Rethinking Music Publishing with Independence in Mind

The creator economy is projected to grow to nearly half a trillion dollars in the coming years, as more artists than ever build brands, communities, and catalogs around what they make. But even as the opportunity expands, access to the tools and infrastructure needed to get paid fairly hasn’t kept pace, especially for songwriters.

At Songtrust, we believe every rights holder deserves to collect the royalties their copyrights generate. While that belief hasn’t changed since our founding in 2011, the way we get there keeps evolving with the needs of our clients.

The Traditional Publisher No Longer Fits All

Historically, music publishing was exclusive by design. If you weren’t an established songwriter or didn’t have a direct line to a major, you were unlikely to be offered a deal. Traditional publishers offered access, connections, and advances, but often at the cost of long-term control and ownership.

Songtrust was built to open up publishing administration to a broader, more diverse set of creators. Whether you’re earning $25 or $1M a quarter, our model provides transparency while our clients retain full ownership. Today, more than 450,000 songwriters around the world rely on Songtrust to collect the royalties they’ve earned, everywhere their music is played.

Infrastructure for the New Songwriter

As DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music have fueled a surge in global music consumption, the need for scalable, accessible publishing infrastructure has only grown. Today, more than 100,000 tracks are uploaded to Spotify daily, each one representing at least one songwriter who deserves to be paid.

Songtrust was built to meet that scale. We’ve established direct relationships with more than 65 collection societies and rights organizations worldwide. We have 77 direct relationships with DSPs. This network allows us to track, claim, and collect royalties across hundreds of territories, making sure songwriters are paid fairly and quickly – no more black box. 

The Future of Publishing is Inclusive

To us, being creator-first means being a long-term partner. That’s why we invest in supporting songwriters beyond royalty collection.

Amplified, our newest initiative, is designed to help creators build careers on their own terms.

Through education, community-building, and creative development, we offer support that goes beyond publishing admin, from writing camps to global summits to discounts on tools that help them make songs and take them on the road – we hustle to make sure our creators have everything they need to thrive and grow. 

When Songtrust clients reach a point where  a creative publishing partner is essential, Downtown Music Publishing is at the ready. Multi-instrumentalist and producer, Vandelux has been a client of Songtrust for years. As his career accelerated, his team looked to add creative A&R and sync opportunities, and DMP was the perfect fit. Another great example is singer-songwriter, AdELA, a longtime Songtrust client who recently joined DMP to work with our Sync team.

Whether a creator stays with us for the long haul or moves into a creative relationship with our sister company, our mission stays the same: serve the music, and the people who make it.

As more songwriters and artists look to build sustainable businesses around their work, it’s all about having the right infrastructure across creative support, financial transparency, and a professional community. We believe that long-term success comes from aligning all three. That’s why Songtrust goes beyond admin to help creators navigate: what they make, what they’re owed, and where they’re headed.

As the creator economy grows, publishing will continue to be more than about collection. It’s about helping creators build long-term careers on their terms.