there a serf-published option for songwriters, singled-out from also registering as a publisher with a PRO? Or are they the same thing?
And the 2d role is: If I want to sell my own canvass music, practise I demand to open a publishing company or tin can I sell my sheet music with the self-published option you talk nigh, without actually having a publishing visitor?
Appreciate the description and help,
Mich
Yes, registering as 100% author is the same as self-publishing. If you lot desire to create your ain pub co, the benefit is that half of those revenues would be taxed at a lower charge per unit through your corp. Hope this helps Jim.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Howdy Mr. Dahl, hope y'all and yours are well, staying rubber and healthy particularly during this time of pandemic. Firstly, thank you for your insight and for taking the fourth dimension to provide useful data to those who seek clarity.
I want to exist sure I correctly sympathise the process in its proper chronological order. I believe it is very important to begin properly every bit our beginning has a great affect on that which proceeds afterwards.
One time I have my songs professionally recorded, mastered and ready for release, one of the 1st tasks is to sign up with a PRO as a author/artist. Practise I sign upwards in my legal proper noun or can I use my creative person name?
Then it would be beneficial to create my own publishing visitor for the 50% of the publisher's share to be taxed at a lower corporate rate? (The 50% writer'south share comes directly to me and is taxed at the regular personal rate which is college than the corporate rate?)
Before registering desired publishing visitor's proper noun with the land, be sure the proper name is bachelor through the PRO, if so create an LLC with the land?
Once publishing company is successfully created, be sure to annals/copyright all songs with copyright office in the name of the publishing visitor? Upon doing so the 50% publisher's share of performance royalties will exist paid by the PRO to my publishing company?
If I have copyrighted songs in my proper name, transfer all of them to the publishing visitor? Is at that place a specific grade that I must use in gild to complete this transfer?
Since I am an contained artist can my publishing company also be my label by which all my music volition be released nether? For sake of instance lets say the proper noun I select is XYZ so can it be XYZ Music & Publishing LLC which will serve equally my own record characterization and publishing company in one?
Once company is created, I could then sign up with a publishing ambassador such as CD Infant Pro and they'll collect all my global mechanical royalties?
The master benefit of a pub. admin. is to relieve me from having to practice the global paperwork of registering songs with multiple collection societies and relieving me from having to collect my own mechanical royalties from the various sources correct? Also this, are at that place any other notable benefits?
Starting my ain publishing company for the sole purpose of my own music, I would be responsible for what specific tasks for myself as the artist from a publishing standpoint?
Furthermore, is it the job of my publishing company or the publishing admin. (CD Baby) to issue licenses to those who want to cover my songs or use it in tv, radio, etc?
Whether information technology is their job or that of my company, I don't accept to consent to issuing a license to anyone or entity that wants to employ my music in anything I don't approve of correct? If I don't approve that would prohibit the individual or entity from using my music?
If I already have my publishing company registered with the PRO, will CD Baby override that in which now all performance royalties for the publisher'due south share from the PRO volition get to CD Baby, they accept their fee and and so pay the rest to my publishing company or to me directly? (This is unclear to me.)
At what point should I consider getting an entertainment attorney; at the beginning of my career? Should I accept an attorney expect over whatever contractual agreement between myself and publishing admin. before proceeding?
Thank you in accelerate for taking the time to read my inquiries and provide clarity. Have a bully day and I look to hear from yous shortly. ~Ms. Brown~
Hi Kurt – I sent you lot an email with a short background info and quick question. Promise you got it – looking forwards to your respond in that location! Thank you so much! – Girlie
Cheers for a very informative and well-written commodity.
I do have a question regarding the specific entity nature of a publishing company. If i operates a loan-out visitor as a musician, would it be permissible and/or appropriate that this entity function as a publishing company as well, or should a new entity be created? My loan out enters into contracts for live performances, recordings, commissions, etc., and collects revenue from these activities; but it does non serve as a label (distribution is handled externally). Thank yous very much for your assist.
I think yous could create an arm of the loan-out company that could act every bit publisher, just a) I'd demand to know more info and b) it depends on the jurisdiction you're in. I can only advise on Canadian companies in this regard.
Kurt Dahl
Amusement Lawyer
Hi great article , I had a question
I was wonder if I already have a pro for my writers since 2006 and at present I want to start a publishing company for my lofi hip hop I will be release on all platforms . Does the publishing company demand to be the aforementioned name as my writers side ? I want to comprise and I'one thousand confused on this was using legal zoom for swiftness and earlier I pay I needed to know this .
The Writer's Share would keep to get to you personally, and 100% of the Pub'south Share would offset to period through your pub co.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Hello, Kurt!
This article is very encouraging! I created my LLC in 2022 and will be releasing my music for the first time soon. It's been fun learning how to get ISRCs, creating proper metadata for my songs and registering music for digital and mechanical royalties. I am not technically minded by whatsoever means and at times I've felt like I could pull my pilus out in frustration every bit I acquire more to put myself out there! In that location are plenty of slap-up resources and this commodity is one of them! Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks Lisa!
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
One affair that confuses me is this idea that having your own publishing company will become you lot paid twice the coin (publishing plus writer). From BMI'southward website "In addition to earning twice the money, the other major do good to self-publishing is that you control all artistic and business decisions regarding your songs."
Only y'all are saying this is not true. Having your own publishing company makes sense in terms of taxes (once you are making decent money) and for liability protection (they come up for the company, LLC? not the writer).
I got tired of maintaining my publishing company. tax forms every yr. and other work I didn't like. The cost and time spent made no sense since i was making no coin.
Correct. Y'all don't make twice the coin. Y'all make 100% of the money. If you sign a pub deal with a publisher, they go half. So in your example, information technology sounds like information technology'southward not worth information technology to exist self-published. You lot can simply take 100% of the revenues become to y'all personally.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Great stuff!
