Most musicians never realize how much money their music earns-until it's too late.
Streams, followers, playlists, and placements dominate the conversation, but they distract from the single most important truth in the music business: ownership and publishing determine who gets paid, for how long, and under what conditions.
The Modern Music Publishing Playbook is a comprehensive, no-nonsense guide for independent artists, songwriters, producers, and catalog owners who want to understand-and control-the real economics behind their music.
Written by Brandon Edward Pugh, founder of 50 Shots Beats LLC, this book goes beyond surface-level explanations and industry myths. It breaks down music publishing as it actually operates: through contracts, databases, collection societies, licensing agreements, audits, and enforcement. This is not a motivational book. It is an operational manual.
Inside, readers learn how music publishing works from the ground up-starting with copyright ownership and ending with long-term catalog valuation and leverage. Each chapter builds on the last, guiding readers from basic concepts to advanced strategies traditionally reserved for major publishers, administrators, and catalog buyers.
This book explains where publishing money really comes from, including performance royalties, mechanical royalties, digital and platform licensing, synchronization, international collections, and overlooked revenue streams most artists never track. It shows how and why royalties are routinely underpaid, delayed, or misallocated-and what to do when that happens.
Unlike most publishing guides, The Modern Music Publishing Playbook dedicates substantial attention to the realities of administration, audits, and recovery. Readers learn how to read royalty statements line by line, identify discrepancies, exercise audit rights, recover unpaid royalties, and exit bad agreements without losing control of their catalog.
The book also addresses modern realities often ignored in older publishing guides, including:
Throughout the book, the focus remains practical and grounded. Legal concepts are explained in plain language. Industry systems are demystified without oversimplification. The goal is not to overwhelm, but to equip readers with clarity, leverage, and confidence.
Whether you are:
• An independent artist trying to retain control
• A songwriter confused about royalties
• A producer building a catalog
• A creator exiting a bad administration deal
• Or a rights owner preparing for long-term income
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This book provides the framework to treat music not just as art, but as a durable, income-producing asset.
The Modern Music Publishing Playbook is for creators who are done guessing, done trusting blindly, and ready to understand the systems that decide how-and whether-they get paid.
Ownership is not a reward for success.
It is the foundation of it.
