Publisher

If you're a music publishing company who represents other writers’ catalogues, you can apply to be a publisher member.

Join as a publisher

Only if you represent other writers’ catalogues do you need to become a publisher member. If you are a songwriter who only represents your own catalogue you should, however, make sure you’ve joined both APRA and, if you are unpublished, AMCOS as a writer member.

Read the criteria to join as a publisher member.

Music publishers nurture and develop songwriters and composers, and take care of the business aspects of their career. Music publishers make an investment - in terms of money, time and experience - in their writers. They exploit the copyright in the music and songs created by their writers in order to make a return on that investment, and to reward the writers for their creative work.

Find out more about music publishing.

AMCOS has reciprocal agreements with other affiliated societies around the globe – meaning you reproduction royalties are collected worldwide.

Some territories overseas require individuals to set themselves up as a Publisher or use a third-party music service to collect 100% of reproduction royalties, but as an AMCOS member you do not need to do this.

If all your songs or compositions are published, your music publisher will collect your reproduction royalties, and there's no reason to join AMCOS. AMCOS is primarily a royalty collection service and does not play the role of a music publisher. Find out what a music publisher does.

No. AMCOS represents some of your reproduction rights, but doesn't act as your publisher.

Find out more about what publishers do.

In most cases, no. You should only join as a publisher member if you are intending to administer, promote and commercially exploit the work of other writers. Music publishers require in-depth industry knowledge and experience, as well as legal contracts in place with songwriters. Find out more about what a publisher does.