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Industry Knowledge
Distribution, rights, labels, independents — broken down in plain language so you can make smarter moves.
7 minute read
Got questions about the music industry? I've got answers. From understanding how distribution works, to knowing your rights, to decoding how labels and independents operate — I break it all down in plain language so you can make smarter moves.
The industry is several desks that do not talk to each other: the master, the composition, the live, the brand. Money leaks when you treat a distributor as your publisher, or a playlist as a label.
The map in one pass
Distributor (DistroKid, TuneCore, AWAL) ships the recording to DSPs and usually pays the master share of streams. It is not a PRO and not a publisher.
PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, PRS) pays when the song is performed. Register the works. Open a publisher account or use an admin so the publisher share has a home.
The MLC (US) pays mechanicals on streams. SoundExchange pays the recording on digital radio. Neighboring rights are a separate pipe abroad.
A label deal is a story about who owns the master and who recoups what. Default to keeping your copyrights unless the offer is doing real work you cannot.
Ask Apparition
Apply this to a release, a deal, or a catalog entry.
Apparition is counsel in the conversational sense — not your lawyer, manager, or accountant.