Gregory F.
My Three-Year Experience with Songtrust
Signed up with Songtrust in 2022, paying a one-time $100 registration fee per songwriter (including for one co-writer on my compositions). Over three years, they collected about $80 in publishing royalties, sending quarterly reports that detailed earnings by territory and type. On the rare occasions I reached support, they gave useful advice on composition issues or splits. However, major frustrations dominated: support was extremely slow and hard to contact (responses often took weeks or months), the dashboard had technical glitches (e.g., tax form uploads failed repeatedly, and support refused manual submissions), and territories were sometimes removed from my account without explanation, causing royalties to stall. The biggest problem was payouts—despite the official $25 minimum threshold, my $80 never reached my bank account. When I requested a manual payout for the accumulated amount, they refused, citing strict internal policies with no flexibility. Compared to my direct experience with a PRO like BMI, which feels far more streamlined, reliable, and responsive for the writer's share, Songtrust's publishing administration proved technically cumbersome and unreliable. While they handle global registration and some collections, the rigid rules, poor accessibility, and risk of funds getting stuck made it a headache for a lower-earning independent composer. Don't forget there are many competitors that might work better for some songwriters, such as CD Baby Publishing, Sentric Music Publishing, or BeatStars Publishing—each with different fees, commissions, and support levels. Always carefully review the contract from Songtrust or any publishing administrator: ensure it's non-exclusive so you're not obligated to route all your past, current, and future music through one company. They sometimes bury exclusivity clauses deep in the terms, limiting your options—Songtrust's standard agreement is generally non-exclusive for admin purposes, but double-check to avoid surprises.🤝🙌🏻😎