Who Needs Administration?

Publishers:
If you have entered into a publishing agreement, administration is part of the services that the publisher is providing you as the writer and/or the co-publisher.  If you own a publishing company, it is your responsibility to administer the copyrights contained in your company or to enter into an agreement with an outside company to provide these services.

Record Labels/Owners of Sound Recordings:
Record labels and owners of sound recordings also use music administrators to account to owners of the intellectual property used in their sound recordings.  A record label/owner of a sound recording may also use an administrator to license and collect payment on uses of their sound recording by others.

Songwriters:
A songwriter may also use an administrator to review and track the writer’s share of income received from publishers.  This is more common for a seasoned writer who has several catalogs with several different publishers.  It is also common for a writer’s heirs  or for a writer eligible to recapture their copyrights from previous publishers to use an administrator.

Producers:
Because basic producer agreements often involve royalties or points as part of the payment for services rendered in recording a project, a producer may use the services of a music administrator or manager to track the uses and payment of a producers work in receiving royalties from various owners and uses of the sound recording.