Music Royalty Management

The truth nobody tells indie artists: catalogues aren’t just about how good the music is. They’re about how clean, structured, and monetisable the rights are. Investors don’t buy vibes, they buy cashflow and if your catalogue isn’t set up to generate income consistently, it’s not ready to work for you yet. There are five things every serious investor, publisher, or acquirer looks for: First, rights clarity. Who owns what? Is it registered with a PRO? Are the splits documented and signed? Second, metadata hygiene. Do the songs have correct ISRCs, ISWCs, and IPIs? Are they tagged, searchable, and trackable? Third, earnings history. Is the catalog generating revenue? From where? Streaming, sync, or publishing? Fourth, sync potential. Has it been licensed before? Does it have instrumental versions? Is it cleared for one-stop licensing? And fifth, deal-readiness. Are your contracts centralised and digitised? Can a buyer complete due diligence in a week instead of a month? Most artists fail at three out of five, and that is where the problem starts. Metadata, in particular, is the invisible backbone of your catalog. The Verge once called it “the biggest little problem plaguing the music industry,” estimating that billions in royalties go unclaimed every year because songs aren’t properly tagged or credited. Every ISRC, IPI, and songwriter detail is how performance rights organisations like IPRS identify and pay you. If your metadata is missing or incorrect, your song might still play everywhere, but the royalties could be going anywhere. Messy splits lead to royalty disputes. Missing metadata means lost income. No sync prep means no high-margin placements. No earnings track record means no valuation benchmark. You can’t raise capital, sell equity, or pitch your catalog if you don’t even know what you own, or worse, if you co-own something you can’t monetise. This isn’t about being perfect, it’s about being prepared. If you’re serious about turning your music into long-term value, get your house in order. Build a clean catalogue, and it becomes a business. Keep it messy, and it stays a hobby. Streams are great, but splits, syncs, and structure are what make a catalogue valuable. The next wave of music wealth isn’t going to the loudest, it’s going to the most organised. #musicbusiness #musicindustry #metadata #rights #tips #fairplay

A music producer can have several key rights depending on the type of agreement and contribution. These rights are usually negotiated and secured through contracts like producer agreements, split sheets, recording contracts, or publishing deals. • Copyright Ownership 📜: By default, a producer owns copyright in the beats, instrumentals, or sound recordings they create unless they sign it away. • Royalties from Masters 💽: If you produce a track that gets commercially released, you may be entitled to a percentage of master royalties. Typical ranges: 2% – 5% of net receipts from the sound recording. • Publishing Rights ✍🏽: If you contribute to the composition e.g., melody, lyrics, hooks, chords you’re entitled to publishing income. • Producer Points (“Backend”) 🎚️: This is the industry standard term for percentage based royalties. Example: If a producer gets 3 points on a song and the track generates $100,000 in master revenue, they get $3,000. • Advance Payments 💵: Producers often negotiate an upfront payment for their work, which can be: • Non-recoupable: You keep it no matter what. • Recoupable: Deducted from your future royalties. • Moral Rights 🌍: In some countries (e.g., EU, Nigeria partially), producers may also have moral rights: • Right to be credited properly. • Right to object if the work is distorted or misused. • Credit Rights 🖊️: Producers should always negotiate production credits: • “Produced by [Your Name]” on DSPs, liner notes, and metadata. • Failure to credit properly can be a breach of contract. • Sync Licensing Participation 🎥: When a song you produced gets licensed for: Movies, TV series, Commercials, Video games…you should negotiate a share of the sync fee if you co-own the master or composition. Share this to Any producer you know to help protect them and expose them to the rights they own. __________________ My name is Orlando Michael. I am an Entertainment Lawyer and I protect the interest of creatives and Investors.

