Composition

In-Depth Explanation

What is a Composition?

In the music industry, a Composition (often legally referred to as the "Musical Work") is the intellectual property consisting of the lyrics and the musical melody. It is the song itself, existing independently of any specific audio recording of it.

If you write down the lyrics to a new song on a piece of paper and hum the melody, you have created a Composition. You own the copyright to that Composition the moment it is Fixed in a Tangible Medium.

Composition vs. Master Recording

This is the most critical distinction to understand in music copyright law: Every piece of recorded music you hear on Spotify actually contains two entirely separate copyrights.

1. The Composition (The Song): Owned by the songwriters and their Publisher.
2. The Master Recording (The Audio): Owned by the performing artist and their Record Label.

An Example: "All Along the Watchtower"

• Bob Dylan wrote the lyrics and the melody. He owns the Composition.
• Jimi Hendrix went into a studio and recorded his famous version of the song. His record label paid for the studio time, so his label owns the Master Recording of that specific performance.
• When Jimi Hendrix's version is played on the radio, the radio station must pay a performance royalty to Bob Dylan (the Composition owner) and they must have a license to broadcast Jimi's specific Master Recording.

Who Owns the Composition?

By default, the people who wrote the song own it equally.

If three people sit in a room and write a song together, they must sign a Split Sheet to legally determine what percentage of the Composition each person owns.

If they sign a publishing deal, they often transfer a percentage of their ownership (usually 50%) to the music publisher in exchange for the publisher's services in pitching the song and collecting the royalties. The copyright ownership of a Composition is known as the Publishing Rights.

How a Composition Generates Money

Owning the Composition entitles the songwriter and publisher to several distinct revenue streams whenever the song is exploited commercially:

1. Performance Royalties: Generated whenever the composition is played in public (radio, TV, live concerts, streaming). Collected by a PRO.
2. Mechanical Royalties: Generated whenever the composition is reproduced (vinyl, CDs, interactive streaming). Collected by a mechanical society like The MLC.
3. Sync Licenses: A massive upfront fee negotiated when a film or TV show wants to synchronize the composition with visual media.
4. Print Royalties: Generated from the sale of sheet music or lyric reprints.

If you are an independent artist who writes and records your own music, you own 100% of both the Composition and the Master Recording. However, to collect all the money generated by the Composition side, you must register with a PRO and a Publishing Administration service.