According to the Music Publishers Association, the overall business plan of a music publisher includes fostering new talent and promoting their music to record companies, performers and others who work with music on a commercial level, in order to maintain clients.
Music publishers' business plans detail a need to be proactive in seeking out clients in television, movies and other media to pitch songs to be licensed in exchange for a fee.
Publishers need to register with performing rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC to ensure they collect all royalties for the use of copyrighted songs.
Music publishers need to sign publishing contracts with songwriters. There are many types, such as single song agreements and co-publishing agreements. For example, publishers usually split royalties 50/50 with songwriters.
Some music publishers have disreputable business plans, charging naive songwriters unnecessary fees and making no attempt to plug their songs. These music publishers are known as songsharks, according to Ian Bessler, author of the Songwriter's Market series.