How Netflix, HBO, and Prime Are Changing the Music Industry, for Real. BUT, Can a song featured in a film or series generate income? Yes, and sometimes more than once. But only if your rights are properly managed and metadata is solid. Here’s what it takes: A) You must own or control part of the rights B) Your work must include all key metadata (ISRC, IPI, etc.) C) You must have sync licenses and be registered with a PRO or CMO >>> What revenue streams are involved? 1. Sync fee – One-time negotiated payment with studios 2. Performance royalties – From public airing of the film/show 3. Mechanical royalties – If the content is downloaded or sold 4. Streaming royalties – If the film/series is watched online >>> But how do songs get into a film or series? There are three main paths: 1. Custom-made score or commissioned music A music supervisor sends a creative and technical brief. A composer writes to the scene’s emotion and timing. 2. Music libraries or indie catalogs Platforms like Artlist, Epidemic Sound or even indie distributors allow licensed tracks to be used directly — especially when metadata is solid. 3. Curated by music supervisors or editors These professionals hunt for that perfect emotional match. Keeping your data updated with PROs and distributors increases your chances. >>> Why this matters (and why now): - In today’s streaming world, sync is not just exposure — it’s business - According to Deloitte 2024, 82% of Gen Z discovers music through UGC and video platforms - Only 23% of people find new music through streaming recommendations - Spanish and Latin American series on Netflix and Prime are helping revive indie catalogs >>> Real-life examples: - Stranger Things sent “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush back to the charts — 37 years later. - Euphoria made alternative tracks mainstream overnight. - Latin and Spanish-language series from Netflix and Prime helped revive indie artist catalogs with global impact. **** Sync is not just visibility. It’s revenue. But to make it work, your author rights and technical setup must be flawless. > Ana Tijoux – “1977” - Her song was featured in Breaking Bad, boosting global streams and awareness. - Originally a niche Latin hip-hop track, it reached audiences worldwide thanks to perfect sync placement. - The exposure led to tour opportunities, playlist additions, and licensing deals — all from a single TV scene. >>> If you’re an artist, composer, or music manager — sync licensing might be your most overlooked revenue stream. Ask yourself: D) Is your music properly registered? E) Are you visible in sync-ready platforms and libraries? F) Do you treat your song like an audiovisual product? In today’s entertainment ecosystem, understanding sync = understanding strategy. Let’s talk about that. #musicsync # #artistdevelopment #audiovisualstrategy #musicformedia #digitaldistribution #songwritercommunity #musiccreators

Music Licensing Doesn't Start When A Song Drops, But Starts Since Its Creation. Most people think music licensing begins at release but that's not the case. Legally, a song is a layered asset where rights accumulate at every stage and missing out even one can make everything go downstream. Here's the actual legal timeline: 1. CREATION STAGE: Ownership must be decided before anything else through split sheets, documenting ownership percentage of the composition. Copyright vests automatically, but without written agreements, equal shares are presumed and one unsigned writer can block everything later. Copyright registation may also come handy. 2. RECORDING STAGE: A separate copyright is created in the sound recording (master), distinct from the composition. Master ownership: Artist? Label? Producer? Production agreements must specify ownership, royalty points, and sample clearance responsibilities. 3. ARTIST/PRODUCER AGREEMENTS Who gets paid? Who retains what rights? Specify: mechanical royalties, performance royalties, sync approval/revenue, derivative work rights. Informal setups can result in expensive litigation suits. 4. SYNCHRONIZATION: Using music in films, ads, reels? Better to obtain permission from both composition owner and master owner. Also specify: territory, term, media type, exclusivity. Clearance can be time consuming, plan early. 5. DISTRIBUTION: Uploading requires proper rights, otherwise monetization gets blocked. Obtain mechanical licenses (if making covers), master ownership proof, sample clearances, accurate metadata. 6. PUBLIC PERFORMANCE: For playing music at events/venues requires licenses, venue owners need blanket licenses from PROs (IPRS in India, ASCAP/BMI in US). 7. POST-RELEASE: Register with societies like IPRS/PPL India for performance royalties. MLC (US)/MCPS (UK) for mechanical royalties COMMON LEGAL TRAPS: - "We'll figure out splits later" - Unsigned split sheets - Clearing samples after release - Assuming work-for-hire without documentation - Signing away synchronisation rights Takeaway: Music isn't a finished product, it's a multilayered legal asset where rights build at every stage. Unclear foundation can make everything risky afterwards, so get the structure right from the very beginning. What are your thoughts on this?

