Key terms in publishing agreements – master recording and song

As mentioned earlier, it is crucial to understand that the master recording is the main upfront licensing fee. The master means the final product transcribed onto a physical medium (a songwriter can also have part of this, depending on the agreement). The song is made up of two parts: the music and the lyrics.

You will need to know how much percentage is gross or net from the sales of the masters, the compositions (the music), synchronization fees, mechanical license fees, and your performing rights slice of the pie. You should usually be getting 100 percent of your writer's share, which is 50 percent of ASCAP fees for public performances (the other 50 percent goes to the publisher).

Sometimes, you will hear of a work-for-hire agreement. Bear in mind, this means that the publisher is signing a songwriter to a work-for-hire agreement. This entails that the person doing the hiring is now the sole creator of the music...