The TuneRegistry Difference
We offer a fundamentally different approach to administering publishing and other rights. Unlike commission-based administrators that take 15-20% of your royalties for the duration of the agreement, we operate on a transparent subscription model starting at just $15/month with zero commission on your earnings and easy, hassle-free cancellation.
We are an independent music rights administration platform not affiliated with any major label or distribution company. While recent industry consolidation is set to place Songtrust and CD Baby under Universal Music Group’’s ownership (through the $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings), and TuneCore Publishing and Sentric under Believe’s control, TuneRegistry remains independently operated with no corporate parent influencing our policies, pricing or practices.
We empower you to self-administer your works with all traditional US collection societies including ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Music Reports, HFA, The MLC and SoundExchange. You maintain complete control over your registrations and copyrights, maintain your direct relationship with the organizations you affiliate with to represent your various rights, avoid commission-based deductions, and receive royalties directly from the societies without intermediary layers reducing or slowing down your payments.
Because you continue to maintain your direct affiliation when using our system to self-administer your rights in the US, if you have questions, concerns, or issues you’re able to interact directly with the organizations to resolve them without involving us unlike with Songtrust, TuneCore Publishing, Sentric or traditional publishing administrators who become your publisher of record for your rights and have complete authority over your registrations.
What TuneRegistry Does Differently
We operate a fundamentally different model than Songtrust, TuneCore Publishing, Sentric, and traditional publishing administration solutions. Instead of becoming your publishing administrator or publisher of record on your registrations, we’ve built and provide a platform for a flat monthly subscription fee that enables you to administer your publishing, mechanical, and master rights on behalf of yourself and/or your publishing entity(ies) with no commission, and you maintain your relationship with the societies and organizations with which you and/or your entities are affiliated without requiring any involvement from us.
The Personification of Administered, by YOU.
As you research alternatives to commission-based administrators, what we’re offering extends beyond traditional publishing administration. We provide a comprehensive US music rights administration solution that encompasses not just your composition rights (Works), but also your mechanical rights and master recording rights-all administered directly by you through our platform.
Subscription Model with Zero Commission, No Per-Songwriter Fees
Instead of taking a percentage of your royalties or charging $75-$100 per songwriter registration fees, we charge a transparent and simple monthly or annual subscription fee, with each plan enabling you to register your works including your co-writers and their publisher splits.
Our subscription plans:
Solo Plan: $15/mo – Ideal for solo songwriters, producers, and artists managing their own catalog of works and recordings
Team Plan: $35/mo – Ideal for small labels, publishers and managers collaborating on a shared catalog or managing a few clients.
Business Plan: $95/mo – Ideal for established labels, publishers and administrators requiring isolated catalogs, advanced permissions, security and dedicated support.
Visit our pricing page to view subscriptions plans and sign up.
True Cost Comparison: Commission-Based vs Subscription Model
Understanding the actual cost of publishing administration requires looking beyond setup fees to calculate your net income after commissions.
Songtrust Cost Structure
Songtrust requires a $100 per songwriter registration fee, charges a 15% commission on performance royalties, and as of January 2025, charges a 20% commission on mechanical royalties. Additionally, their Terms of Service stated that commissions are calculated on “Net Sums” AFTER the collection societies and the intermediaries they use to offer global publishing administration take their deductions, which often results in the total deduction of royalties being much greater than the 15-20% they advertise.
Example: $10,000 annual US publishing income
Setup: $100 (one-time per songwriter)
Commission Year 1: $700-$1,000 (15-20% depending on royalty type)
Net Income Year 1: $8,900-9,150
Net Income Year 2+: $9,000-9,250
TuneCore Publishing Cost Structure
TuineCore Publishing charges a $75 one-time setup fee per songwriter plus 20% commission on all publishing royalties collected, with optional sync licensing at 50% commission (increased from 20% as of July 1, 2023). TuneCore Publishing is powered by Sentric Music’s backend infrastructure, through branded separately for consumer facing services.
Example: $10,000 annual US publishing income
Setup: $75 (one-time per songwriter)
Commission Year 1: $2,000 (20% of all royalties)
Net Income Year 1: $7,925
Net Income Year 2+: $8,000
Contract Terms
One-year minimum term with quarterly auto-renewal requiring 45 days notice before quarter end for cancellation. TuneCore retains rights to collect royalties for 12 months after termination.
Sentric Cost Structure
Sentric Music (owned by Believe, same parent company as TuneCore Publishing) charges no setup fee but takes 20% commission on all royalties (25% on sync licensing). The platform also operates on a 28 day rolling contract, offering the most flexible cancellation among commission-based administrators.
Example: $10,000 annual US publishing income
Setup: $0
Commission: $2,000 (20% of all royalties)
Net Income: $8,000
Sentric powers TuneCore Publishing’s backend operations. When you sign up for TuneCore Publishing, Sentric Music Group handles the actual royalty collection infrastructure.
CD Baby Pro Publishing / CDB Boost
CD Baby Pro Publishing was discontinued on August 8, 2023. New signups are no longer possible.
Legacy Pro Publishing charged $29-$49 for singles and $69-89 for albums with 15% commission on publishing royalties and 30% on YouTube monetization. It maintained direct affiliations with 30+ PROs worldwide and collected publishing royalties globally.
CDBoost (current offering) costs $39.99 per release and focuses exclusively on US royalties through The MLC (interactive streaming mechanicals) and SoundExchange (digital performance royalties). It does NOT provide worldwide publishing administration, PRO registration, or global mechanical royalty collection that made Pro Publishing valuable.
CDB Boost is not a replacement for comprehensive publishing administration it has a single focus on collecting, deducting and distributing interactive streaming mechnicals only from The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC).
TuneRegistry Cost Structure
With TuneRegistry, you pay one monthly fee and can register works with unlimited songwriters and co-workers with zero additional fees while collecting 100% of your royalties paid out to you directly by the societies and organization which license, collect, and distribute your earning royalties.
Example: $10,000 annual US publishing income:
Solo Plan: $180/year ($15/mo)
Commission: $0
Net Income: $9,820
Annual savings vs. Songtrust: $570-920
Annual savings vs. TuneCore Publishing: $1,820
Annual savings vs. Sentric: $1,820
As your catalog grows and generate more income, commission costs increase proportionally while our subscription remains fixed. The savings compound dramatically over time.
You Maintain Complete Control: Administered, by YOU
We do not become your publishing administrator. We do not become the publisher of record. You and/or your publishing entities remain the administrator and publisher of record for your works. Our platform automates and simplifies direct submission of your works to the relevant collection societies on your behalf, resulting in fast registrations of your works (typically within 3-5 business days).
Your professional relationship with the societies remain intact. We never ask for, nor do you ever grant us, exclusive administration rights, licensing authority, or any other control or rights over your registrations or copyrights.
This is fundamentally different from Songtrust, TuneCore Publishing and Sentric, where they as administrators become the publisher of record with exclusive rights to license and collect on your behalf. With traditional administrators:
They control your registrations with collection societies
They have licensing authority over your works
They become the intermediary between you and your royalties
You must work through them to resolve issues with societies
Cancellation requires re-registering all works to reclaim control
With TuneRegistry:
You remain in complete control of your rights
You maintain direct relationships with all societies
You can contact societies directly to resolve any issues
No re-registration needed if you cancel our subscription
Your works remain registered under your name/entity throughout.
Direct Society Relationships and Payments
When you use TuneRegistry to register your works:
Registrations go directly from our platform to the societies on your behalf
Royalties are paid directly from the societies to you
No intermediary collection layers reducing or delaying your payments
No currency exchange rate losses from multiple collection entities
No commission on commission scenarios.
The US Market Advantage: Where Your Revenue Actually Comes From
The United States represents the world’s largest music market by revenue, accounting for approximately 40-45% of global recorded music revenue and generating over $17 billion annually. For most independent songwriters and smaller catalogs, the vast majority of publishing royalties come from US-based activity: streams on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music; plays on US radio stations; sync placements in US film and television; and performances in US venues.
While international royalties certainly exist, they typically represent a smaller percentage of total earnings for artists without established global fanbases. The question becomes: does international royalty collection justify paying 15-20% commission on your US earnings, your largest revenue source?
Our platform facilitates registrations in the US only, which is the world’s largest music market by revenue, with typical registrations with US PRO societies occurring within 3-5 business days instead of the weeks or months typical with global administrators. For time-sensitive releases, this speed ensures your works are properly registered before your promotional push generates streams or performances.
