Clear answers for songwriters, publishers, and anyone evaluating publishing administration.
It is the operational layer on top of your copyright: register the composition, keep splits accurate, follow the income, and issue statements. Dark Lab does that work in a dashboard. It is not a traditional publisher taking a share of the song. The longer product list is on the Services page.
Independent songwriters, composers, artists, publishers, and record labels who need one catalog for songs, writers, royalties, and statements. Writer-specific detail is on For songwriters. Company workflows are on Publishers & labels.
Yes. Administration and reporting do not require you to assign the copyright to Dark Lab. You remain the rights holder. Services explains how that differs from a traditional publishing deal.
Compositions, writer records, royalty summaries, analytics, statement exports, and status updates. Login is on the dashboard, not this website form.
A statement groups matched royalties for a chosen period so you can review totals and download PDF, Excel, or CSV. The How it works page covers the draft-to-paid workflow.
Identity verification may be required before some royalty and payout features unlock. That protects creators and keeps catalog data trustworthy. It is a compliance step, not a content page topic.
Yes. Company accounts can run catalogs across roles. That workflow is described on the Publishers & labels page, not duplicated here.
Create an account in the Dark Lab dashboard, complete your profile, then add songs and writers. Contact is for support and partnerships if you already have a catalog question that needs a person.
A publisher often takes an ownership share and may control pitching. An administrator does not take the copyright. Dark Lab is the second model. Read Services for the product implication.
Yes. PRS, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or SOCAN still collect writer performance royalties in their home territory. Administration does not replace that membership. The writer-side explanation is on For songwriters.
They are different collection pipes for the same composition. The Royalties page explains how those pipes show up in reporting. Publishing 101 is the vocabulary guide.
No. Distribution delivers masters to stores. Publishing administers the composition. The full comparison is the Publishing vs distribution guide — this FAQ does not reprint it.
Legal title, every writer, splits that total 100%, artist credit, and any ISRC or ISWC you already have. The field-by-field checklist is on How it works and the registration guide.
Societies pay on their own cycles. First matched income often takes months after a clean registration. How it works covers why that wait exists and how Dark Lab shows pending versus paid.
Unmatched income societies cannot allocate to a registered work. The Royalties page covers why that happens and what clean metadata has to do with it.
(Before you register)
Use this page as the question index
Each answer below is written for a specific search. Longer explanations live on the matching page or guide, so Google is not asked to choose between two identical essays.
How to read these answers
Ownership and admin-versus-publisher: see Services. PRO membership for writers: see Songwriters. Royalty pipes and unmatched income: see Royalties. Registration fields: see How it works. Publishing versus distribution: see the dedicated guide.
