3.0 Appointing an Administrator

Accordingly, if a writer wishes to avoid entering into a publishing contract of the traditional sort and if he or she is prepared neither simply to rely upon his PRS/MCPS membership nor make his or her own administration arrangements then the most sensible solution is to enter into an administration agreement of some kind. Administration agreements are not dissimilar to publishing agreements but the publisher will generally offer no professional management services. Instead, the publisher’s responsibilities will be limited purely to administrative services i.e. registering the songs and collecting the money. Generally, no advance will be payable but the royalties will be higher i.e. perhaps an 85/15 split or even 90/10. Also, (given the absence of any advance) administration agreements tend not to be for a lengthy fixed term. Usually, they will continue at least for a year (to save the bother of the publisher setting everything up only to find that the writer then wishes to terminate the arrangements) but thereafter the arrangement would usually be terminable by either party upon reasonable notice (perhaps three months). The publisher would administer the songs in the writer’s name or trading “style”.