A company or person responsible for the publication and distribution of media products such as books, music, software, or video games.
example
Der Publisher hat den Veröffentlichungstermin für das neue Videospiel bekannt gegeben.
The publisher announced the release date for the new video game.
Usage tips
Origin of the word
'Publisher' (publisher) is an English loanword. Like many English words that describe a person or company carrying out an action, it is masculine in German.
EXAMPLE
Der Publisher hat sich für eine große Marketingkampagne entschieden.
The publisher decided on a large marketing campaign.
Typical collocations
The word is often combined with the type of product. Typical combinations are 'Buch-Publisher' (book publisher), 'Musik-Publisher' (music publisher), or 'Videospiel-Publisher' (video game publisher).
EXAMPLE
Dieser bekannte Videospiel-Publisher hat seinen Sitz in Hamburg.
This well-known video game publisher is based in Hamburg.
Register and context
This word is used mainly in business and media language, especially in the book, music, software, and games industries.
EXAMPLE
Die Verhandlungen zwischen dem Entwicklerstudio und dem Publisher waren erfolgreich.
The negotiations between the development studio and the publisher were successful.
Compare with
near_synonym · confusable
Publisher vs Verlag
publishing house
'der Verlag' and 'der Publisher' can both refer to an entity that publishes and sells media. In German, 'Verlag' is the normal word especially for books, newspapers, and magazines. 'Publisher' is often used for digital media, software, music, or video games, and can also mean an individual person responsible for publishing. The words can be confused because both are responsible for publication and distribution. When it comes to classic books, 'Verlag' usually sounds more natural; for games or software, 'Publisher' often fits better.
Publisher
Der Publisher des Spiels kündigt heute ein großes Update an.
The publisher of the game is announcing a major update today.
Verlag
Ein kleiner Verlag aus Berlin veröffentlicht den Roman im nächsten Frühjahr.
A small publishing house from Berlin is publishing the novel next spring.