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The Musician's Guide to Publishing & Performing Rights (Udemy.com)

Everything you need to know to survive the music business. Getting paid for your own music!

Created by: J. Anthony Allen

Last updated May 2026

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What you will learn

  • Making money with your music!
  • Publishing basics
  • Setting up Publishing as an Independent Artist
  • Cashing in on Publishing
  • Performing Rights
  • Performing Rights Organizations
  • ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC
  • Mechanical Licenses
  • Harry Fox Agency
  • Synchronization Rights (Sync Rights)
  • Dramatic Rights (Grand Rights)
  • Publisher Responsibilities

How it compares

Against the other 270 rated Udemy courses in Music on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 25% of them
  • Reviews120#188 of 271 by number of reviews
  • Length1.8 hoursshorter than 76% of them
  • Last updatedMay 2026more recently than 82% of them

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Course Description

Welcome to the "Musician's Guide" Series!

This series is pulled directly from the courses I've created for my university position in Music Business. All of these courses are designed for the everyday musician - amateur or professional - who has little or no knowledge on the topic, but wants to master it.

This class is all about Publishing and Performing Rights. Which is to say: This class is about getting paid for your music.

100% Answer Rate! Every single question posted to this class is answered within 24 hours by the instructor.

It is ideal for anyone who writes music. Especially:

  • Creators: If you are making music, you need to understand publishing. You are literally giving away money by not setting up publishing correctly.

  • Musicians: Performing Rights Organizations pay the creators of music for their "public performance". That means anytime something you've written is played (played live, or even a recording is played in a coffee shop), you get paid.

  • Producers: If you are producing music, you need to understand publishing!

In this class, we start with defining "music publishing" - it is a big topic (and has nothing to do with publishing books...). Then I'll walk you through how to set yourself up as a publisher so you can take advantage of the performing rights organizations that pay the publisher half of your earnings. I'll walk you through every step of the process and explain the logic behind every concept.

The goal of this class is for you to start getting the money that you are owed for your music.


Software:
This course is NOT specific to any DAW program.

Genre:
Publishing has no genre - so all are welcome here.

Topics Covered: 

  • Publishing

  • Co-Publishers

  • Cashing In on Publishing

  • Performing Rights Organizations

  • Music publishing, and music industry trends

  • Make money online with your music.

  • Getting Paid from the PRO

  • The Publisher's Cut

  • ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC

  • Mechanical Licenses

  • The Harry Fox Agency

  • Synchronization Licenses

  • Dramatic Licenses

  • Publisher Agreements

  • Publisher Responsibilities

  • And much, much more!

If you are ready to start making money from your music, and making sure it is protected, this class will start you on that journey. Get started today.

Dr. Allen is a university music professor and is a top-rated Udemy instructor - with nearly 100 courses and over 200,000 students.

In 2017 Star Tribune Business featured him as a "Mover and a Shaker," and he is recognized by the Grammy Foundation for his music education classes. 


** I guarantee that this course is the most thorough publishing course available ANYWHERE on the market - or your money back (30-day money-back guarantee) **

Closed captions have been added to all lessons in this course.

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Praise for Courses by Jason Allen:

⇢  "It seems like every little detail is being covered in an extremely simple fashion. The learning process becomes relaxed and allows complex concepts to get absorbed easily. My only regret is not taking this course earlier." - M. Shah

⇢  "Great for everyone without any knowledge so far. I bought all three parts... It's the best investment in leveling up my skills so far.." - Z. Palce

⇢  "Excellent explanations! No more or less than what is needed." - A. Tóth

⇢  "VERY COOL. I've waited for years to see a good video course, now I don't have to wait anymore. Thank You!" - Jeffrey Koury

⇢  "I am learning LOTS! And I really like having the worksheets!" - A. Deichsel

⇢  "The basics explained very clearly - loads of really useful tips!" - J. Pook

⇢  "Jason is really quick and great with questions, always a great resource for an online class!" M. Smith

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Students who register for this course will receive ongoing exclusive content and discounts for all future classes in the series. 

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Instructor Details

J. Anthony Allen

Dr. Allen is a 2026 Apple Distinguished Educator.

Dr. J. Anthony Allen is a distinguished composer, producer, educator, and innovator whose multifaceted career spans various musical disciplines. Born in Michigan and based in Minneapolis, Dr. Allen has composed orchestral works, produced acclaimed dance music, and, through his entrepreneurship projects, he has educated over a million students worldwide in music theory and electronic music production.


Dr. Allen's musical influence is global, with compositions performed across Europe, North America, and Asia. His versatility is evident in works ranging from Minnesota Orchestra performances to Netflix soundtracks. Beyond creation, Dr. Allen is committed to revolutionizing music education for the 21st century. In 2011, he founded Slam Academy, an electronic music school aimed at increasing accessibility to music production education. His innovative approach to academia was highlighted in 2024 when he received tenure and resigned from his university position on the same day.


As a composer, Dr. Allen is known for his unique synthesis of diverse musical influences, often blending acoustic music with electronic dance music elements. With a Ph.D. in Music Composition, multiple master's degrees, and numerous awards, Dr. Allen's academic and professional achievements are substantial.

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Reviews

4.5

120 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By James Vann-Mincy Jr. on 4/13/2025

Course helped me understand the importance of rights. The provided history examples pertaining to subject matter I found really helpful.

By Adam Thurman on 12/30/2024

Very easy to understand. I totally recommend it if ya need exposure therapy for your fear of music publication and licensing.

By Cecilia Q on 9/20/2023

Really nice and simple overview of concepts that can be quite technical. I never thought that taking an online class like this would be engaging. But J does a great job and you can tell he loves this material (which makes learning easier).

By Siphumelele Gumede on 6/4/2023

Great lecture! There are in-depth explanations of how the concepts we use in music publishing today evolved historically. The lecturer is very knowledgeable. Highly recommend this class if you want a robust understanding of contemporary music publishing!

By Zachary Woodard on 4/28/2023

As always, Dr. Allen's lectures are full of great information. As a person who is trying to become an independent music song writer / producer, the information here is right on point.

By Trevor Bello on 2/23/2023

it had good information but it was very short and did not go into much detail. im sure there are better courses.

By Vanlalchhanhima Ralte on 6/27/2022

Awesome... Publishing business for any industries that want to uses the music content... Hollywood? Fitness Center? Restaurant/Bar? Radio? Etc.?

By Tumelo Sebolai on 5/14/2022

This is very, very good and absolutely perfect for me as a song writer, because I never knew what to actually do first when it comes to publishing and knew nothing about royalties or licensing my work, but now I am enlightened and able to move forward using this information. Thanks to Dr Jason Allen for the course. This information will greatly benefit me and others who will complete this course.

By Delaney Taylor on 10/20/2021

I love that this is thorough but not overwhelming. The structure is great, the information and the walkthroughs are great and concepts that were hazy to me before make sense in this structure. Thanks for the class!

By Brent Johnson on 3/21/2021

As much as I have tried to learn about this subject in the past, how is it that there was still so much that I nevertheless didn't know or understand until it was explained in this course? Perhaps it is the way the subject is framed in this course, with archaic terms being translated into their modern contexts. But regardless, this is a great course. I did come away with a number of questions, but that does not detract from the value of the course as is.

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Overall Score : 90 / 100