As a songwriter, you earn royalties from two types of rights: the writer's share and the publisher's share. The writer's share represents the portion of the royalties that are due to you as the songwriter. This share is typically paid to you directly by your performing rights organization (PRO), such as BMI or ASCAP.
The publisher's share, on the other hand, represents the portion of the royalties due to the music publisher of the song. If you are your own music publisher, then you are entitled to this share as well.
UniteSync serves as your administrator and handles registrations with your local PRO and other sources globally. This means that UniteSync collects and processes your publisher's share of the royalties and includes it in your quarterly accounting statement.
In certain territories—specifically the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland—UniteSync also collects the writer's share of digital rights from online platforms, in addition to the publisher's share. This ensures that you receive all royalties generated from digital usage (such as Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music) in those regions directly through your UniteSync statement, rather than relying solely on your PRO.
It is important to note that you retain full ownership and control of your rights. UniteSync does not take ownership of any of your music or intellectual property. Rather, UniteSync acts as a service provider, helping you to collect and manage your royalties more efficiently.
Therefore, while you will continue to receive your statements for the writer's share directly from your local PRO in most regions, you can expect to see both your writer’s and publisher’s shares for digital rights in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland included in your quarterly accounting statement from UniteSync.
