Sound recordings have two separate copyrights: copyrights and phonographic rights.
- Copyright refers to the original musical composition and lyrics—the notes and words. They generally belong to the songwriter/composer, with permissions given to the label and artist. The copyright symbol is © (circle C) and applies to other sorts of art as well.
- Phonographic rights are a separate copyright for the specific sound recording/version of a work, often called the master rights, and usually belong to the artist, producer, or record label that created the recording. The phonographic copyright symbol is ℗ (circle P) can also be referred to as the sound recording, phonorecords or phonogram copyright symbol, and is unique to recorded sound.
Record labels distributing music must have secured a licensing agreement for distribution rights from the owners. Think of this as the rights holders granting permission for a period of time (like a loan) to commercialize a work, rather than ceding ownership, per se. Labelcaster’s system ensures that all releases have digital distribution licenses and details how the royalties will be split. Labels can upload their own agreement or use our built-in template. All participants must e-sign the agreement before releases can be distributed to DSPs.
We autofill the label name for both copyright and phonographic rights with the current release date when setting up a release. However, you can enter your own custom copyright info into these fields when creating a release.