Songs Copyright

As previously indicated, sound recording copyright differs slightly from music notation copyright. Unlike musical notes, which are written on a page, a sound recording is a physical object that mechanically reproduces or plays music. It is essential to note that films and audiovisual works do not come under the category of sound recordings. To put things in perspective, record publishers own the copyrights to sound recordings, whereas publishing companies own the rights to compositions. The publisher owns the composition because he generates income from using it in promotions and on other platforms.

Once a recording of the original musical performance has been made on a tape recorder or other digital medium, it is edited and the resulting copies are referred to as the master copy. Therefore, a person or business can purchase the rights to the master copy. Due to the prevalence of plagiarism in the music industry, sound recordings bear copyright notices on the inside. A letter P within a circle, followed by the year in which the recording was first published, and then the name of the individual or organization that owns the rights to the recording.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Once the owner of the music sheet’s copyright has sold the rights to a company or producer, any other individual or company may acquire the required license to record the composition. The move is intended to prevent music sheet proprietors from granting exclusive rights to a single company, thereby reducing the likelihood of monopoly in the music industry.