Revised and expanded seventh edition · 308 pages
THE BOOK BEHIND THE SONG · 2026
Music Publishing
The Real Road to Music Business Success
A song can earn long after its first release. This book shows you who owns it, which rights a use requires, how the money is collected, and what a publisher must do to keep the business working.
Tim Whitsett built his first publishing company in high school and later led publishing work at Stax, Chrysalis, and Chappell. Mike Lawson, who first published the book with Tim in 1996, has restored and expanded his account for the ways songs are written, released, licensed, and paid for today.
Paperback ISBN 978-0-9794214-4-0 · eBook ISBN 978-0-9794214-3-3
INSIDE THE SEVENTH EDITION
From a writer’s first split to the sale of a catalog
The 18 chapters follow the work of a publisher: finding songs, securing rights, making deals, collecting income, and keeping the company solvent.
Ownership and agreements
Copyright, acquisitions, songwriter contracts, co-publishing, and the records needed to show what each party controls.
Where income comes from
Mechanical and performance rights, streaming, synchronization, print, foreign licensing, dramatic rights, and advertising.
Finding uses for songs
Exploitation, marketing, direct audiences, independent releases, and work with the people who place music.
Running the company
Accounting, collection, contracts, catalog valuation, sample agreements, and a subject index built for reference.
A WORKING REFERENCE
Know the deal behind the song.
Songwriters, independent publishers, managers, artists, attorneys, and music-business students can use the book to trace a song from creation through registration, release, licensing, and payment. Historical examples remain where they explain how the business developed; current chapters address streaming services, online video, and worldwide collection.
THE AUTHORS
A book shaped by publishers
Tim Whitsett (1943–2022)
Whitsett made records and led Tim Whitsett & The Imperials before joining Stax Records in Memphis in 1970. He started a record label and publishing company while still in high school, then made music publishing his profession. His later work at Chrysalis and Chappell, and his consulting with publishers in 15 countries, informed the lessons in this book.
Mike Lawson
Musician, songwriter, and veteran print and music publisher Mike Lawson first published this book with Tim Whitsett in 1996. He owns artistproMedia, publishes Musical Merchandise Review and School Band & Orchestra+, and co-authored Live Sound Reinforcement, Third Edition. This edition keeps Whitsett’s voice and examples while extending the book to the rights and collection paths publishers now manage.
Looking for the other artistproMedia book?
Explore Live Sound Reinforcement →