Every released song has two copyrights living inside it. One covers the recording you hear, the other covers the song itself: the melody, the chords and the lyrics. They can belong to different people, earn money through different channels and need separate permissions.
Two rights, one track
The master is a specific recording. If you sing "Night Shift" in your bedroom on Monday and again in a studio on Friday, you have one song and two masters. Each recording is its own piece of property.
The composition is the song as written. It exists whether anyone records it or not. Ten artists can record the same composition, and each of them will own (or not own) their own master, while the songwriters keep the composition.
On release credits you will sometimes see two symbols. ℗ marks the sound recording, while © marks copyright in other works, such as the cover art or the written song. That small letter in a circle is a hint that two different owners may be involved.
Who owns what by default
The rules differ from country to country, so treat this as the common pattern rather than legal advice.
- The composition belongs to the people who wrote it: whoever wrote the music and whoever wrote the lyrics. If three people wrote together, they share it in the split they agree on.
- The master usually belongs to whoever organised and paid for the recording. For most independent artists that is the artist. If a label financed the session, the label often owns the master under the contract.
- A producer who only recorded and mixed the session is not automatically a songwriter. A producer who built the beat, the chord progression or the vocal melody often is. This is where most disputes start, so talk about it before release, not after.
A record deal usually concerns the master. A publishing deal concerns the composition. They are different contracts, and you can sign one without the other.
How each side earns money
When your track is streamed, the money splits along these two lines.
The master side is paid by the platforms to whoever delivered the recording, usually through a distributor or a label. Independent artists usually see this income first, together with their streaming reports.
The composition side is paid separately. Performance and mechanical royalties for songwriters are collected by authors' societies and music publishers, depending on the country and the platform. If you write your own songs but are not registered with any society, part of that money may sit unclaimed or never reach you. Find out which society operates in your country and what it asks for.
When you need permission, and from whom
- Cover version. You record someone else's song. You create a new master, so the recording is yours, but the composition still belongs to the original writers. You need the right licence for that composition, and the rules for covers differ by country and platform.
- Sample. You take a piece of an existing recording. Now you are using both their master and their composition, so you need permission from both owners.
- Interpolation. You re-sing or replay a melody without using the original audio. That touches the composition only, but it still needs permission.
- Bought or leased beat. You get the right to use the producer's recording and music within the terms of the licence. Check whether it is exclusive, whether it limits streams or sales, and whether the producer keeps a share of the composition.
- Sync. A film, advert or game wants your track. They need a licence for the master and a licence for the composition. If you own both, you can say yes in a single conversation.
A small example
Lalə Nova writes the lyrics of "Yay gecəsi". Elvin Rza writes the melody and chords with her. Lalə pays for the studio and records the vocals; an engineer mixes it for a flat fee.
The composition belongs to Lalə and Elvin, say 50/50. The master belongs to Lalə, because she organised and paid for the recording. The engineer is credited but owns neither; his work was paid for as a service. If a TV series wants the track, it has to agree with Lalə on the master and with both writers on the composition.
Write this down on a short split sheet signed by everyone, even if you are friends. Memory gets creative once money appears.
Before you release
When you distribute music, you confirm that you own or have permission for everything you upload. With CULT, for example, the artist keeps their rights, and the audio, artwork and other materials must be yours or licensed to you. That is why the questions above are worth answering before upload day.
A quick checklist:
- Who wrote the music and the lyrics, and in what shares?
- Who owns the master, and is that written down anywhere?
- Are there samples, interpolations or a leased beat, and do you have the paperwork?
- Are the writers registered with an authors' society?
- Do the credits you plan to enter match all of the above?
If all five answers are clear, you are ahead of most first releases and can say yes quickly when someone asks to use your song.