For a ring registered as a general partnership, are there alternative scenarios where it would brand sense to register a publishing entity that all members assign their publishing rights to? For instance, I'd assume at that place can be benefits to keeping all of those rights nether one roof. And in scenarios similar that, how are they typically set up? Corporation? Another partnership?
Thanks!
Ryan
Most bands incorporate at some point, for tax benefits and limited liability. The you could have a publishing arm of that corp for the publisher's share of the band's publishing revenue. And at some point, it will brand sense for each private member to create their own pub visitor every bit well, once the revenues are there.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Mr. Dahl,
I accept read your article and these comments with not bad interest. Give thanks you lot very much!
I have been writing songs for over forty years. It is a passion of mine. In high schoolhouse – in the 1980's – I would effort to pitch songs to country artists. One, who was a very major artist, who took several CMA'southward the aforementioned year, listened to my record and wrote me a very overnice letter with critique and suggestions. It is a cherished experience. Many refused to accept cloth, and some accepted my envelope, only I never heard dorsum. I was a gutsy teenager.
Life happened and I never took the plunge, though I connected to dabble with writing and really started working on it quite diligently the last 6 years. I used to mess around with cassettes as a kid, and with the advent of digital technology, I started home recording in 2022, and continue to ameliorate. Using MIDI to arrange various parts to supplement my guitar tracks has been a joy!
I registered one song as an SR with the United states Copyright Function (with credit for writing, performing, and producing) in 2022 and registered a collection of 5 songs as a single SR in 2022.
Contacting publishers and artists these past few years has been fruitless. I accept never sent fabric, equally I am non the trusting soul that I was many years agone.
I take spent considerable time these past few months learning about how easy it is to distribute a song. Past easy, I hateful, make an account with CD Babe, Distrokid, or whomever and put it out there. I don't mean success is easy, merely it is not like it used to exist.
Being quite the cautious sort, I was looking at forming an LLC for publishing, in the outcome of a law arrange. I know the social club we live in today, and I would be in no position to defend my personal assets without an LLC. I get that information technology probably isn't an issue until a song makes coin. I am writing new lyrics to melodies from the 1980's.
I did register equally a songwriter with BMI, and registered with Audio Commutation. I accept non released anything yet, and have been perusing the details of the various distributors. They all accept pros and cons.
I become the tax benefits for an LLC (I am in the US) and information technology really is non too expensive to form one in the land where I live; less than $200 and I accept a few friends who have LLC'southward for their businesses, which are not music related.
My thought is to become my cloth out there, and I believe a practiced vocal is a practiced song. I don't want to risk my home or other assets. I accept never copied or sampled anybody's work, but my career (of which I am now retired) taught me that you don't have to be in the incorrect to exist sued, all that mattered was whether or not y'all could defend yourself. Attorneys and musicologists are not inexpensive.
Hither I am talking similar I have a hit on my hands 🙂 It is just my nature, and I am wondering what your communication would be: 1. Sign with a distributor and publishing ambassador and merely go for information technology or two. Class an LLC for my music production and publishing and and then go to the benefactor. (I didn't specify, but I ain my masters, and I am the sole contributor to all aspects of my music production).
Thank you lot!
Hello Kurt – If you lot're an indie creative person who isn't earning much money at all and y'all sign a co-pub bargain, the publisher will desire you to establish your ain publishing company in club to delineate your co-pub share and make things clearer on a registration level. You lot can just get a sole proprietorship concern license (in Ontario) and set up a SOCAN publisher membership with this. I would think at this point it's not necessary to go through the whole process and expense of incorporating, and that you can just operate under what is essentially a d/b/a. Would yous agree with this assessment? And in this instance, would it actually brand an difference with taxes since y'all're not incorporated? Every bit in, is that but part of your personal income?
Thanks!
Exactly – stay self-published and then just report that income as personal. No need to incorporate unless at that place is existent $$ coming in.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Sorry Kurt, I forgot to analyze – I'm wondering if it'due south not necessary to comprise at this point because y'all're not making much coin, but then you should look at incorporating if your earnings increase to the point that incorporation makes sense.
Exactly, it's really a financial conclusion at the beginning, as it costs a few thou to set everything up.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer
Howdy,
Ok- I'thousand a member a ring in which in that location is a songwriter (lyrics, melody, her rhythm guitar parts), I write my parts (harmony vocals, pb guitar), and our drummer writes her parts. I feel a scrap dislocated most how to register on BMI- our label recommended that register equally the songwriter and I should register as a publisher, which is fine with me- merely doesn't friction match the descriptions online of what a "publisher" is, which sounds like more of an administrator. What exercise you remember? Thanks!
Whoops- in that location was a typo in my concluding post so I'm resubmitting.
Hello,
Ok- I'k a member a band in which there is a songwriter (lyrics, tune, her rhythm guitar parts), I write my parts (harmony vocals, lead guitar), and our drummer writes her parts. I feel a flake confused about how to register on BMI- our label recommended that she register as the sole songwriter and I should register every bit a publisher, which is fine with me- only doesn't friction match the descriptions online of what a "publisher" is, which sounds like more of an administrator. What do you think? Thanks!
Hello Kurt,
Thanks very much for this very informative post. My question is from the perspective of a songwriter/performer who as well produces their own recordings and owns the masters: once they feel the time is right to contain, can the publishing company and the music production visitor (indie "record label") exist two arms of the same unmarried corporation?
Cheers
Yes, I think that is doable. At some point, information technology might be worth it to create split up corps just for tax/liability reasons. But I would discuss that with an accountant for sure.
Kurt Dahl
Entertainment Lawyer