In the music industry, every song actually has two separate layers of copyright: master rights (the sound recording itself) and publishing rights (the lyrics and melody, i.e. the composition). These two rights can belong to different owners and generate different income streams.
What Are Master Rights?
Master rights refer to ownership of a specific recording (that particular studio performance). They typically belong to the producer, label, or the artist who financed the recording. Stream revenue from a song being played on Spotify primarily goes to the master rights holder.
What Are Publishing Rights?
Publishing rights belong to the song's lyrics and music, i.e. its composition. The songwriter, composer, and publisher (if any) hold these rights. Income generated from these rights includes performance royalties, mechanical royalties, and synchronization (sync) royalties.
| Feature | Master Rights | Publishing Rights |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | The sound recording itself | The lyrics and music (composition) |
| Typical owner | Artist / label / producer | Songwriter / composer / publisher |
| Identifying code | ISRC | ISWC |
| Type of income | Stream / sales revenue | Performance, mechanical, sync royalties |
Can an Artist Hold Both Rights at Once?
Yes. If an artist both wrote the song themselves and funded the recording with their own budget, they hold both the master and publishing rights. It's different for a cover song: the artist owns the master right to the new recording, but publishing rights for the original composition stay with the songwriter.
Why Does This Distinction Matter?
Distribution platforms generally only manage master rights (stream income). To collect publishing income (like performance royalties), you need to separately register with a performance rights organization (PRO).
SOOLY Music's Role
As part of its digital distribution service, SOOLY Music collects stream and download income arising from your master rights and passes it on to you. If you'd also like to collect your publishing income, we recommend completing membership with an organization like MESAM/MOKAS; these two income streams complement each other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I transferring my master rights to SOOLY Music? No, distribution service is not a rights transfer; SOOLY Music simply acts as an intermediary to deliver your recording to platforms and collect your income, while you retain your rights.