In the context of music, a solo performer or group of performers who perform a musical work live or recorded. creating and releasing Typically, the recorded performance of a musical work protected as a phonogram under copyright law. without a A company that invests in, manufactures, distributes, promotes, and monetizes sound recordings on behalf of the artist. involved are considered independent self-releasing artists.
If this applies to you, then you may own the The rights to the ownership of, and all other rights in, a sound recording. in the sound recordings and possibly all the ,—except, of course, if you collaborated with others and have negotiated Also sometimes referred to as shares, the portion of ownership a rights holder has or the portion of income they are entitled to. with them. Explore our page on Sound Recording Splits.
If you are recording a musical work written by someone else, an A creative contribution to a musical work that is sufficiently distinct from any pre-existing musical work or AKA cover version: a performance or new sound recording of a musical work that someone else originally performed, recorded, and released., it's important to understand the different The controls creators or rights holders have over what they have created or produced and over their identity and image. protected by National laws that protect creators' and other rights holders' moral and economic rights in musical works, performances, and sound recordings. and how they apply to An original musical composition with or without lyrics. and sound recordings, so visit our Music Creators’ Rights topic to learn more.
What you need to do if you self-release
If you are an independent, self-releasing artist, you are responsible for the The process of managing music-related rights and royalties on behalf of rights holders. of your sound recordings and the collection of your Money paid for the right to use a musical work, performance, or sound recording, typically, but not always, in the form of recurring payments. and other income. This means the responsibility to To submit information relating to musical works and sound recordings to an appropriate registration body, for example, copyright ownership information submitted to a Collective Management Organization or copyright office. your sound recordings with a An organization that acts collectively on behalf of the rights holders it represents and collects and pays remuneration to rights holders. and ensure you receive all the income owed rests with you.
It also means you take on all the actions a record label might carry out for their Anyone who contributes to creating or performing a musical work, a live performance, or a sound recording. to monetize the sound recordings.
This includes:
Supporting the recording process
Manufacturing and distributing both physical and digital formats to physical retailers and Digital Service Provider: an online platform that provides streaming or download services to consumers.
Registering new sound recordings with CMOs
The process of granting permission to use copyrighted material, such as a musical work or sound recording. sound recordings for a wide range of uses, including digital streaming, download sales, and in films, TV shows, and commercials
Promoting your sound recordings and doing your own marketing and career development
Self-releasing artists will need to work with a A company or service that delivers music to digital streaming platforms and physical retail stores. or A type of distributor that only distributes sound recordings to online stores and streaming platforms. to have their works appear on many streaming platforms. However, some DSPs allow individual users to upload their sound recordings directly.
For more information, see our Distributors page.
Image credit: Martin Fabricius Rasmussen