publishing?????????

someone please BRIEFLY and ACCURATELY explain to me the difference between signing up with publishing companies like BMI, ASCAP, etc....and doing your own. advantages/disadvantages?

BMI and such are not publishing companies. They are performing rights
organizations which licenses and collects royalties for performances of your music. Hence, if you start a publishing company it is fairly simple. Catalog all of your music and register it with the Library of Congress, your catalog music must be well laid out and setup in a searchable format so that the items can be found (e.g. excel database). YOU NEED BMI and such to track your performances and plays so that you will be compensated for mechanical royalties.

What about going with certain publishing companies vs. Others? I've heard that publishing your own stuff is great but then you have to do all the promotion and such. But if you go with an established publisher, then since they get a cut they can hook you up with better connections and such, secret handshake things.

What's the Scoop BBoutit?