🤓💡 I first encountered Music Recognition Technology (MRT) while working at ByteDance, where the team built a tool to recognise music genres for tagging. At Keakie, we implemented MRT through ACRCloud in our sequencing tool to create setlists of mixes. Most recently, I heard Yuri Dokter and Silvia Montello talk about this tech at the Night Time Industries Association conference. It is one of my favourite techs for numerous reasons! 🎵 MRT is used to identify, track, and monetise music plays across various platforms. Entities utilise MRT, specifically through techniques such as audio fingerprinting that creates a unique digital signature for each piece of audio, allowing for precise matching against a database of known tracks. Here are some products that use MRT to provide services and companies that use it to benefit creators: 📌 Shazam is one of the most popular music recognition apps. It uses a vast database of music to find matches for snippets of audio captured by the user’s device. 📌 Audoo is a technology company that offers an audio meter designed to accurately track music played in commercial venues like shops, bars, and restaurants. The device listens, matches and accurately reports usage back to PROs. 📌 ACRCloud offers music recognition services that detect, identify, and monitor music and audio for various applications, including broadcasting monitoring and content recognition for user-generated content platforms. 📌 DJ Monitor specialises in music recognition and rights monitoring for electronic music. They use MRT to identify tracks played in clubs, festivals, and online DJ sets, ensuring that electronic music producers receive royalties for their played music. 📌 PRS for Music uses MRT to track music across different media and ensure fair compensation for creators. They’ve partnered with DJ Monitor to extend the use of MRT to nightclubs and festivals by installing MRT monitoring boxes. To benefit from this, artists are encouraged to upload their audio files and associated metadata to DJ Monitor. 📌 Pex uses advanced MRT and audio fingerprinting to help manage audio and video content across the internet for creators, rights holders, and platforms. Their products and services include content identification, rights management, attribution, and data analytics. 📌 Deezer SongCatcher is a feature within the Deezer music streaming service that allows users to identify songs playing around them. It uses MRT to match the audio fingerprint of the music being played to its database, helping users discover new music and artists. It’s highly recommended that artists utilise these platforms and technologies to increase the visibility of their music, receive fair compensation, and make informed decisions about their careers with available data 🎶💫 #musictechnology #productinnovation #musicindustry

Over the last year of working closely with and learning more about music rights, I’ve come to a realisation that there is a lack of education about this matter. A lot of the artists and their teams aren’t aware of the difference between Master Rights and Publishing Rights, yet alone splitting or registering them correctly. In my next series of posts and this one, I intend to change this with the ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘮’. This knowledge shouldn’t be gate-kept in any way and with the world moving towards independent music, monetising these rights correctly as well as owning every aspect of what you are entitled to is crucial for an artist, especially a songwriter. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴? Master rights refer to the ownership of the original recording of a song or piece. This is the definitive version of a track, the one from which all subsequent derivative versions are made from. Holding the master rights means having control over the reproduction, distribution, and commercial use as well as exploitation of that master recording. Typically, these rights are owned by the record label that financed the recording session or now with the prominence of independent music, by the artist themselves. Revenue generated from streaming platforms, downloads, and physical sales of the music directly pertains to the master rights. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴? Publishing rights, on the other hand, pertain to the composition of the song itself—the melody, lyrics, and musical arrangement. These rights are usually held by the songwriter or composer and their publisher. Publishing rights allow the holder to earn money from various uses of the composition, including radio play, live performances, streaming, and cover or alternate versions by other artists. This means whenever the composition is used, the copyright holders are entitled to royalties as well as credits irrespective of the artist performing it. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 The key difference between master and publishing rights lies in what aspect of the song they cover. Master rights focus on the recording, while publishing rights concern the composition. An easy way to differentiate is to think of the master as the “performance” of the song, recorded onto a medium, and the publishing as the “idea” or “intellectual property” of the song. For example, if another artist covers a song, they would need permission from the publishing rights holders for the composition and lyrics but would create their own master recording to obtain the master rights for their version. Similarly, when a song is streamed online, the platform pays royalties for both the master (to the record label or independent artist who owns the recording) and the publishing (to the songwriters and their publishers). #1 #TheBareMinimum

A. If you’re an artist, songwriter, or producer in today’s music industry, one truth should never be ignored: you don’t make real money from the music you create — you make it from the rights you own. And at the center of that truth lies music publishing — the most misunderstood but most powerful part of the music business. B. At its core, music publishing is the business of managing, protecting, and monetizing compositions — the underlying songs themselves. A “composition” is not the recording you hear on Spotify or Apple Music. It’s the idea of the song — the melody, lyrics, and arrangement — that can exist in many versions, covers, and recordings. When you write a song, you own copyright in that composition. That copyright automatically gives you two things: (i)Control – the legal right to decide how, when, and where your song is used. (ii)Income – the right to receive royalties whenever your song is performed, streamed, sold, or synchronized. C. Every time your song is used, someone owes you a royalty. Here are the main ways that happens: (i)Performance Royalties – earned when your song is played publicly (radio, live shows, TV, streaming, etc.). (ii)Mechanical Royalties – earned when your song is reproduced or streamed on digital platforms. (iii)Sync Royalties – earned when your song is used in movies, commercials, or video games. (iv)Print Rights – earned when your lyrics or compositions are printed or published physically. The job of a publisher (or publishing administrator) is to make sure you get every one of those royalties — from every corner of the world. D. When you release a song, there are two copyrights: The Master Recording – owned by the artist or label. The Composition (Publishing) – owned by the songwriter(s) and publisher(s). Most artists chase the master — because it’s fast money. But the publishing side is where long-term wealth is built. Publishing royalties keep coming in years after a song stops charting. That’s why legendary writers still receive cheques decades later. E. Why This Matters for African Creatives Across Africa, publishing is still misunderstood and undervalued. Many artists: (i)Sign label deals without negotiating their publishing rights, (ii)Fail to register songs with CMOs like PRS, COSON, SAMRO, or BMI, (iii)Ignore metadata and split sheets until disputes arise. The result? Millions of dollars in royalties are left uncollected or misdirected globally — while African songs dominate streaming charts. F. What Every Artist Should Do Today (i)Know your splits: Always agree on who owns what percentage of the composition before release. (ii)Register your songs: Join a performing rights organization (PRO) and a publishing administrator. (iii)Keep your data clean: Metadata errors cause royalty losses. Get your song titles, ISWCs, and IPIs right. (iv)Work with professionals. A publisher or adminstrator like Uptique Music ensures your songs are tracked and paid for globally.

