Managing Your Music Masters

The Pen Point Project
May 27
2 min read

So, you've heard about masters, but now what?

If you’re not exactly sure about what they are, how to protect them, or how to make them actually work for you, you’re not alone! Many independent artists hear about masters in interviews or documentaries, but it's sometimes helpful when music professionals can you help you break down what they actually mean for you and your music career.

In a nutshell, your masters are one of the most valuable assets you’ll ever create as an artist–and you already own them, until you decide to sign/sell them away.

The Two Master Permissions You Need to Know About

Every final version of your song has two rights attached to it:

Reproduction Rights: Who has the right to copy and distribute the sound recording.
Public Performance Rights: Who authorizes the song to be streamed, played publicly, or synced with visual media.

It's a good idea to educate yourself on your rights to avoid missing out on thousands in royalties or letting someone else make major decisions about your music.

So, What Does It Mean to "Manage" Your Masters?

Managing your masters means:

Knowing who owns the final sound recording.
Understanding how revenue is generated from it.
Registering it with the right platforms (like SoundExchange, your distributor, and others).
Being clear on what you’re licensing and what you’re not.

Ownership isn’t always black and white, especially if you collaborate with other producers or writers. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless. Managing your masters gives you the leverage to:

License your songs to film and TV.
Negotiate sync and other music deals.
Collect royalties you might be missing.
Retain full control over how your music is used.
Remove unauthorized uses of your music.

So, Should You Sign Your Master Rights Away?

That depends on your short and long-term goals. Do you want to allow another company to make decisions off of your music after the deal has ended? Are you being offered an album deal, or an entire management deal. Many record label deals will ask for 100% ownership of your reproduction rights if they are providing an advance. However, you can always negotiate and if the label/management/publishing company won't allow it, it's safe to take that as a red flag and consult with a music business professional or lawyer to ensure the deal is even and fair to you.

What's Next ...

Let's take full control of your music career!

There's a lot involved with the business side of music and this post only scratches the surface. If you’re serious about protecting your work, building a sustainable music career, and keeping ownership in your hands—our full Professional Project Guide breaks it all down in an easy to read step by step format.

Inside the full guide, you’ll learn: