Music publishing companies operate in a dynamic field, bridging the gap between the artistic creation and its commercialization. They represent songwriters and their compositions, ensuring they receive royalties when their work is performed, recorded, broadcasted, streamed or used commercially. These firms in New York range from global enterprises to startups, providing diverse services like rights management, promotion, and royalty tracking to crafting licensing deals. As the digital revolution intensifies, the industry is notably shifting towards offering more technology-enabled and artist-friendly services, giving artists more control over their works and careers.


Top 21 music publishing companies in New York

1. Warner Music Group

  • Website: wmg.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 1958
  • Headcount: 1001-5000
  • Latest funding type: Post Ipo Debt
  • LinkedIn

Warner Music Group (WMG) is a global music company and collective that champions the brilliant individuality of artists, songwriters, and music lovers. With iconic labels and distinctive brands, WMG celebrates fearless independence and embraces limitless possibilities.


2. Kobalt Music

  • Website: kobaltmusic.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 2000
  • Headcount: 501-1000
  • Latest funding type: Acquired
  • LinkedIn

Kobalt Music is a music services company that empowers creators in today's digital age. They offer flexible contracts that give creators 100% ownership over their work, as well as more control over their future. With a focus on music publishing and technology, Kobalt works with talented individuals worldwide.


3. TuneCore

  • Website: tunecore.com
  • Headquarters: Brooklyn, New York, United States
  • Founded: 2005
  • Headcount: 51-200
  • Latest funding type: Acquired
  • LinkedIn

Tunecore is a music distribution company that helps independent artists sell their music online. It offers account services and music publishing services to artists worldwide.


4. ONErpm

  • Website: onerpm.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 2010
  • Headcount: 201-500
  • LinkedIn

ONErpm is a global music business solutions provider, offering digital distribution, marketing methodology, publishing administration, and business intelligence. They help artists from all walks of life succeed in the digital music market by leveraging their global network, smart analytics, and preferred partnerships with DSPs. ONErpm operates one of the largest music MCNs in the world, developing sustainable audiences and maximizing content revenue.


5. Roc Nation

  • Website: rocnation.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 2008
  • Headcount: 51-200
  • LinkedIn

Roc Nation is a music and entertainment company that offers label management, music publishing, and event management services. They represent top personalities in the industry and organize the Made In America Festival. Stay updated with their latest releases and news on their website.


6. MNRK Music Group

  • Website: mnrk.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 2021
  • Headcount: 51-200
  • LinkedIn

MNRK Music Group is a globally focused digital music creator, managing world-class music brands such as Dualtone, Last Gang, and Indieblu. They offer a range of services to musicians and artists, including recording, publishing, and management.


7. Spirit Music Group

Spirit Music Group is a global independent music publishing company that was founded in 1995. They focus on creating opportunities for veteran songwriters, up-and-coming artists, and song owners from various genres. With a strong emphasis on mentorship, they actively develop and revitalize careers and catalogs. Their divisions include Spirit Music Nashville, which is a leading independent music publisher in Music City, and Spirit Music Collective, a full-service music production company that offers creative music services and licensing to the production community.


8. Primary Wave

  • Website: primarywave.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 2006
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Latest funding type: Private Equity
  • LinkedIn

Primary Wave is a publishing company that specializes in working with artists in the music industry. They offer services such as marketing, talent management, sync licensing, and publishing. They have recently announced strategic partnerships with Brookfield Asset Management and CAA.


9. Round Hill Music

  • Website: roundhillmusic.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 2011
  • Headcount: 11-50
  • Latest funding type: Seed
  • LinkedIn

Round Hill Music is a leading independent music rights holder, offering a vast catalog of classics and new songs for licensing. With a dedicated pitching and licensing team, they provide exceptional service to artists and writers, maximizing their opportunities and income. They have a strong presence in NY, LA, Nashville, and London, making them a top choice for sync placements in various media.


10. VIP Music Records

VIP Music Records is a music production company that offers music recording, distribution, publishing, and management services to artists and musicians.


11. Royalty Solutions Corp

Royalty Solutions is a music royalty processing, licensing and accounting service company providing comprehensive back-end support services for record labels, distributors, independent artists, management companies and music publishers.


12. TRO Essex Music Group

TRO ESSEX Music Group manages multiple publishing catalogs and sister record labels. They provide licensing services for mechanical, synch, print, and record masters as well as copyright registration and international administration.


13. Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob &a; Averill

  • Website: serlingrooks.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Headcount: 11-50

Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill LLP is an entertainment law firm based in New York City & Nashville, TN.


14. United Naxal Records

United Naxal Records is a multi-platform music company specializing in the development of recording artists, songwriters and producers, as well as providing licensing and publishing opportunities to maximize exposure and global availability of music and video content.


15. Foundations Artist Management

Foundations Music is a New York & Nashville based music company that offers music management, record/publishing, and artist development services.


16. Grungecake

Grungecake.com is a global music discovery channel that offers articles, interviews, music reviews, music videos, albums, and events. It is a blog, a record label, and a creative agency.


17. Music Xray

  • Website: musicxray.com
  • Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
  • Founded: 2006
  • Headcount: 1-10
  • Latest funding type: Angel
  • LinkedIn

MusicXray is a platform connecting musicians with opportunity providers. They offer a large number of musician opportunities every month in a variety of genres and styles.


18. Songisle Records

Songisle is an independent grassroots record label in New York, established in 2016. We specialize in merging lyrical content, music, and artist to create a personalized music package ready for marketing, distribution, and publishing on the web.


19. Bemuso

  • Website: bemuso.com
  • Headquarters: New York City, New York, United States
  • Headcount: 1-10

I wrote it to help music biz newcomers understand what matters and what doesn't, for themselves. This is who I am (a musician, music lover and retired IT professional). Theodore Sturgeon's Law:


20. Fans Plug

Fans Plug offers Artist and Label Services for Major labels, Indie labels, management teams & independent artists. Through our strategic YouTube campaigns as a Google Certified Partner, Spotify Campaigns with over 100+ curators, Over 200+ Tik Tok Influencers, DJ Pools, radio promo services, & strategic brand campaigns we design our music marketing services to help you reach your targeted audience our team has over 20 years+ in the music industry. Email us at Support@fansplug.com www.FansPlug.com


21. BonFire Records

BonFire Records is a music company that supports bold musicians of all stripes throughout their journeys, offering a full suite of services such as marketing, distribution, publishing and much more.


Want to find more music publishing companies?


If you want to find more companies that offer rights management, royalty tracking, and music marketing services you can do so with Inven. This list was built with Inven and there are hundreds of companies like these globally.


With Inven you'll also get to know the company's:


  • Ownership: Which of these are private equity backed? Which are family-owned?
  • Contact data: Who are the owners and CEO's? What are their emails and phone numbers?
  • Financials: How do these companies perform financially? What are their revenues and profit margins?

...and a lot more!