REDLINE PUBLISHING
Independent Canadian catalog, properly administered.
A publishing division of RedLine Distribution Inc., based in Montreal.
What we do
We acquire and administer publishing rights for independent Canadian artists whose catalogs have never had proper representation.
We pitch catalog for sync licensing across film, television, advertising, and digital media, and handle international royalty collection.
We work directly with artists and estates. No intermediaries, no complicated structures. A one-page term sheet and a straightforward conversation.
Why we exist
Good songs deserve someone working for them.
RedLine Publishing exists for the catalogs that slipped through the cracks: serious, well-made records by independent Canadian songwriters that never had a publisher, an administrator, or anyone pitching them for sync. Decades of real songwriting, left with no one in their corner.
We find those catalogs, give them proper representation, and treat them with the care they should have had all along. That is the whole reason we are here.
Our focus
Canadian roots, properly represented.
We work in Canadian independent folk, roots, and Americana. These are artists who built careers outside the major-label system, but whose songs carry real cultural weight and lasting value. Juno nominations. Critically acclaimed albums. Songs covered by Grammy-winning artists.
We are not trying to sign everyone. We work with a small number of catalogs, and we work closely with each one, because the right songs, properly looked after, are worth more than a thousand that aren't.
How working with us works
Straightforward, from the first email.
A real conversation
It starts with an email from a real person. No automated pitch, no pressure. If there is a fit, we tell you exactly what we are proposing and why.
A one-page term sheet
Everything in writing on a single page: what songs, what rights, what payment, what terms. Review it on your own time. Have a lawyer look at it. There is no rush.
A proper agreement
If the terms work for you, we move to a formal agreement drafted by an entertainment lawyer. If they don't, no hard feelings, and no awkward follow-ups.
Read the full process → For Artists
Did you receive an email from us?
Here is everything worth knowing before you reply: who we are, what we are offering, and exactly how it works.
About
About RedLine Publishing
RedLine Publishing is a division of RedLine Distribution Inc., a Canadian independent music company based in Montreal operating across Discogs, Shopify, and Amazon with a focus on Canadian catalog and vinyl.
We started RedLine Publishing because we kept finding catalogs (decades of serious songwriting, critically acclaimed albums, Juno nominations, songs covered by Grammy-winning artists) that had no publisher, no administrator, and no sync representation. Songs that existed in the world with no one working for them.
Our focus is Canadian independent folk, roots, and Americana. Artists who built careers outside institutional structures, with no major label and no corporate publisher, but whose songs have real cultural weight and genuine longevity.
We are a small company. We work with a small number of artists and we work closely with each one. We are not trying to build a catalog of thousands of songs. We are trying to build a catalog of the right songs, properly administered, actively pitched, and genuinely cared for.
RedLine Distribution Inc. was founded by Peter Gurreri in Montreal. We operate across multiple retail platforms with a specific focus on Canadian catalog and vinyl. Publishing is a natural extension of that work. When you spend years finding and selling records, you start to understand which catalogs matter and why.
The wider operation
Part of a working record business.
RedLine Publishing is one side of RedLine Distribution Inc., an active independent record company. We have spent years finding, grading, and selling records across Discogs, eBay, Amazon, and our own shop, which is exactly how we came to understand which catalogs matter and why. You can see the wider operation for yourself.
Rated 99.5% positive across more than 1,500 ratings on Discogs.
For Artists
For Artists
If you are a Canadian independent songwriter and you received an email from us, here is what we are offering and how it works.
What we do
We acquire publishing rights and master recording rights for independent catalog: albums and songs that were self-released or released on small independent labels where you retained ownership. We register your songs with SOCAN, Re:Sound, and CMRRA, collect royalties you may not currently be capturing, and pitch your catalog for sync licensing opportunities.
What we offer
Depending on the catalog, we make one of three kinds of offers. A full acquisition: we purchase publishing rights and where available master recording rights outright, for a fixed one-time payment. A publishing-only acquisition: we purchase the publishing rights on specific songs or albums, for a fixed payment. An administration agreement: we administer your existing publishing entity, handle registration and collection, and take a percentage of royalties collected. We will tell you clearly which structure we are proposing and why.
How it works
Initial email. If you are interested, we send a one-page written term sheet outlining exactly what we are proposing: what songs, what rights, what payment, what terms. You review it on your own time. You can have a lawyer look at it. There are no phone calls required. No pressure. If the terms work for you, we proceed to a formal agreement drafted by an entertainment lawyer. If they do not, no hard feelings.
Common questions
The things artists ask us.
Do I keep earning royalties after a deal?
It depends on the structure, and we tell you clearly which one we are proposing. Under an administration agreement you keep ownership of your catalog and we take a percentage of what we collect, and you keep the rest, on an ongoing basis. Under a full or publishing-only acquisition we purchase those specific rights for a fixed one-time payment, so it is a lump sum rather than ongoing royalties.
What happens to my master recordings?
For many deals, nothing. A publishing-only agreement does not touch your masters at all. We only discuss master recording rights where you actually own them and where it makes sense, and we never claim masters you do not control.
Is it exclusive? Can I still license my own songs?
That depends entirely on the structure, and it is spelled out in plain language in the one-page term sheet before you agree to anything. Nothing is buried or assumed.
How long does the agreement last?
An acquisition is a one-time transaction. An administration agreement runs for a defined term, stated in writing in the term sheet and the final agreement, never open-ended or vague.
Do I need a lawyer?
You are encouraged to have one review anything before you sign, and there is no rush. The final agreement is drafted by an entertainment lawyer, and the initial term sheet is one page precisely so it is easy to read and easy to take to an advisor.
What does it cost me to work with you?
Nothing to talk to us, and nothing up front. With an acquisition, we pay you. With an administration agreement, we take a percentage of the royalties we actually collect, which means we only earn when you do.
We do not acquire rights to songs where you do not have clear ownership. We do not pressure artists into decisions. We do not propose complicated structures. We answer every email.
Get in touch → peter@redlinepublishing.ca
Contact
Contact
For publishing inquiries, licensing, and general correspondence:
RedLine Distribution Inc. / RedLine Publishing
Montreal, Quebec, Canada