I always find it interesting when there is so much money left on the table. The other night, I pulled the IPI numbers and PRO affiliations for hundreds of writers and I was surprised by what I uncovered: •Writers not affiliated with any PRO, marked as IPI #0 and “NS” (No Society). •Publishers registered for songs, but not the writers, leaving the writer’s share in limbo. •Songwriters missing entirely from systems like Songview, their royalties likely unclaimed. This isn’t just a technical issue—it’s millions in royalties stuck in limbo, waiting to be collected or reallocated. When metadata is incomplete or inaccurate: ✅ Royalties go unclaimed: Writer shares sit in black box funds or remain unpaid. ✅ Rights go untapped: Unregistered songwriters may not even know their royalties exist. ✅ Opportunities are missed: Acquirers and managers leave value on the table by ignoring these gaps. Clean metadata isn’t just admin—it’s the foundation of the entire music royalty ecosystem. It ensures: 🎯 Writers and publishers get paid. 💸 Every dollar flows to its rightful owner. 🔎 Ownership and value are transparent and protected. So who can do what from here? 1️⃣ Acquirers: Unregistered writers present an untapped market for rights acquisitions. Identifying and resolving these gaps can unlock hidden value. 2️⃣ Catalog Managers: Metadata clean-up isn’t optional—it’s a direct way to boost catalog valuations and ensure every royalty is captured. 3️⃣ The Industry: Better systems, more education, and cleaner data are critical to ensuring the music ecosystem works for everyone. Who else is tackling these challenges? Are you a metadata expert or working on catalog acquisitions? Drop a note in the comments and share your insights or questions. #MusicRoyalties #Metadata #MusicBusiness #CatalogManagement #MusicIndustry #Songwriters #RoyaltyManagement #PROs #UnclaimedRoyalties

Most people think getting paid is automatic once the song is out. It’s not. You can build a real Spotify audience and still collect $0 in music publishing royalties if your songs aren’t registered properly and your royalty collection systems aren’t set up. There’s no alert. Just silent leakage, especially once your listeners go global and international royalties enter the picture. That’s why I brought Jacob Paul (Kobalt and KOSIGN) onto The Manager’s Playbook. What I appreciate about Jacob is how clearly he teaches: no jargon, no fluff. Just practical music business clarity around master vs publishing, performance royalties, mechanical royalties, the “black box” problem, and why “I’m registered” is often the beginning, not the end. If you’re an artist, manager, or aspiring music exec building a serious operation, this episode is about one thing: turning momentum into a business that actually pays. I encourage you to join the conversation: https://lnkd.in/gkKPwfUf

A common issue I see with many of our clients at Hart & Songs is whether they’re correctly collecting their mechanical royalties or if songs are missing from their catalog. One tool I love is The Mechanical Licensing Collective’s Public Search database, which I use to cross-reference my clients' catalogs—even when they’re signed with a publisher or publishing administrator. It’s crucial to regularly verify registrations because I often find gaps where something fell through and recent songs aren’t being collected. LINK ---> https://lnkd.in/g58WKxnh Simply assuming that your publisher or publishing administrator handles everything isn’t enough. Regularly checking with your PRO and other collection organizations can help you keep track of any missing registrations and ensure you’re collecting everything you’re owed. #MusicPublishing #RightsManagement #Publishing #Music #MusicManagement #Catalog #Royalties #MLC