Publishers in Velveteen
Updated June 11, 2026
A Publishing House in Velveteen is the entity that owns composition rights: the songwriting side of your music. It is separate from the label, which owns the master recording. Most independent artists are their own publisher and create a publishing house in their own name.
This section covers four publisher topics
What is a publishing house?
The publishing house concept, the master vs. composition rights distinction, and when you need one.
Publisher and songwriter
How one publisher credit pairs a composer with their publishing house, and what to do for co-writes.
Publishing and royalties
Mechanical vs. performance royalties, PRO registration, and what leaving publisher fields blank means for payouts.
Adding publishers to tracks
The step-by-step workflow for adding publisher credits to a track in Velveteen.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a publishing house to distribute music?+
No. Publishing house fields on tracks are optional. You can deliver a release without any publisher credits. However, without publisher data, Velveteen cannot include songwriter metadata in the delivery payload, which may mean publishing royalties go uncollected.
Is a publishing house the same as a PRO?+
No. A publishing house is the entity you own that holds your composition rights. A PRO (Performing Rights Organisation) is the collecting society you register with to collect performance royalties. You register your publishing house and songwriting credits with your PRO. They are separate organisations.
What is a PRO, and is it the same as a publishing house?+
A PRO (Performing Rights Organisation) is a collecting society, such as SOCAN, ASCAP, BMI, or PRS. It collects performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers. Your publishing house is the entity that receives those royalties. You register your publishing house with a PRO so the society knows where to send the money.
Does adding a publishing house affect how my release delivers?+
Yes. Publisher credits on your tracks are included in the delivery payload Velveteen sends to DSPs via FUGA. DSPs report composition usage to collection societies using that metadata. Without publisher credits, the composition usage may be reported with no rights holder, and royalties may go uncollected.
Related articles
What is a publishing house?
The entity that owns composition rights: what it is, how it differs from a label, and when you need one.
Publisher & songwriter
How one track_publishers row pairs a composer with their publishing house, and what to do for co-writes.
Publishing & royalties
Mechanical vs. performance royalties, PRO registration, and what leaving publisher fields blank means for your payouts.
Adding publishers to tracks
The step-by-step workflow for adding publisher credits to a track, and the free-text fallback when a person record doesn't exist yet.