BIG BAER Music Industry Glossary
Glossary of Music Industry Terms
Common language, phrases, and terms used in the music industry
The music business is full of specialized lanquage, terms, phrases and accronyms. Some music industry terms are well known, while others are often misunderstood. If you want a job in the music industry or you are an artist seeking a contract or representation, then you better know the language of the music industry!
- Blanket License
- A license issued by a performing rights society that authorizes the public performance of all the songs in the society’s catalog.
- Business Manager
- A representative who helps the musician with financial planning, investment decisions, tax matters, monitoring of income from contracts, estate planning and other financial matters.
- Compulsory Mechanical License
- An exception to the copyright holder's exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution that allows anyone to record and distribute any commercially-released, non-dramatic song as long as the mechanical license rates established by copyright law are paid to the copyright owner of the song.
- Copyright
- A bundle of exclusive rights granted by law to the creator of an original literary, artistic, or other intellectual work - including songs and sound recordings.
- Derivative Work
- new work based on or derived from one or more pre-existing works.
- Exclusive Rights
- For purposes of copyright law, the privileges that only a copyright owner has with respect to the copyrighted work.
- Exploit
- For purposes of music publishing, to seek sources of revenue for a song.
- Fixed in a Tangible Medium of Expression
- A term coined by the Copyright Act meaning that an original literary, artistic or intellectual work has a valid copyright as soon as it is written down or recorded in a manner sufficiently permanent or stable to permit it to be perceived, reproduced or communicated for a period of more than transitory duration.
- Harry Fox Agency
- A company that represents music publishers in the negotiation of mechanical licenses, synchronization licenses and foreign licenses, and the collection of music royalty income.
- Mechanical License
- Authorization from a music publisher or song writer to record and distribute a song on phono records. Compare to compulsory mechanical license.
- Music Publishing
- The commercial exploitation of songs through the issuance of mechanical licenses, synchronization licenses, performing rights licenses, print licenses as well as other licenses authorizing various uses of the songs.
- Musical Work
- A melody and any accompanying lyrics; more commonly referred to as a musical composition or a song.
- Performing Rights License
- Authorization for the public performance of a song frequently granted by a performing rights society through a blanket license.
- Performing Rights Society
- The associations or companies that issue performing rights licenses, track public performances, collect performing license revenues and distribute those revenues to song writers and music publishers. The performing rights societies in the United States are ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
- Personal Manager
- A representative who assists the musician in the development and management of his music and entertainment career.
- Phono record
- Any material object onto which sounds, other than those on a soundtrack of an audio-visual work, can be recorded including an audiocassette, a CD, or a vinyl disc.
- Print License
- Authorization from a music publisher or song writer to reproduce and distribute a song in printed form.
- Sound Recording
- The recorded performance of a song onto a phono record.
- Sound Recording Copyright Symbol ℗
- The sound recording copyright symbol is represented by the letter "P" enclosed in a circle. The copyright notice of sound recordings should include the three following elements: the sound recording copyright symbol, the year of first publication of the sound recording, and the name of the owner of copyright in the sound recording, or an abbreviation by which the name can be recognized. A generally known alternative designation of the owner may also be used (artist alias, performing name, etc). If the producer of the sound recording is named on the media labels or containers, and if no other name appears in conjunction with the notice, the producer's name shall be considered a part of the notice. See Character Entity Html Reference for html unicode character codes.
- Sub-Publisher
- A foreign agent retained by the original music publisher of a song to exploit the song in the foreign agent’s geographic territory.
- Synchronization License
- Authorization granted by a music publisher, or song writer to use a song with visual images (as in a motion picture or television program).
- Talent Agent
- A representative who arranges live performances and other employment opportunities for a musician. Also referred to as a booking agent.
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