The Two Copyrights: Foundation of Music Royalties
Did you know that every time your song plays, it generates money for TWO different copyrights? Understanding this distinction is the key to collecting all the royalties you're owed.
The first copyright is the master recording. This is the actual audio file - the specific version of the song that you hear when you press play. Think of it as the performance captured in the studio.
The master recording is typically owned by the artist or their record label. If you recorded the song, you own this copyright - unless you've signed it away to a label or another party.
Master recording royalties come from streams, sales, and certain types of radio play. These typically flow through your distributor like DistroKid, CD Baby, or TuneCore."
The second copyright is the composition. This is the underlying song itself - the melody, lyrics, and structure that could be performed by anyone. Think of it as what could be written on sheet music.
The composition is owned by the songwriter(s) or their publisher. If you wrote the song, you own this copyright - even if someone else performs it.
Composition royalties come from streams, sales, radio play, live performances, and when others cover your song. These flow through performing rights organizations like ASCAP or BMI, and mechanical agencies like The MLC.
Did you know that every time your song plays, it generates money for TWO different copyrights? Understanding this distinction is the key to collecting all the royalties you're owed.
The first copyright is the master recording. This is the actual audio file - the specific version of the song that you hear when you press play. Think of it as the performance captured in the studio.
The master recording is typically owned by the artist or their record label. If you recorded the song, you own this copyright - unless you've signed it away to a label or another party.
Master recording royalties come from streams, sales, and certain types of radio play. These typically flow through your distributor like DistroKid, CD Baby, or TuneCore."
The second copyright is the composition. This is the underlying song itself - the melody, lyrics, and structure that could be performed by anyone. Think of it as what could be written on sheet music.
The composition is owned by the songwriter(s) or their publisher. If you wrote the song, you own this copyright - even if someone else performs it.
Composition royalties come from streams, sales, radio play, live performances, and when others cover your song. These flow through performing rights organizations like ASCAP or BMI, and mechanical agencies like The MLC.
If you both write AND record your songs, you should be collecting BOTH types of royalties. Many artists only collect one and leave the other on the table."
To collect what you're owed, you need to know which copyrights you own in your music. Are you just the recording artist, just the songwriter, or both? Each role requires different registrations to collect all your money.