What are music rights?

Music copyrights are legal protections granted to the creators of original musical works. These rights provide exclusive control to copyright owners, enabling them to manage and benefit from the use, public performance, licensing, and distribution of their music.

In the music industry, there are two main types of music copyrights that protect different aspects of a song: publishing rights (also called composition rights) and master rights (also called sound recording rights).

Publishing rights:

Publishing rights protect the underlying structure of the song, including the melody, lyrics, and chord progression. This copyright is typically owned by the songwriter(s) and composer(s) who created the song, or by their publisher(s) if they have one.

Master rights:

Master rights protect a specific, recorded version of a composition. This copyright is usually owned by the recording artist(s), producer(s) or their record label(s), if they have one. 

The master right is separate from the publishing right. For instance, if a recording artist covers a song, they own the master right for their specific version of the song, but the publishing right remains with the original songwriter or their publisher.

Summary:

In summary, publishing rights protect the composition of the song (the melody, lyrics, and chord progression), while master rights protect a specific recorded version of the song. 

Each type of right entitles the owners to a share of the income generated by the use of that musical creation, also called music royalties. Both rights can be licensed, sold, assigned, and otherwise exploited by their respective owners in various ways.

For more details and questions about music rights, contact our team at the email address support@anotemusic.com.