What you need before you apply as a music publisher member
If you have formed a music publishing company and wish to become a full publisher member, you'll need to meet the following requirements:
- You are a bona fide music publishing business in Australia, New Zealand and/or a South Pacific Nation. A “bona fide music publishing business” means a business that:
- has ownership of, is assigned or licensed from a composer or an author the copyright in a minimum of one musical (or musical and literary) work (“musical work”) which has been reproduced and commercially released or exploited or published in some other form;
- carries out as some of its day-to-day activities:
- administration of copyright in the musical works it owns or controls (including but not limited to the registration of the copyright details with APRA and/or AMCOS and accounting and payment of royalties and fees to the relevant composers and/or authors);
- management of the various rights in the musical works it owns and/or controls including but not limited to reproduction, and performing rights; and
- licensing the use of the musical works it owns and/or controls to third parties; and
- has engaged the services of a person who is actively involved in managing the business’ ongoing day-to-day music publishing activities in Australia, New Zealand and/or a South Pacific Nation.
- You have a signed music publishing agreement with a minimum of one composer and/or author who is a member of APRA.
- Your signed music publishing agreement includes a clause recognising the prior and/or subsequent assignment of performing rights by the composer and/or author to APRA.
- You have a local bank account located in Australia, New Zealand or a South Pacific Nation.
- You have a Certificate of Registration of a Business Name or Company Number from ASIC or the NZ Companies Office, which must match the company or business name on your application.
Music Publishers support the careers of songwriters & composers in many different ways, including;
- Investing in them
- Creating commercial opportunities for their songs through licensing exploitations
- Providing co-writing collaborations
- Removing the administrative burden of song split registrations
- Provide royalty accounting and analysis
In order to be elected, the APRA & AMCOS Board must be satisfied that an applicant meets the basic criteria. Please do not apply below unless you meet the eligibility requirements as listed on our website.
Please fill out the following Assessment questions in order to receive application forms for publisher membership via email. Once you have returned the completed, signed and witnessed application forms, they will be submitted to the APRA AMCOS Board for review. The Board meet approximately every 2 months.
The information entered below must match information held at
ASIC, Australian Business Register or NZ Companies Office