Music Publishing covers the basics of how a composition is copyrighted, published, and promoted. Publishing in the music business goes far beyond the physical sheet—it includes live performance and mechanical (recording) rights, and income streams from licensing deals of various kinds. A single song can generate over thirty different royalty streams, and a writer must know how these royalties are calculated and who controls the flow of the money.

Taking a practical approach, the authors — one a successful music publisher and attorney, the other a songwriter and music business professor — explain in simple terms the basic concept of copyright law as it pertains to compositions. Throughout, they give practical examples from "real world" situations that illuminate both potential pitfalls and possible upsides for the working composers.