Music producers are closely associated with the artistic side of the spectrum. They are the ones who sit in the studio with the artists and work on recording the album. The producer is chiefly responsible for maintaining the sound of a record. This can involve hiring other musicians to work with the artists, working the mixing boards and editing equipment, and even writing the songs.
A music publisher is chiefly responsible for handling the copyright information and royalties payment for a song. When an artist writes a song, it is registered under his publishing company, which is then maintained by a music publishing organization. This organization maintains much of the distribution rights and usage of the song. Whenever a song is used in a commercial or a movie, the publisher and by extension the artist must have given the go-ahead for its appearance.
Many producers are musicians themselves. Because of the extensive usage of computers in recording, a producer needs to be very knowledgeable concerning the programs and techniques used to edit and mix music. They must also have a good ear for music and know what a good song should sound like, and maintain a balance between what the label wants and what the artist is working toward.
Publishers come from an economics and legal background. Their handling of all the fiscal attachments to music requires a thorough knowledge of copyright law. However, there are areas of musical creativity involved in the process of publishing. Many songwriters have contracts through publishing houses rather than record labels. The publishing house can connect the songwriter with other artists, essentially selling a song to other writers. A good publisher will have a good ear for songwriters and know which songs would go well with what contemporary artists.
Organizations, both unionized and not, play a large role in maintaining continuity and fairness in the music industry. The larger music publishing houses, including ASCAP and BMI, run a majority of the publishing industry in the United States. Nearly every major artist and songwriter is represented by one of these groups.
A record producer's organization such as AMP or NARIP is more along the lines of a union, working for the rights of producers to be compensated fairly and to have adequate treatment while working.