How do music publishing royalties work?

Music publishing royalties are the payments that songwriters and composers earn whenever their music is used. There are different types: performance royalties (for live plays, radio, and streaming), mechanical royalties (for reproductions like CDs and downloads), and synchronization royalties (when music is used in film, ads, or TV). Publishers track and collect these royalties on behalf of artists, ensuring no revenue is missed. Without a publisher, artists often struggle to monitor every platform and territory where their music is played. Proper publishing ensures musicians not only create but also get fairly compensated for the reach and impact of their work.