Guides
Music publishing in China
How music publishing actually works in China: 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 and mechanical: MCSC, the mainland's only authorized music collective. In practice, streaming platforms license much repertoire directly from rightsholders. Sync: direct.
Copyright registration in China
Copyright is automatic, but voluntary registration with the Copyright Protection Center of China (CPCC) is strongly advised: Chinese enforcement and platform claims lean heavily on registration certificates as proof of ownership.
Setting up to claim publishing rights
There is no direct foreign membership path into MCSC; repertoire arrives via reciprocal agreements or a Chinese publishing partner. Real revenue in China increasingly comes from direct platform deals (Tencent Music, NetEase), which require either a Chinese entity or a licensing agent with one. Register key works with CPCC before enforcement matters — retroactive proof is much harder.
The societies
MCSC — each linked page covers the society’s history and how registrations reach it.
Check a CWR file free — errors and warnings tied to the exact line, nothing stored: cwrcheck.com.