How to submit your songs to Songtrust blog

Songtrust is a publishing administration service that collects songwriting royalties on behalf of independent creators. Their blog has become a go-to resource for songwriters navigating performance royalties, mechanical royalties, and the mechanics of global royalty collection. If you write about music publishing rights, royalty rates, or the business side of songwriting, getting published on Songtrust Blog puts your work in front of thousands of DIY songwriters who are actively managing their catalogs. This guide covers how to pitch guest posts, what Songtrust's editorial team looks for, and alternative ways to get featured if they do not accept external contributors.

What the Songtrust Blog covers and who writes for it

Songtrust Blog focuses on three content pillars: royalty education, music industry updates, and songwriter spotlights. The education pieces break down how streaming royalties flow from DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music through royalty collecting societies such as ASCAP, BMI, PRS for Music, GEMA, and SACEM. They explain the difference between performance royalties collected by a PRO and mechanical royalties handled by organizations like the MLC or MCPS. Industry news articles cover changes to royalty rates, new music publishing agreements between CMOs and digital platforms, and policy shifts that affect songwriter publishing income.

Songwriter spotlights profile independent artists who use Songtrust to manage their catalogs across multiple territories. These interviews typically explore how a writer registered their works, what they learned about IPI numbers and ISWC codes, and how they track income from sync licensing alongside streaming.

Most articles are written in-house by Songtrust's content team. They occasionally feature guest contributors, but the bar is high. External writers need deep subject-matter expertise in music publishing administration, rights management, or a specific aspect of royalty collection that Songtrust has not covered in depth. General songwriting advice or promotional artist profiles do not fit their editorial model. If you have worked directly with CMOs, built tools for catalog management, or have a unique angle on global royalty collection, you have a better chance of clearing the editorial threshold.

Why getting published on Songtrust Blog matters for songwriters

A byline on Songtrust Blog carries weight in the independent music publishing community. Readers assume that if Songtrust published your piece, you understand the mechanics of songwriter royalties and music rights management. That credibility transfers when you pitch other industry blogs, speak at conferences, or offer consulting services to other writers.

From an SEO perspective, a backlink from Songtrust's domain helps your own site rank for music publishing-related keywords. Their audience is highly targeted: people who already know what an ISRC is, who have registered with a PRO, and who care about optimizing their royalty collection strategy. If you run a service that complements publishing administration (like a sync licensing platform, a metadata tool, or a financial planning service for creatives), exposure on Songtrust Blog puts you in front of decision-makers who are already spending money to manage their catalogs properly.

This differs from pitching to general music blogs that cover gear reviews, production tips, and artist interviews. Songtrust readers are specifically interested in the business mechanics of music publishing. A well-researched article on how BIEM societies handle mechanical royalties in Europe or how the MLC's RIN system works will resonate more than a generic "10 tips for songwriters" listicle.

Research what Songtrust has already published

Before pitching, spend two hours reading their archive. Use the site search to check whether they have covered your topic. If you want to write about streaming royalties, search for "streaming," "Spotify," "Apple Music," and "DSP." If they published a comprehensive guide to mechanical royalties last year, your pitch on the same topic will get rejected unless you have a genuinely new angle (like a case study from a specific territory or data from a recent policy change).

Look for content gaps. Songtrust covers US and UK royalty collection thoroughly, but their archive has fewer deep dives into how JASRAC and NexTone operate in Japan, or how LATAM societies like SADAIC and SACM handle cross-border payments. If you have firsthand experience with a CMO that Songtrust has not profiled in detail, that is a stronger pitch than retreading ground they have already covered.

Pay attention to their editorial voice. Songtrust writes in second person, uses concrete examples, and avoids hedging language. They do not publish fluffy motivational content or articles that treat readers like beginners who need hand-holding. If your writing style leans heavily on rhetorical questions and exclamation points, adjust before pitching.

Craft a pitch that aligns with their audience

Your pitch email should be three paragraphs. First paragraph: one sentence on who you are and why you are qualified to write about this topic. Second paragraph: the article premise in two to three sentences, with a specific angle that ties to royalty collection, music publishing rights, or songwriter business practices. Third paragraph: why this matters to Songtrust's audience right now.

Subject line should be direct: "Pitch: How GEMA's New Distribution Model Affects US Songwriters" or "Guest Post Idea: Navigating Sync Licensing Without a Publisher." Avoid clever wordplay or vague teases like "Exciting Opportunity for Collaboration."

Frame your expertise in terms that matter to their readers. If you are a songwriter, mention how many territories you collect from, which CMOs you work with, and what you learned that is not common knowledge. If you are a lawyer or accountant, cite specific cases or data points. If you run a service, explain how you have helped clients solve a problem related to music publishing administration.

Do not pitch promotional content. "How My New App Solves Royalty Tracking" will get ignored. "How Independent Songwriters Can Audit Their CMO Statements for Errors" (with a brief mention of your tool as one option among several) has a chance. Songtrust prioritizes educational value. If your article teaches readers something actionable about songwriter royalties or rights management, and your service is a natural fit within that context, they may accept it. If the article is a thinly disguised ad, they will not.

