Glossary of Music Publishing Terms

‍A

• Administrator (Publishing Administrator): An entity (often a company or an individual) that handles the administrative tasks of music publishing for a songwriter or publisher. This includes registering songs, issuing licenses, collecting royalties, and providing statements, without taking ownership of the copyright itself. They typically work on a commission basis.
• Affiliation: The act of formally joining a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) or Collective Management Organization (CMO) as a songwriter, composer, lyricist, or publisher to enable royalty collection.
• Analogous Distribution: A method used by PROs/CMOs to distribute royalties when precise usage data is unavailable. It involves distributing royalties based on statistically representative data from similar usage categories or market trends.
• Arrangement: A musical adaptation of an existing composition. If the original work is copyrighted, an arrangement typically requires a license from the copyright owner.
• Author: In copyright law, this generally refers to the creator of the original literary or musical work (e.g., the lyricist or composer).

B

• Blanket License: A type of license offered by PROs/CMOs that grants a music user (e.g., a radio station, restaurant, streaming service) the right to publicly perform or reproduce any song in the PRO/CMO's vast repertoire for a set fee, usually for a specific period (e.g., annually). This eliminates the need for users to obtain individual licenses for each song.
• Broadcast: The transmission of music by radio, television, or online streaming to the public. This typically generates performance royalties.

C

• Catalog (Music Catalog / Publishing Catalog): A collection of musical compositions owned or administered by a music publisher or songwriter. The value of a catalog is often determined by the number of songs, their popularity, and their earning potential.
• Census Distribution: A royalty distribution method where a PRO/CMO collects and processes precise usage data for every single performance within a license period, ensuring highly accurate payments based on actual plays.
• CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers): A global network that connects over 230 collective management organizations (CMOs) worldwide. CISAC facilitates reciprocal agreements and promotes best practices in copyright management.
• Collective Management Organization (CMO): An organization that collectively manages specific rights on behalf of a large number of copyright holders (e.g., songwriters, composers, publishers, record labels). CMOs issue licenses, collect royalties, and distribute them to their members. They often have a broader scope than PROs, handling mechanical, synchronization, and/or neighboring rights in addition to performance rights.
• Communication to the Public: A broad legal term referring to making a work available to the public by any means, including broadcasting, streaming, or public performance. This is a key right managed by PROs/CMOs.
• Composer: The person who creates the musical elements of a song (melody, harmony, rhythm).
• Composition (Musical Work): The underlying musical and lyrical creation of a song, distinct from the sound recording (master). The copyright in the composition belongs to the songwriter(s) and/or their publisher(s).
• Compulsory License: A statutory license that allows certain uses of copyrighted material without direct permission from the copyright holder, provided that a set fee (determined by law or a regulatory body) is paid. In the US, for example, mechanical reproduction of musical works is subject to a compulsory license.
• Copyright: The exclusive legal right granted to the creator of an original literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic work to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical material, and to authorize others to do the same. In music, there are typically two main copyrights: one for the musical composition and one for the sound recording.
• Copyright Act, 1957 (India): The primary legislation governing copyright in India, outlining the rights of creators, term of protection, and the framework for copyright societies.
• Copyright Society: A body registered under the Copyright Act (like IPRS or PPL in India) that is authorized to issue licenses for the use of copyrighted works and distribute royalties to its members.
• Cue Sheet: A document used in film and television production that lists all the musical compositions used in a program, including their duration, type of use (e.g., background, theme), and the names of the composers, lyricists, and publishers. Cue sheets are crucial for PROs/CMOs to track usage and distribute performance royalties.

D

• Digital Service Provider (DSP): An online platform that provides access to music, such as streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music), download stores (iTunes), or online radio (Pandora).
• Direct License: A license obtained directly from the copyright owner (songwriter or publisher) rather than through a PRO/CMO. This is common for synchronization licenses for specific uses.
• Distribution (Royalty Distribution): The process by which PROs/CMOs allocate and pay out collected royalties to their members based on the usage of their works and their respective ownership shares.

E

• Exploitation: The commercial use of a copyrighted work (e.g., public performance, reproduction, synchronization).

G

• Grand Rights: Performance rights for musical compositions used in dramatic contexts, such as operas, musicals, ballets, or plays. These are typically licensed directly by the publisher and are outside the scope of blanket licenses issued by PROs.

I

• IPI (Interested Party Information) Number: A unique international identification number assigned to songwriters, composers, and publishers by CISAC. It helps PROs/CMOs worldwide accurately identify rights holders and distribute royalties.
• IPRS (The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd.): A copyright society in India primarily representing authors (lyricists), composers, and music publishers, collecting performance and certain mechanical royalties for musical and literary works.
• ISRC (International Standard Recording Code): A unique identifier for a specific sound recording. It helps track the usage of master recordings.
• ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code): A unique identifier for a musical work (composition). It helps track the usage of compositions across different platforms globally.

L

• License: Formal permission granted by a copyright owner or their representative (like a PRO/CMO) to use a copyrighted work in a specific way, usually for a fee.
• Licensee: The individual or entity that obtains a license to use copyrighted music (e.g., a radio station, a film producer, a restaurant).
• Licensor: The individual or entity that grants a license to use copyrighted music (e.g., a songwriter, a publisher, a PRO/CMO).
• Literary Work (in music context): Refers to the lyrics of a song.
• Lyricist: The person who writes the words (lyrics) for a song.

