NAICS Code 512230 — Music Publishers

National Industry in the official 2022 North American Industry Classification System (U.S. Census Bureau). It is the only national industry under 51223 (Music Publishers).

Code	512230
Title	Music Publishers
Level	National Industry (6-digit)
Edition	NAICS 2022 edition
SBA size standard	900 employees

Official definition (2022 NAICS)

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in acquiring and registering copyrights for musical compositions in accordance with law and promoting and authorizing the use of these compositions in recordings, radio, television, motion pictures, live performances, print, or other media. Establishments in this industry represent the interests of the songwriter or other owners of musical compositions to produce revenues from the use of such works, generally through licensing agreements. These establishments may own the copyright or act as administrator of the music copyrights on behalf of copyright owners. Publishers of music books and sheet music are included in this industry.

Cross-References.

Is a business under 512230 "small"?

Under the SBA size standards (13 CFR 121.201, effective March 17, 2023), a business classified in NAICS 512230 qualifies as a small business if it does not exceed 900 employees. Small-business status determines eligibility for federal set-aside contracts, SAM.gov certifications and SBA loan programs — employee count is averaged over the latest 24 months.

Where 512230 sits in the hierarchy

Level	Code	Title
Sector	51	Information
Subsector	512	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries
Industry Group	5122	Sound Recording Industries
NAICS Industry	51223	Music Publishers
National Industry	512230	Music Publishers

Related SIC codes

Via the official U.S. Census concordance (1987 SIC ↔ NAICS), shown only where the industry definition is unchanged in NAICS 2022.

SIC code	Title
2731	Books: Publishing, or Publishing and Printing
2741	Miscellaneous Publishing
8999	Services, Not Elsewhere Classified

Data: official 2022 NAICS structure, descriptions and Census concordances, U.S. Census Bureau — U.S. government works in the public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). Suggested reference, not an official determination.