Find the right contact and submission channel

Songtrust does not list a public submissions email on their blog. Start by checking their About page and footer for a general editorial contact. If none exists, search LinkedIn for "Songtrust content," "Songtrust editorial," or "Songtrust marketing." Identify someone with "Content Manager," "Editorial Lead," or "Head of Marketing" in their title. Send a connection request with a brief note: "I write about music publishing administration and have a pitch idea for your blog. Would you be open to a short email?"

If LinkedIn does not yield results, try Twitter. Songtrust's social team is active and often retweets contributors. Look at who they engage with and see if any of those people have written for the blog. You can also reply to one of their tweets with a polite ask: "Who should I contact about guest post pitches?"

Avoid sending unsolicited articles as attachments. Pitch the idea first. If they express interest, they will tell you their preferred format (Google Doc, Word file, or direct CMS submission).

What to include in your author bio and supporting materials

Your author bio should be 40 to 60 words. Include your current role, relevant credentials (like "registered with ASCAP and PRS for Music" or "former royalty analyst at a CMO"), and one link to your website or LinkedIn. Do not list every project you have ever worked on. Songtrust readers care about your music publishing expertise, not your discography or unrelated side hustles.

If you have previous bylines, include two to three links in your pitch email. Choose articles that demonstrate subject-matter depth, not just volume. One well-researched piece on how CISAC's FastTrack system works is worth more than ten listicles on "songwriting tips."

If you have data to support your pitch (like a survey of independent songwriters, a case study from your own catalog, or public CMO distribution reports), mention it. Songtrust values articles backed by numbers. "I analyzed 200 royalty statements from GEMA and found that 15% had discrepancies in ISWC matching" is more compelling than "I think GEMA's system could be better."

Follow up without being a pest

Wait one week before following up. If you sent your pitch on a Monday, send a brief follow-up the following Monday. Keep it to two sentences: "Following up on my pitch about [topic]. Let me know if you need any additional information." Do not resend the entire original email.

If you get no response after the first follow-up, wait another week and send one more. After two follow-ups with no reply, assume the answer is no. Do not send a third follow-up asking why they did not respond. Editorial teams are small, and silence usually means the pitch did not fit their current editorial calendar or they are not accepting guest posts at the moment.

If they reject your pitch but provide feedback, take it seriously. If they say "we just covered this topic" or "this is too promotional," adjust your approach for future pitches. A polite "Thanks for considering it, I will keep an eye on your editorial calendar" leaves the door open for a better-timed pitch later.

Alternative ways to get featured if guest posts are not accepted

If Songtrust does not accept external articles, pitch yourself as an interview subject for a songwriter spotlight. These profiles typically focus on how an independent creator built their catalog, navigated multi-territory registration, or solved a specific royalty collection problem. If you have an interesting story about recovering unpaid streaming royalties or registering works in a difficult territory, that is a viable angle.

You can also offer to be quoted as an expert source. If Songtrust is working on an article about mechanical royalties or sync licensing and needs input from someone with firsthand experience, a brief quote (with a link to your site in the byline) still gets your name in front of their audience.

If you run a service that complements Songtrust (like a metadata management tool, a royalty auditing service, or a financial planning platform for musicians), explore co-branded content. Songtrust occasionally partners with other companies on educational webinars or downloadable guides. A joint resource on "How to Prepare Your Catalog for Global Royalty Collection" benefits both parties and does not require a traditional guest post.

Compare Songtrust Blog to other publishing administration platforms

Songtrust's editorial approach is more educational and data-driven than most competitors. Kobalt's blog skews toward high-level industry trends and artist success stories. Sentric focuses on UK-specific royalty collection and often profiles emerging artists in their roster. CD Baby Pro publishes beginner-friendly explainers but less deep-dive analysis of CMO mechanics. TuneCore's blog covers distribution and marketing more than publishing administration.

If your pitch gets rejected by Songtrust, consider pitching a modified version to Sentric (if it has a UK or European angle), CD Baby Pro (if you can simplify the topic for newer songwriters), or Kobalt (if you have data on a broader industry trend). Each platform has a different editorial voice, but they all serve independent songwriters managing their own music publishing rights. A pitch that does not fit Songtrust's depth might work for a platform with a lighter editorial touch, and vice versa.

You should also pitch in parallel to platforms like DistroKid's blog (if your topic touches on distribution and publishing overlap), ASCAP's or BMI's member resources (if you have a US-focused angle), or PRS for Music's M Magazine (if you are writing about UK or European royalty collection). Diversifying your pitches increases your chances of getting published somewhere that reaches your target audience.

Songtrust prioritizes educational value over promotional content. If your pitch leads with data, solves a specific problem for independent songwriters, and demonstrates that you understand the mechanics of music publishing administration, you have a realistic shot at getting published. If your first pitch gets rejected, use the research you did on their archive to refine your angle and try again in three months. The worst outcome is not a rejection but pitching something generic that wastes both your time and theirs.