By focusing exclusively on US rights administration, we enable you to keep 100% of your earnings from the world’s largest music market. If you generate significant international royalties, you can use TuneRegistry for US administration while employing an international service for foreign territories maximizing your net income across both markets.
Comprehensive US Rights Administration (Beyond Publishing)
Unlike Songtrust, TuneCore Publishing and Sentric which are traditional publishing administrators focusing solely on composition (Songs/Works) rights our platform is a comprehensive music rights administration platform that facilitates on our clients’ behalf not just their composition rights (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) but also their mechanical rights (Harry Fox Agency, The MLC, Music Reports) and Master (Sound Recording) rights with SoundExchange.
This enables our clients who have the rights to both their compositions and recordings to administer and manage all of their US music rights within a single platform.
This means in practice:
Composition Rights: Register works with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (performance royalties)
Mechanical Rights: Register with The MLC, Harry Fox Agency, Music Reports (mechanical royalties from streams, downloads, physical sales)
Master Recording Rights: Register Sound Recordings with SoundExchange (digital performance royalties for performers and labels)
Traditional Publishing Administrators cannot help with master recording rights. If you own your own masters, you’ll need a separate solution for SoundExchange registration. TuneRegistry handles everything in one platform.
Industry Consolidation: Why Independence Matters
Recent developments in music publishing administration highlight the importance of platform independence:
Universal Music Group to Acquire Downtown Music Holdings
In December 2024, Universal Music Group’s Virgin Music Group) announced it would acquire Downtown Music Holdings (parent company of Songtrust & CD Baby) for $775 million. This acquisition places both Songtrust and CD Baby under major label ownership, creating potential conflicts of interest for independent rightsholders.
Implications for independent songwriters:
Major label ownership may influence licensing decisions
Policy changes could prioritize corporate interests over independent rightsholders
Pricing structures may change to maximize shareholder returns
Questions about data sharing and competitive dynamics
Believe Owns Both TuneCore Publishing and Sentric
TuneCore Publishing operates through its partnership with Sentric Music Group, both owned by Believe. This corporate structure means:
Sentric handles TuneCore Publishing’s backend royalty collection
Policy changes at Sentric directly affect TuneCore Publishing users
Both platforms share the same parent company’s priorities
TuneRegistry Remains Independently Operated
We answer to no major label or distribution company. Our policies, pricing, and practices are determined by what best serves independent songwriters, publishers and rightsholders not corporate revenue targets or shareholder demands.
This independence means:
No conflicts of interest in licensing your works
No risk of policy changes driven by corporate acquisitions
Direct advocacy for independent music creators
Transparent operations focused on your success
Pricing based on value delivered, not commission extraction
Non-Exclusive and Flexible
Unlike traditional administrators with complex cancellation processes:
Register new works, mechanical rights, and recordings at any time
Manage works you haven’t submitted via other administrators
Use TuneRegistry alongside international administrators and/or sub-publishers
Transition your catalog at your own pace
Cancel your subscription at any time without having to wait until collection periods end
No re-registration required if you cancel, your works remain registered with societies under your name.
Comprehensive Catalog Management
Beyond administration and registration, our platform provides you with a complete music catalog and contact management system. You are able to:
Track, store and associate all of your unique identifiers (ISRCs, ISWCs, IPI numbers) for your works and recordings.
Store and associate important documents (split sheets, stems, contracts)
Manage collaborator and business contact information
ink works with recordings and releases
Monitor the registration status across all societies
Generate reports for accounting and royalty tracking
Maintain detailed metadata records across your entire catalog
Traditional administrators don’t offer comprehensive catalog manage.
Songtrust, TuneCore Publishing and Sentric focus solely on royalty collection, not catalog organization, metadata management, or document storage.
Customer Service & Platform Reliability
When your income depends on timely registrations and responsive support, platform reliability matters.
TuneCore Publishing: Customer Reviews Reveal Serious Concerns
Common complaints documented across review platforms:
Account lockouts with trapped funds and no resolution process
Publishing registration failures (user reports 80+ songs never registered despite active accounts)
Withdrawal holds lasting 12+ months with minimal support response
Inconsistent customer service where different agents provide contradictory information.
