Guides

Music publishing in Brazil

How music publishing actually works in Brazil: who claims which rights, what the national copyright system does, and what it takes for a publisher to set up and collect.

Who claims which rights

Performance: collected centrally by ECAD, distributed through member associations — UBC and Abramus foremost. Mechanicals and sync: direct or via the local publisher.

Copyright registration in Brazil

Registration is voluntary (works can be deposited with the National Library's copyright office, EDA); Berne protection is automatic.

Setting up to claim publishing rights

You cannot join ECAD — it is a collection bureau, not a membership body. Rights are claimed by joining one of its associations (UBC or Abramus for most publishers), which expects Brazilian administration: in practice foreign catalogs appoint a Brazilian sub-publisher or open a local entity that holds the association membership and registers the repertoire.

The societies

UBC / Abramus — each linked page covers the society’s history and how registrations reach it.

Rules, fees, and society requirements change, and none of this is legal advice — confirm current requirements with the society or local counsel before committing. Registrations bound for Brazil can be checked free on the validator · more: setting up country by country · which societies accept CWR.

Check a CWR file free — errors and warnings tied to the exact line, nothing stored: cwrcheck.com.