Right Information of Rights: What to know about copyrights in digital music distribution:

The last 2 decades have seen quite a digital revolution because of  the mass reign of online streaming and instantly downloadable songs.  Be that as it may, the most concerning thing is how copyright works here, or how far the law extended its safe place!

Since it’s important to know as humans about our fundamental rights, creatures like musicians,  labels, and distributors like ForeVision Digital must know-how their fundamentals. This blog will familiarise us with the intricacies of this unknown or rather misunderstood aspect of industry.

Understanding the Players:

First, let’s identify the key players involved:

• Songwriters and composers: According to Section 2(d)(i) and Section 2(d)(ii), the lyricist and the composer hold most initial rights of the song. The songwriter is author of the song and any input on the musicality of it will bring the composer to their right over the song.
• Music Producer : After receiving the main structure of the song, music producers get busy arranging the sound of the composed chords, notes or the overall composition. Now some scenarios may grant them the rights to the composition of the song.
• Recording artists: They are one of the main pillars to help the songwriters and composers to finish recording and  keep a graphical proof of the sound and vocal recorded.
• Music publishers: They represent songwriters and composers, administering their copyrights and licensing their works.
• Record labels: They typically own the copyright for the sound recording, signing artists and managing recording processes.
• Digital music distributors: They are the retailers of the music industry, also known as aggregators that correspond to the metadata of the music of any artist.

The Two Faces of Copyright:

In music, copyright covers two distinct aspects:

1. Composition Copyright: This specific set of law helps composers and songwriters hold their copyright of notes, melodies and their composition and thereafter,this licensing will generate mechanical royalties whenever their work is reproduced (e.g., downloaded or streamed).

2. Sound Recording Copyright: Sound recording copyright protects the recording of the performance of the song. The owner will have the privilege to make a legitimate move and sue any individual who might reproduce it unlawfully and can drop the ball to court for breaching the copyright.

The Digital Distribution Maze:

Now, let’s see how copyright plays out in digital music distribution:

• Streaming Services: These are the platforms that pay artists per stream, which is also known as the pro-rata model. ForeVision Digital takes extra care of the collected royalty from different platforms and distributes in a smooth and efficient royalty tracking process.
• Downloads: Platforms like Spotify, Gaana, Apple Music pay mechanical royalties for each download, distributed by ForeVision Digital based on licensing agreements.
• Synchronisation Licensing: Whenever your music will be used in films, TV shows, or advertisements, a separate synchronisation licences are required for both composition and sound recording. ForeVision Digital smoothen the process for artists with sync opportunities and handles licensing negotiations.

Important Considerations:

Navigating copyright in digital music distribution involves several key points:

• Clear Ownership: Ensures clear rights ownership with written agreements to follow between songwriters, artists, and labels ( in some cases)
• Multiple Rights Holders: Even if you are the parent of your music, there are multiple cases where both composition and sound recording rights should be acquired by the rightful holders.
• International Considerations: Sometimes some details and terrains of certain rights may differ country wise, so be wise and look out!
• Distributor Services: This one is one of the most important things to look after because a good distributor will take good care of you by offering transparent rights management, detailed royalty reporting, and expert guidance on copyright issues.

• ForeVision Digital: Your Copyright Ally:

ForeVision Digital understands the red and blue wire of music copyright and the challenges one might face while pursuing a career or even interests in music. We offer a versatile batch of services designed to protect your rights and maximise your earnings:

• Rights management: We ensure by several layers of quality check for accurate metadata and registration of your music, streamlining licensing and royalty collection.
• Transparency and reporting: We provide detailed royalty reports, keeping you in loop about your earnings, stream counts and lot more to explore.
• Licensing expertise: Our team navigates intricate licensing agreements and secures optimal deals for your music and its safety.
• Global reach: We distribute your music to a vast network of streaming platforms and retailers worldwide, helping you reach new audiences, new playlists, continentally.

Conclusion:

Knowing the technical aspects of music and the copyrights to ensure the safety of it nurtures the artists to understand music on a deeper level.

By partnering with an experienced distributor like ForeVision Digital, you can surf through waves of copyright and clinical challenges very smoothly and ensure your music, your hours of hard work are protected and compensated fairly in the digital age. So, be wise, be visionary. 

Contact ForeVision Digital today!