Publishing royalty collection timing: 9-12 months for first US payment, up to 18 months for foreign society payments
Songtrust: Weeks to Get Support, Years to exit.
Persistent Issues Documented in User Reviews:
Extreme support response delays measured in weeks to months (users report waiting 1-6 months for responses, with issues taking 6-12 months to resolve.)
Multi-year registration failures with songs stuck in “Pending” or “Processing” status for 8-12+ months without updates or resolutions.
Technical platform failures blocking new user onboarding (ID verification failures after 20-30 attempts, forms that don’t submit, dashboards displaying blank)
Data corruption for professional catalogs including duplicate registrations, missing co-writer information and entire catalogs showing “unknown publisher” after wiping co-publisher data.
Exit process failures with users waiting months to receive required relinquishment letters (Songtrust’s current terms state they are “not able to actively relinquish rights”, placing full re-registration burden on departing clients)
Sentric: Verification failures and Reduced Collections
Persistent issues documented in reviews:
Verification system consistently fails, blocking account access for weeks
Payment delays without clear resolution timelines
Poor customer support responsiveness
Artists report earning significantly less with Sentric than other administrators
Record label CEO called experience “absolute nightmare” after 4+ months attempting to upload catalog.
CD Baby: AI Support Replacing Human Assistance
CD Baby’s Pro Publishing was discontinued on August 8, 2023 with CDB Boost ($39.99 US-only) replacing the former global administration.
Persistent issues documented in reviews:
AI-only customer support replacing human assistance, with automated responses failing to address specific account issues.
No adequate migration path for international royalties after Pro Publishing discontinuation
CDB Boost misrepresented as Pro Publishing replacement despite covering only US mechanicals (MLC) and digital performance (SoundExchange) no PRO registration, no international collection.
Legacy Pro Publishing users abandoned with unclear timelines for rights reversions and minimal support navigating transition to alternative administrators
When TuneRegistry is the Better Choice
Choose us when:
The majority of your revenue comes from the US market (world’s largest by revenue)
You want to keep 100% of your royalties with predictable monthly costs
You need fast, accurate registrations for time-sensitive releases (3-5 business days vs. weeks/months)
You value direct relationships and interactions with collection societies
You want or need complete control over licensing and administration decisions
You’re an independent artist managing both compositions and master recordings
You need comprehensive catalog and metadata management tools
You prefer working with an independent platform not owned by major labels
Responsive customer support matters to your business operations
You want simple 24-hour cancellation vs 15-24 month exit processes.
Can I use TuneRegistry if I’m Already with Another Administrator?
Yes, in several important ways:
1. Strategic Territory Management
According to Songtrust’s Terms of Service, their “Territory” definition allows you to “opt-out of one or more specific countries or territories” from your administration agreement. This means you can exclude the United States from your Songtrust administration while maintaining their services for international territories.
Why this strategy makes sense:
The US is the world’s largest music market by revenue
Use TuneRegistry for all US registrations and collections with zero commission
Keep 100% of your US royalties while Songtrust handles international territories
Benefit from TuneRegistry’s 3-5 business day US registration speed
Maintain direct relationship with US collection societies
Significantly reduce overall commission costs since most catalogs generate the majority of their revenue from the US market.
This dual-service approach gives you the best of both worlds. TuneRegistry’s zero commission, fast US administration combined with international reach for territories where self-administration may be more complex.
2. Register New Works with TuneRegistry
The large scale accessible to all administrators agreements tend to be exclusive only for Works you’ve already submitted to them. While non-exclusive for any new works. Any new songs you create can be registered with TuneRegistry instead. This allows you to:
Benefit from faster US registration for new releases (3-5 business days)
Avoid commission on your newest works
Test TuneRegistry’s platform while fulfilling existing contracts
Build your catalog in TuneRegistry’s system over time
Self-administer works which generate the majority of their income within the US
3. Expedite US Registrations for Works Pending at Other Administrators
If you’ve submitted works to Songtrust, TuneCore Publishing, or Sentric that remain in “Pending” status after several months and they are not showing in your PRO account, you can use TuneRegistry to directly register those works with the US societies within 3-5 business days.
