Sound recording
A fixation of music, sounds, or other audio onto a physical or digital medium — such as a CD, vinyl record, or digital file. The sound recording copyright is distinct from the underlying musical composition copyright and is typically owned by the record label or the recording artist. Sound recordings generate master use fees, streaming royalties, and neighboring rights.
Articles about Sound recording
Songtrust: Business and Technology Partner to the Creative Community — How to use it for music publishing administration
Songtrust: Business and Technology Partner to the Creative Community provides global music publishing administration for independent songwriters and composers. This guide covers account setup, catalog registration, royalty collection from CMOs worldwide, and when Songtrust makes sense for your publishing rights.
Publishing Administration Explained: Roles, Workflows, and Standards for Rights Management
Publishing administration explained covers rights management in music publishing, mapping roles, operational handoffs, and industry standards. Learn about workflows, file formats, identifiers, and integration patterns to reduce unmatched revenue and build auditable systems.
Amazon Music vs. Spotify: The Songwriter's Guide
Amazon Music vs. Spotify: Which Platform Matters More for Your Royalties? Countless articles debate Amazon Music vs. Spotify from a listener’s point of view, comparing audio quality, catalog size, and user interface.
Pandora vs. Spotify: A Songwriter's Guide to Royalties
Pandora vs. Spotify: The Comparison That Matters for Songwriters Countless articles compare Pandora and Spotify . They focus on music discovery, playlist curation, and the user experience.
Territory Collection Societies: A Global Guide to PROs and CMOs Worldwide
Territory collection societies form the patchwork of national and regional organizations that collect and distribute music royalties, and knowing who collects which rights in which markets is the practical difference between missing revenue and timely payments. This guide maps PROs, CMOs, neighboring rights and master rights collectors by territory, provides registration and metadata checklists for priority markets, and gives step-by-step troubleshooting and prioritization advice publishers, labels and sync teams can use to recover royalties faster.
How to Copyright a Song for Free: 5 Legal Methods
Copyright protection for your music is automatic and free the moment you fix it in a tangible medium. But free registration options and documentation methods can strengthen your legal position without spending money.
How to collect COSON Nigeria music royalties and international earnings through collection societies
African artists routinely miss international royalties because they lack direct relationships with foreign collection societies. A single membership in your home CMO like COSON Nigeria unlocks collection across 120+ territories through reciprocal agreements.
Publishing Glossary Music Terms: Every Term Independent Artists Need to Know
Music publishing terminology is deliberately opaque, designed by an industry that profits from confusion. This glossary translates the language of royalties, rights, and revenue streams into plain terms independent artists can use to get paid correctly.
How Social Media Music Marketing Royalties Generate Income Artists Are Missing
TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook generate performance, mechanical, and sync licensing royalties that most independent artists never collect. Billions in social media music marketing royalties sit unclaimed with CMOs worldwide because creators don't register works correctly or understand which platforms trigger which rights.