01
Separate the composition from the recording
U.S. copyright law treats the underlying musical work and the sound recording as distinct works. Ownership and licensing can therefore be different on each side.
Foundation Guide
Protect the Song Before the Release
Document splits, credits, ownership, producer terms, identifiers, and registrations before release-day pressure takes over.
Choose Your Lens
Why this matters
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A single song can involve separate copyrights, multiple writers, producers, performers, publishers, and a recording owner. The credits and registrations behind the track help determine who can approve uses and who gets paid.
01
Understand
Start with what the concept means and why it shows up.
02
Work It Through
Move through the practical decisions, tradeoffs, and moving parts.
03
Ask Better Questions
Use the prompts to catch assumptions before they become expensive.
04
Take It With You
Finish with a checklist you can use outside the page.
02
Agree on songwriting splits
Before release, confirm who wrote the and the agreed ownership percentages. A signed split document provides a shared record and reduces later ambiguity.
03
Document producer and recording terms
Confirm whether a producer, studio, musician, or collaborator is being paid a fee, , ownership interest, points, or some combination. Do not assume everyone has the same understanding because the session felt informal.
04
Capture identifiers and metadata
Store final title, version, artist names, writers, producers, label/owner, , , release date, and contact information in one source of truth. Metadata errors can impair matching, credits, royalty administration, and catalog management.
05
Register the rights that apply
Copyright registration, registrations, MLC data, SoundExchange repertoire, and other registrations are different processes serving different rights and revenue streams. Build a release checklist rather than assuming one registration covers everything.