Once this is understood, the next thing to consider is the fact that in music publishing, every recorded piece of music has two separate copyrights (which are not always owned or exploited by the same persons or parties):
The composition itself: A song’s music and lyrics, apart from any particular recording of that composition. This copyright is owned by the songwriter and/or publisher.
The sound recording: A particular recorded version of a musical composition. This copyright is owned by the recording artist and/or label.
Notice, the use of the terms “Songwriter”, “Publisher”, “Recording Artist” and “Label” are used distinctively to describe different people in the music publishing cycle.
Before we talk about how royalties are paid out and how to collect them, let us define the different types of royalties that exist.
