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1. The Dual Copyright: Master Recording vs. Composition

Part 1 • Two Distinct Royalties Generated by Every Stream (The Gap)

At the heart of the royalty gap is the concept of dual copyright. When a song is created and recorded, two separate copyrights are generated:

<ul> <li><strong>The Master Recording Copyright:</strong> This protects the specific *sound recording* of the song. This is the version you hear on Spotify, YouTube, or the radio. The owner of the master recording is typically the artist or the record label.</li> <li><strong>The Composition Copyright:</strong> This protects the underlying *musical work* itself—the melody, harmony, lyrics, and rhythm. The owner of the composition is typically the songwriter(s) and their publisher.</li> </ul> Because these are distinct intellectual properties, they generate distinct revenue streams, even from a single stream.

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In this module: Two Distinct Royalties Generated by Every Stream (The Gap)10 steps
  1. 1The Dual Copyright: Master Recording vs. Composition
  2. 2Royalty Type 1: The Master Recording Royalty
  3. 3Royalty Type 2: The Publishing Royalty (The Gap)
  4. 4Why DistroKid (and Similar) Don't Collect Publishing Royalties
  5. 5The Financial Impact of the Royalty Gap
  6. 6Who Pays What: A Simplified View
  7. 7The Analogy: A Two-Part Check
  8. 8The Role of PROs and Publishing Administrators
  9. 9The Importance of Songwriter Registration
  10. 10Your Actionable Royalty Gap Strategy