Artists earn money when listeners engage with their music, but it’s not like listeners hand their money directly to artists. Instead, they might pay for streaming services and listen that way, or they might first hear the artist’s music in TV shows or video games. 

At the same time, artists aren’t on payroll at streaming services or media companies. Instead, they receive royalties for the use of their music, and that’s where music publishing rights come into play.

So, then, what are music publishing rights…