Compositions & Recordings
Entire books have been written on intellectual property for musicians. This book will not be one of them. What you need to grasp is: the global IP system is inherently complex, with each territory handling music rights differently. Some countries have robust collection systems; others barely enforce IP rights at all.
Given this complexity, your best strategy is to maintain meticulous records of your intellectual property, particularly which songs you've created, collaborated on, released and registered, and your specific contributions to each.
This documentation serves as your foundation for ensuring every composition you've touched is properly registered and generating the royalties you've earned. It will also make your life much easier when you decide to sign with a PRO, or license your music.
The music industry's IP framework is far from perfect, but with careful tracking, you can navigate it effectively enough to protect and monetise your creative work.
At a high level, your intellectual property as a musician breaks down into two categories:
Compositions (Publishing): The underlying musical work, melodies, chord progressions, lyrics etc. typically owned by songwriters and publishers.
Sound Recordings (Masters): The specific recorded version and sound file of a composition, typically owned by recording artists and labels.
Example 1: The Co-Songwriter
You help a singer write lyrics and melody for "Midnight Dreams" but don't perform on it.
Rights Breakdown:
- Composition (Publishing): You own 50%, singer owns 50%
- Sound Recording (Master): Singer owns 100% (or their label)
Payment Flows:
- Spotify streams: For every $1 in royalties, about $0.85 goes to master owners (singer/label) and $0.15 to publishing owners (split between you and singer)
- PRO payments: When the song plays on radio, TV, or venues, your PRO (ASCAP/BMI/SESAC) collects your 50% share of composition royalties directly
Example 2: The Producer-Writer
You record and produce a track, co-write the melody, but the artist/singer performs and writes all lyrics.
Rights Breakdown:
- Composition (Publishing): You own 25% (melody contribution), artist owns 75%
- Sound Recording (Master): You own 60% (producer points), artist/singer owns 40%
Payment Flows:
- Spotify streams: From $1 in royalties, $0.85 goes to master owners (you get 60% of this = $0.51, artist gets 40% = $0.34) and $0.15 goes to publishing owners (you get 25% of this = $0.0375, artist gets 75% = $0.1125)
- PRO payments: Your PRO collects your 25% of performance royalties whenever the song plays on radio/TV
Example 3: The Sample Clearance
You sample another artist's recording in your new track.
Rights Breakdown:
- Original Composition: Original songwriter retains 30% of your new song
- Original Sound Recording: Original master owner gets 20% of your new master
- Your New Work: You own 70% of composition, 80% of master
Payment Flows:
- Spotify streams: Master royalties split 80/20 between you and sampled artist; publishing royalties split 70/30
- PRO payments: 30% of performance royalties go to original songwriter's PRO
What emerges from these examples is the profound variability in how master and publishing rights are allocated. All decisions that hinge on specific contributions, negotiations between parties, and often the relative leverage each participant brings to the project.
Many collaborations default to even splits regardless of actual contribution levels, prioritising relationship preservation over mathematical accuracy. Conversely, I know producers who maintain meticulous documentation of every modification they make, tracking each drum hit programmed, every vocal comp decision, each mix adjustment, then they calculate splits accordingly.
The key insight: these percentages are negotiated, not predetermined. Understanding both the creative and business dimensions of each contribution provides the foundation for securing fair compensation in an industry where the mathematics of ownership determine decades of financial outcomes.
Beyond revenue, organised intellectual property management gives you leverage in negotiations with publishers, distributors and managers as you set a high standard for yourself and your work.
Action Items:
- Log every song you’ve released or collaborated on:
- On your Catalog Dashboard, click the "New Work" button. A new page will open automatically. Note that Catalog should not be used for demos or unfinished tracks.
- Include the song title in the "Name" property.
- Create and link lyric sheets for each song.
- Specify the status of each song (e.g., "In Progress," "Released").
- List all contributing artists in the "Artists" property.
- Categorize the song by "Type" (e.g., "Album," "Single," "EP").
- Add the release date
- Specify the duration.
- Note if the song contains samples
- Record the BPM and Key
- Include any download links
- Art release artwork
- Add track registration data:
- For each song, track its registration with Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP or BMI.
- Link to publisher.
- Record Writer/Arranger.
- Detail Writing Splits.
- Detail Master Splits.
- Credit all contributors.
- Monitor Royalty Income:
- For each song, track royalty income in the Finances dashboard. Include income from:
- Streams (Payments from your distributor)
- Performance Royalties (Payments from your PRO)
- Mechanical Royalties
- Downloads
- Sync deals
