Rights Stack Deep Dive

Music rights aren't a single thing — they're a stack of distinct layers, each with its own owner, contract, and royalty stream. A single song can generate revenue from five or more separate rights simultaneously.

The master (or 'sound recording') is the specific audio file — the actual recorded performance.

• •Owned by whoever funded the recording — usually a label, but increasingly self-releasing artists
• •Controls how the recording can be licensed: sync (TV/film), digital download, streaming
• •Generates master royalties paid directly to the rights holder by DSPs

Publishing (or 'composition') rights cover the underlying song — the melody, lyrics, and chord structure. These exist independently of any recording.

• •Songwriters own publishing unless they've assigned it to a publisher
• •A song can have multiple songwriters, each with their own publishing share
• •Publishing generates two types of royalties: mechanical and performance

Mechanical rights cover the reproduction of a composition — originally from the mechanical process of pressing vinyl, now extended to digital.

• •Triggered every time a song is streamed or downloaded
• •Paid to the publisher/songwriter by the DSP (via the MLC in the US, or HFA)
• •Rate is often statutory (set by law) or negotiated via direct licensing

Performance rights cover the public broadcast of a song — radio, TV, streaming, live venues.

• •Collected by PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC in the US; PRS, SOCAN, APRA internationally)
• •Split between publisher and songwriter — typically 50/50 at the PRO level
• •Streaming generates both mechanical AND performance royalties from the same play

Additional Rights Layers

• •Neighboring rights: performance rights for the master recording (not the composition). Paid to performers and labels when recordings are broadcast. Strong in Europe, limited in the US.
• •Sync rights: licensing a composition AND master together for use in film, TV, ads, games. Requires clearance from both master and publishing sides. Sync deals are negotiated directly — no statutory rate applies.
• •Print rights: sheet music and lyrics reproduction. Less common in digital era but still relevant.

Every time a song plays, multiple rights layers activate simultaneously — each generating a separate royalty stream to a potentially different owner. When a conflict affects one layer, identify which layer before assuming it affects the others. A master dispute doesn't void a songwriter's performance royalties, and a publishing dispute doesn't affect master payments.