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What is a "Publishing Administrator?" master & publishing rights publishers

A Music Publishing Administrator manages licensing and collects for you part or all of the publishing royalties your music generates. By definition, a publishing administrator does not own or control any percentage of your actual copyright.

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What is a "Publisher?" master & publishing rights publishers

A music publisher is a person or an organization that is authorized to license the copyrighted use of a particular musical work.

Their tasks include promoting their catalog's songs to recording artists; licensing compositions for use by films, television, advertisements, and other media; monitoring...

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What is a "Pro-Rata?" master & publishing rights

Proportionally. Often used legally to say “your portion” of a share. Ex. “Your pro rata share of the writers share” means your portion of the writers share instead of the whole amount.

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What is a "Music Supervisor?" music supervisors

Music supervisors are responsible for selecting and licensing preexisting songs and recordings for use in movies, television shows, and video games.

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What is a "Music Coordinator?" music supervisors

Music coordinators work very closely with Music Supervisors and are responsible for everything related to finding and placing music in a production, including recruitment, rights management, budgeting, and contracts.

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What is "Micro-Sync?" pitching & licensing

Micro licenses refer to “smaller” licenses for personal projects, indie films, and smaller companies. 

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What is "Media?" agreements & contracts

The given media the licensee plans to exploit the work. e.g. Broadcast TV, Streaming, Digital/ social platforms, Theatrical (Film/ Trailers) etc.

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What is a "Licensing Agency?" licensing agents

Sync or "Licensing" agents are companies or individuals that aim to connect producers of visual media with artists. Sync agents will represent your music and secure you a synchronisation license.

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What is a "Kill Fee?" pitching & licensing royalties & money

Fee to cover spec work that was commissioned but not used

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What is an "Indemnification?" agreements & contracts

To be obligated to compensate and/ or hold harmless the contacting party (production company, ad agency etc) if any breach of the contract or misrepresentations are to occur (e.g. and uncleared sample was not disclosed and actual rights holder files a claim/ lawsuit requiring an additional payment) ...

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What is an "Editor?" trailers tv/film

A film editor edits the final piece of video and music for the final TV/Film, Trailers and Ad spots. 

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What is a "Demo Fee?" custom music royalties & money

A payment for the execution of song ideas for a commissioned sync project. This is paid whether or not a song is actually placed. 

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What is "Composition?" songwriting & producing

The "composition", as it pertains to sync, means the, lyrics and melody structure of a song.

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What is a "Composer?" songwriting & producing

A person who writes the music, melodies and harmonies, rhythms and dynamics, and song structure.

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What is a "Brief (or Creative Brief, Search)?" ads custom music games trailers tv/film

Depending on the source (Film/ TV/ Trailer/ Ad/ Promo etc Music Supervisor) of the Brief, this may vary a good deal.  Essentially a breakdown of the music needs (sometimes accompanied by a reference track or tracks), the rights they are seeking, indication of budget, and any other pertinent info rel...

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What is "Work on Spec?" custom music pitching & licensing songwriting & producing

If you’re writing “work on spec” you’re composing a piece of music without a
guarantee that it will be used. If the person who commissions the music likes what
you’ve written then you get paid, if not then you don’t.

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What is "Work for Hire?" pitching & licensing royalties & money songwriting & producing

“Work for hire” is when a composer is paid an up-front fee for writing music and in
return, the composition(s) becomes the property of the employer.

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What is a "Term?" agreements & contracts

The ‘Term’ of a licensing contract is the amount of time it is valid for. This can be as
short as a one-time usage or as long as eternity (see in perpetuity).

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What is a "Territory?" agreements & contracts pitching & licensing

The Territory is a term used in contracts to describe the “where” of a license – i.e.
where the license is applicable and which laws the negotiated contract is subject to.

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What is "Temp Music?" songwriting & producing tv/film

Temp music is music that a director may have temporarily cut into a film or TV show
before the actual music is composed and / or selected. This is often a problem for
music supervisors as directors may become so hooked on these tracks (which are
likely to be difficult or far too costly to license) t...

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What is a "Sync License?" pitching & licensing

A sync license is required when someone wants to synchronize a piece of music to
a specific media output. Whoever owns or represents the publishing rights to a piece
of music is responsible for issuing the sync license.

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What is a "Stinger?" songwriting & producing tv/film

A stinger is a short piece of music used for many purposes such as logos,
highlights, transitions between scenes, etc.

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What are "Stems?" songwriting & producing

These are a sub or partial mix of one or some instruments in a track.

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What is "Sound Recording?" songwriting & producing

A recording of a musical work that is usually owned by the organisation that paid for
and facilitated the recording (the record label).

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