Your music rights, explained
A short guide to the rights in your music: what they are, how they earn and what you can keep.
The basics
Master
The recording
A master is a finished recording, the exact version people stream, buy or hear on the radio. It usually belongs to whoever made or paid for it, often the artist or a label. Every new recording of a song is a new master.
Publishing
The song
Publishing covers the song itself: the words and the melody, whoever records them. Songwriters own their share first, and many work with a music publisher who registers the song and collects what it earns.
Sync
Music with pictures
Sync means licensing music to play alongside pictures, such as film, TV, adverts or games. It usually needs permission from whoever controls the recording and whoever controls the song, and each is paid a fee.
How royalties reach you
When your music is streamed, broadcast or played in public, the services and venues pay for a licence. That money passes through collecting societies and your label, distributor or publisher, each keeping its agreed share, before it reaches you.
In the UK, PRS for Music pays songwriters and publishers when songs are performed or broadcast, MCPS handles copies of songs, and PPL pays performers and recording owners when recordings are played in public or on air.
What you can own and keep
If you write songs, you start out owning your share of them. If you pay for your own recordings, you usually own those masters too.
Any deal you sign may change that, so check what it covers, for how long and where. Keep copies of your agreements, splits and registrations: they are how you show what is yours.
Questions
Do I lose my rights if I sign a deal?
Not automatically. It depends on what the agreement says, so check what it covers, for how long and in which countries before you sign.
What’s the difference between a label and a publisher?
A label usually works with your recordings. A publisher works with your songs, the words and melody, and collects the income they earn.
Can my song be used in film or ads?
Yes, with permission. A sync licence is agreed with whoever controls the recording and the song, and each is paid a fee.
Do I need to register my songs?
Yes, if you want to be paid. Registering your songs and recordings is how plays are matched to you, so the money reaches you.
Ready to share your music?
Send us a demo, or ask us anything about your rights.