The field of music publishing is a somewhat scattered one. The coming of the Internet and digital music has changed this segment of publishing drastically, making music much more accessible to everyone in the world. Music publishers are everywhere, producing an almost infinite amount of unique music from a seemingly infinite pool of musicians. A music publisher has to always be on the alert for the next best thing.
To help consolidate and make sense of it all, two organizations have risen. Both organizations offer excellent directories of musical publishers:
One is the Music Publisher's Association (MPA), website www.mpa.org. Founded in 1895, the MPA is the oldest music trade organization in the USA, fostering communication among musical publishers, dealers, music educators, and all ultimate users of music. The non-profit association addresses itself to issues pertaining to every area of music publishing with an emphasis on the issues relevant to the publishers of print music for concert and educational purposes.
The other organization is the National Music Publisher's Association (NMPA), website www.nmpa.org. Since 1917, NMPA has been a strong and effective champion for the protection of music copyrights in an age of rapid technological changes. Currently representing over 800 American music publishing firms, NMPA has worked to interpret copyright law, educate the public about music licensing, and safeguard the interests of its members. To insure a fair and orderly market for everyone involved in music publishing, NMPA is dedicated to the protection of music copyright across all media and across all national boundaries.
Comprehensive music publishing directories can be found on the Internet as well.
