ONE SONG.
MANY MOVING PARTS.

01

THE SONG VS. THE RECORDING

A song has at least two important sides. The composition is the melody, lyrics and underlying musical work. The master is the actual recorded performance. They can have different owners, contracts and money routes.

02

THE LABEL

A record label works around the recording: release strategy, positioning, distribution, campaign, visuals, marketing and the route to an audience. A label does not automatically own or administer the composition.

03

MUSIC PUBLISHING

A publisher represents the composition. Publishing can involve copyright administration, registrations, royalty collection, sync opportunities and long-term exploitation of songs. For writers and producers, this side of the business matters far beyond one release.

04

DISTRIBUTION

Distribution delivers the master to services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and specialist stores. Distribution is a delivery and reporting function; it is not automatically the same as having a label strategy or campaign.

05

MONEY FLOWS

Streaming master income, publishing income, neighbouring rights, performance royalties, sync fees, booking fees and commercial artist income can all be separate. The same song can create several different payment routes.

06

LIVE & BOOKINGS

A booking fee pays for the performance. That is separate from rights income that may arise when music is performed or played publicly. Agencies, promoters, venues and festivals each have their own role in the live chain.

07

YOUR TEAM

A manager, booking agent, publisher, label, distributor, lawyer and plugger solve different problems. Add a partner because a clear task needs expertise or scale—not because having a large team sounds professional.