When a song is made, there are two main types of rights:

  1. Publishing Rights – Rights to the lyrics and melody (the songwriting & composition).
  2. Master Rights – Rights to the actual sound recording of the song.

Master rights belong to whoever owns the recording — usually a record label, a producer, or sometimes the artist themselves (if they pay for and control the recording).

Think of it like this:

  • Publishing Rights = The recipe for a dish.
  • Master Rights = The actual cooked dish served on a plate.
    Many chefs can cook the same recipe, but the publishing rights always belong to the person who created the recipe, while the master rights belong to the person who made and served that specific dish.

If someone records a cover of your song, they can own the master of their recording, but you still own the publishing rights if you wrote it.

Why Are Master Rights Important?

Master rights decide who gets paid when your actual recorded version of a song is:

  • Streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, etc.
  • Played on radio or TV channels
  • Used in films, ads, or brand campaigns
  • Sold as CDs, vinyl, or downloads

Whoever owns the master controls how that specific recording can be used.

Example 1:

“Kesariya” from Brahmāstra

  • Master Rights Owner: Sony Music India (owns the sound recording)
  • Publishing Rights Owners: Pritam (composer) & Amitabh Bhattacharya (lyricist)

If “Kesariya” is used in an advertisement:

  • Sony Music India earns master royalties (because they own the recording).
  • Pritam & Amitabh Bhattacharya earn publishing royalties (because they wrote the song).

Example 2:

“Brown Munde” by AP Dhillon, Gurinder Gill, Shinda Kahlon

  • Master Rights Owner: Run-Up Records (label owned by the artists themselves)
  • Publishing Rights Owners: AP Dhillon, Gurinder Gill, Shinda Kahlon (writers & composers)

When it streams on Spotify or plays in a Netflix show:

  • Run-Up Records gets master royalties.
  • The songwriters share publishing royalties.

How Master Royalties Are Split (with Percentages)

Let’s say a song earns ₹1,00,000 from master royalties (streaming, licensing of the recording).

If the artist owns their masters directly:

  • Artist (owns 100%) → ₹1,00,000

If a label owns the masters and the artist has a deal:

  • Label – 70% → ₹70,000
  • Artist – 30% → ₹30,000

If there are multiple artists who jointly own the masters (e.g., a group):

  • Artist 1 – 33% → ₹33,000
  • Artist 2 – 33% → ₹33,000
  • Artist 3 – 34% → ₹34,000

Summary:

  • Master rights = Rights to the actual recording of a song.
  • Usually owned by record labels, but can be owned by artists if they finance and control the recording.
  • Whoever owns the master decides how the recording can be used and earns from its usage.
  • Master royalties are separate from publishing royalties — both can earn money at the same time for different rights.