M

• Master Recording (Master): The actual sound recording of a musical work. It has a separate copyright from the underlying musical composition. The copyright in the master recording typically belongs to the record label or the recording artist.
• Mechanical License: A license that grants permission to reproduce and distribute a musical composition in a physical format (e.g., CD, vinyl) or a digital format (e.g., permanent download, interactive stream).
• Mechanical Royalty: The royalty paid to songwriters and publishers for the reproduction and distribution of their musical compositions.
• MRO (Mechanical Rights Organization): An organization that collects and distributes mechanical royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers. Some CMOs function as MROs.
• Music Publisher: A company or individual that manages the copyrights of musical compositions on behalf of songwriters, composers, and lyricists. Their functions include administering rights, licensing works, collecting royalties, and often promoting the use of their catalog.
• Music Supervisor: A professional who selects and licenses music for use in film, television, advertising, video games, and other audiovisual productions. They work closely with publishers and record labels to clear rights.

N

• Neighboring Rights (Related Rights): Rights granted to performers, phonogram producers (record labels), and broadcasting organizations for their contributions to a sound recording or broadcast. These are distinct from the copyright in the musical composition.

P

• Performance Royalty: The royalty paid to songwriters and publishers for the public performance of their musical compositions.
• Performing Rights Organization (PRO): An organization that collects and distributes performance royalties on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Examples include ASCAP, BMI, PRS for Music, and SOCAN.
• PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited): A copyright society in India primarily representing record labels (owners of sound recordings), collecting royalties for the public performance and broadcasting of sound recordings (master rights).
• Print Rights: The right to reproduce and distribute musical compositions in printed form (e.g., sheet music, lyric books).
• Public Domain: Refers to works whose copyrights have expired, or that were never copyrighted, and are therefore free for anyone to use without permission or payment.
• Public Performance: Any performance of a musical work that occurs in a public place or is transmitted to the public (e.g., radio, TV, streaming in a business). This generates performance royalties.
• Publisher Share: The portion of royalties (typically 50% for performance and mechanical royalties) that is allocated to the music publisher.

R

• Reciprocal Agreement: An agreement between two PROs/CMOs in different countries that allows each organization to collect royalties on behalf of the other's members in their respective territories. This ensures global royalty collection for creators.
• Repertoire: The entire collection of musical works (compositions) or sound recordings that a PRO/CMO represents and licenses.
• Reproduction Right: The exclusive right of the copyright owner to make copies of their work (e.g., physical copies like CDs, digital copies for downloads or streaming).
• RMPL (Recorded Music Performance Limited): Another copyright society in India that manages public performance and radio broadcasting rights for sound recordings of its member music labels, similar to PPL.
• Royalty: A payment made to the owner of a copyright (or other intellectual property) for the right to use their work. Royalties are typically calculated as a percentage of revenue generated from the use of the work.

S

• Sample (Music): A portion of a sound recording or musical composition that is incorporated into a new recording. Sampling copyrighted material typically requires licenses for both the sound recording (master) and the underlying composition.
• Songwriter Share: The portion of royalties (typically 50% for performance and mechanical royalties) that is allocated directly to the songwriter(s) and lyricist(s).
• Sound Recording: See Master Recording.
• Splits (Publishing Splits / Song Splits): The agreed-upon percentages of ownership for a musical composition among the various songwriters, composers, and publishers involved. These percentages determine how royalties are divided.
• Streaming (Interactive/Non-Interactive):

• Interactive Streaming: On-demand streaming where the user can choose specific songs to listen to (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music). Generates both performance and mechanical royalties for compositions, and digital performance royalties for sound recordings.
• Non-Interactive Streaming: Webcasting or internet radio where the user cannot choose specific songs but listens to a continuous stream (e.g., Pandora). Primarily generates performance royalties for compositions and digital performance royalties for sound recordings.

• Sub-publisher: A music publisher (often in a foreign territory) appointed by the original publisher to administer and license a catalog within that specific territory. They collect royalties locally and remit a share to the original publisher.
• Synchronization (Sync) License: A license that grants permission to use a musical composition in conjunction with visual media, such as film, television shows, commercials, video games, or online videos. This is typically a direct license negotiated between the music user and the copyright owner/publisher.
• Synchronization Royalty (Sync Fee): The fee paid for a synchronization license. This is usually a one-time upfront fee, though sometimes it can include backend royalties.

T

• Tariff: A published schedule of fees or rates that a PRO/CMO charges for specific types of licenses.
• Term: The duration of a copyright (e.g., life of the author plus 60 or 70 years, depending on jurisdiction) or the duration of a licensing agreement.
• Tracking (Usage Tracking): The process by which PROs/CMOs monitor and identify where and how musical works and sound recordings are being used publicly or reproduced, often through technology, cue sheets, and direct reporting from licensees.
• User-Generated Content (UGC): Content created by individuals and published on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, often incorporating copyrighted music. Licensing and royalty collection for UGC is a growing and complex area.

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