The Top 5 Southern Gospel Music Publishers

A list of the top 5 Southern Gospel music publishers, as well as what they’re known for and some of the artists they’ve worked with.

The 5 Major Publishers

There are literally hundreds of music publishers in the southern gospel industry. Many of them are very good, but these five are the cream of the crop. If you want to get your music published by one of these companies, you need to be at the top of your game.

1. Gaither Music Group
2. Benson Music Group
3. Daywind Music Group
4. Central South Publishing
5. Eureka Springs Music

The Pros and Cons of Each

Southern Gospel music is a genre of Christian music. Its roots are in the Southeastern United States, with a history dating back to the late 19th century. In recent years, the popularity of Southern Gospel music has decreased in some areas of the country. However, it remains popular in the southern states. There are many different Southern Gospel music publishers. Some are better than others. Here are the top 5 Southern Gospel music publishers, along with the pros and cons of each.

Integrity Music

Integrity Music is a worship music company based out of Nashville, Tennessee. The company was founded in 1987 by integrity music artist, Don Moen. The company is best known for its Hosanna! Music and iWorship brands, which are both distributed by Provident Label Group.

Integrity Music currently has a roster of over 200 active songwriters and over 4,000 published songs. The company is home to some of the top worship leaders and songwriters in the world, such as Matt Redman, Tim Hughes, Reuben Morgan, Paul Baloche, and Brenton Brown.

One of the unique things about Integrity Music is that they have several different imprints that allow them to focus on specific markets and styles of worship music. These imprints include:
-Integrity Worship Singles: This imprint releases single tracks of popular worship songs that can be used by churches and worship leaders.
-Vertical Worship: This imprint is focused on developing new talent and releasing vertical worship songs for the church.
-Dream Worship: This imprint releases instrumental versions of popular worship songs.
-Braveheart: This imprint focuses on developing new Scottish and Irish talent.
– Integrity Latin: This imprint specializes in releasing Spanish-language worship music.

Capitol CMG

Capitol Christian Music Group is a world leader in contemporary Christian and gospel music, with artists ranging from Josh Groban, TobyMac, and Michael W. Smith to Amy Grant, Kirk Franklin, and Mandisa. Capitol CMG is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company.

Pros:
-A world leader in contemporary Christian and gospel music
-A subsidiary of Universal Music Group
-Artists including Josh Groban, TobyMac, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Kirk Franklin, and Mandisa

Cons:
– Some may see the connection to a large conglomerate as a negative

Provident-Integrity

Provident-Integrity is a division of Sony Music Entertainment focused on gospel music. Provident-Integrity was founded in 1992 as a merger of two companies, Provident Music Group and Integrity Music. ProvidentMusic Group was itself formed in 1987 through the merger of two companies, Provident Label Group and Benson Records. Provident-Integrity represents such artists as Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Kirk Franklin, elevation Worship, and Hillsong Worship.

The Pros:
-A wide variety of artists and styles under one label
-The merger of two companies means more resources and a more comprehensive marketing reach
-Access to Sony Music Entertainment’s resources

The Cons:
-May be less inclined to take risks on new or lesser known artists
-The size of the company may make it more difficult to get personal attention for your career

Sony Music

Sony Music is a major player in the world of music, and they have a strong presence in the southern gospel music industry. They are one of the top five publishers of southern gospel music, and they have a large catalog of songs to choose from. Sony Music also has a good relationship with many radio stations and promoters, which can be helpful in getting your music played.

One downside to Sony Music is that they are a large company, and you may not get the personal attention that you would from a smaller publisher. Also, because they are such a large company, it can be more difficult to get your foot in the door.

Universal Music

Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Universal Music Group is the largest music publisher in the world, with a catalog of more than four million songs. Universal Music Publishing Group was formed in 2007 as a result of the merger of two industry giants, Sanctuary Music Group and UEberschall.

The company represents some of the biggest names in music, including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Drake. In addition to its roster of superstar talent, Universal Music Publishing Group also owns or has exclusive agreements with a number of prominent independent music publishers, such as Big Machine Label Group and Cherry Lane Music Publishing.

Pros:
-Universal Music Publishing Group is the largest music publisher in the world, with a catalog of more than four million songs.
-The company represents some of the biggest names in music, including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Drake.
-In addition to its roster of superstar talent, Universal Music Publishing Group also owns or has exclusive agreements with a number of prominent independent music publishers.

Cons:
-Some have criticized Universal Music Publishing Group for being too large and impersonal.
-The company has also been accused of favoring major label artists over independent artists.

Where to Find More Information

Luckily, there are plenty of places to find more information on the subject. Here are five of the best Southern Gospel music publishers:

1. Gaither Music Group

2. Integrity Music

3. Heirloom Music Group

4. Riverphlo Entertainment

5. New Day Christian Distributors