You can list your current administrator as the publishing admin company on the work within our system. Their exclusivity typically only applies once they have actually registered a work with a collection society; works stuck in processing would not typically be covered by their exclusive agreements until the work(s) are actively registered and being administrated by them.
4. Register your Master Recordings
Songtrust, TuneCore Publishing, and Sentric doesn’t handle US master recording rights (neighboring rights) as they are publishing administrators only. You can use our system to register your Sound Recordings with SoundExchange regardless of your publishing administration agreement, as these are entirely separate rights not governed by publishing agreements and not a service that traditional publishing administrators offer.
5. Use TuneRegistry for Catalog Management
Even if another service is collecting your royalties TuneRegistry can serve as your comprehensive catalog management system. Store important documents, associate unique identifiers with corresponding works/recordings, manage collaborator information, and maintain detailed metadata records that traditional administrators’ platforms do not accommodate.
The Fundamental Difference: Business Model Alignment
Large scale traditional administrator’s business models depend on retaining your catalog and collecting commissions indefinitely. Complex cancellation terms, long exploitation periods, and lack of relinquishment letters protect their revenue streams.
Our subscription model means our revenue depends on providing ongoing value:
Robust catalog and administration platform
Timely registration of works and other music rights within the US
Excellent customer service and responsive support
Continuous platform improvements and feature development
When cancellation is complicated, expensive, and takes months to years, it signals that the service provider’s interests may not be aligned with their client’s. When you can cancel in 24-hours with no penalty and no re-registration work required, it demonstrates our confidence in our platform, the value we provide and incentives us to deliver on our brand promise.
Control and Flexibility: Administered, by YOU
Our approach centers on empowering YOU to administer your own rights:
Test our platform risk-free, knowing you can exit cleanly if needed
Make business decisions based on current needs, not cancellation concerns
Switch administration strategies as your career and/or catalog evolves
No fear of being locked into an arrangement that no longer serves you
Maintain direct relationships with collection societies throughout
Your publishing administration solution should support your career and/or business operation, not trap you.
Our simple cancellation process means you’re choosing to stay because the platform serves your needs, not because leaving is too difficult or expensive.
If you’re currently with a Traditional Administrator
Understanding their cancellation complexity helps you:
Plan realistic transition timelines (varies by service: 2-24 months)
Budget for continued commissions during exit processes
Evaluate whether “waiting it out” vs active cancellation makes sense
Consider using TuneRegistry for new works while existing catalog runs it course
Assess whether territory exclusion strategies reduce costs without full transition.
If You’re New to Publishing Administration
Starting with TuneRegistry means:
No risk of long-term entanglement or complex exit processes
Freedom to evaluate if self-administration works for your catalog
Ability to switch strategies as you learn more about publishing
Keep your options open as your career and/or catalog develops
Maintain direct relationships with societies from the beginning
Build catalog management infrastructure alongside royalty collection
Independent Platform, Direct Control, Zero Commission
The choice between traditional publishing administration and TuneRegistry’s comprehensive US music rights administration platform comes down to fundamental questions.
Do you want to:
Commission-based or subscription pricing?
Intermediary collection or direct society payments?
Corporate ownership or independent operations?
Complex cancellation or 24-hour processing?
Publisher of record control or maintained direct relationships?
Publishing-only or comprehensive music rights administration?
Weeks/months registration or 3-5 business days processing?
TuneRegistry provides:
Zero commission subscription model ($15-95/month)
Direct payment from societies (100% of royalties)
Independent platform (no major label ownership)
24-hour cancellation processing
You remain publisher of record (complete control)
Comprehensive administration (compositions + mechanicals + masters)
3-5 business day US registration speed
Traditional administrator provide:
Commission-based pricing (15-20% of royalties)
Intermediary collection (they collect, then pay you)
Corporate ownership (Believe or Universal Music Group)
15-24 month cancellation processes
They become publisher of record (exclusive control)
Publishing administration only (no master rights)
Weeks to months registration processing
For independent songwriters, producers, publishers, labels and rightsholders who value transparency, control, and maximizing income from the world’s largest music market, TuneRegistry offers a fundamentally better approach: Administered, by YOU.
We’re an independent music rights platform not affiliated with Songtrust, TuneCore, Sentric Music, CD Baby, Believe, Universal Music Group, or Downtown Music Holdings.