Master vs Publishing Royalties: Differences and Revenue Flow

The music industry has two separate copyright types with completely independent revenue streams.

Master Copyright (Recording Rights)

Master copyright belongs to the sound recording itself. Typically owned by the artist, producer, or record label.

• Most streaming revenue falls under master copyright
• Digital download revenue is distributed as master royalties
• Sync licenses (film, ads, TV) require both master + publishing

Publishing Copyright (Composition Rights)

Publishing copyright belongs to the song's lyrics and melody. Owned by the songwriter and composer.

• Performance royalties (radio, TV, venues)
• Mechanical royalties (physical sales, portion of streaming)
• Publishing portion of sync licenses

Royalty Management with SOOLY Music

SOOLY Music passes 100% of your master royalties to you. You can set automatic splits with collaborators and withdraw in multiple currencies. For publishing royalties, register separately with your PRO (e.g. MESAM).