Glossary
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Music Publishers |
AABA A song pattern consisting of two verses, a bridge, and a verse, where the verses are the same musically.
A/C Adult contemporary music.
ADVANCE The payment in advance of royalties to be earned in the future.
A&R (ARTISTS AND REPERTORY) The record company department that deals with new artists, songs and records.
AOR Album-Oriented Rock.
ASCAP American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.
ASSIGNMENT OF COPYRIGHT The transfer of ownership of a copyright from one party to another.
AUTHOR Can represent composer, lyricist, record producer, artist, writer or other creator.
AUTOMATIC RENEWAL Works that were copyrighted between 1964 and 1977 are granted an automatic renewal term, without the writer having to file a renewal registration form.
AUDIO VISUAL INDEX (AVI) A computer-based database which contains title and production information for cue sheets.
BLANKET LICENSE For an annual fee, entities such as radio and television can receive blanket license from a performing rights organization which allows them to perform the music contained in the respective repertoire.
BMI Broadcast Music, Inc.
BOOKING AGENT The person responsible for setting up and scheduling an entertainer's performances.
BOOTLEGGING Unauthorized recording and selling of a song.
C&W Country and western.
CATALOG References the collection of songs owned by a songwriter or a publisher.
COLLABORATION Two or more writers who work together on the same project.
COMPULSORY MECHANICAL LICENSE A license allowing anyone to record a song that has been commercially recorded as long as they pay the royalties set by a Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel.
CONTROLLED COMPOSITION A composition written by the recording artist under an exclusive recording agreement.
CO-PUBLISH The publishing rights to a song are owned by two or more parties.
COPYRIGHT "The exclusive right, granted by law for a stated period, usually until 70 years after the death of the surviving author of the work, to make, dispose of, and otherwise control copies of literary, musical, dramatic, pictorial and other copyrightable works."
CROSSOVER A song that is popular in more than one musical category.
CUE SHEET A listing of the music used in a television program or motion picture.
DEMO Short for demonstration. Usually a song recording submitted for publishing consideration.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS The right of a copyright owner to exclusively authorize recording, performance, or other uses of his work.
EXCLUSIVE SONGWRITER AGREEMENT A contract between a publisher and a songwriter in which the songwriter, for a percentage of any royalty income, assigns all songs written during the term of the contract to the Publisher.
HIT A song or record that achieves a ranking in the top 40.
HOOK A catchy and memorable phrase or melody line that is repeated in a song.
INDIE An independent record label, producer, or music publisher.
INFRINGEMENT A violation of the rights granted by copyright law to a copyright owner.
IRC International Reply Coupon
LEAD SHEET The printed version of a song's melody, lyrics, and chord symbols.
LYRIC SHEET A written copy of a song's lyrics.
MASTER A completed recording of a song used to create multiple copies.
MECHANICAL LICENSE The license issued to a record company granting them the right to record and release a specific composition at an agreed-upon price.
MIDI Musical instrument digital interface.
MOR Middle of the Road.
MUSIC ROW An area of Nashville, Tennessee which consists primarily of recording studios, publishing houses, and others involved in the songwriting trade.
PERFORMING RIGHTS ORGANIZATION An entity that licenses the public performance of musical works, and collects and distributes income to copyright holders, (i.e., ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC)
PIRACY Unauthorized copying of a record or tape.
PITCH To try to generate interest in one's song(s), usually by audition or by submitting a demo tape.
PUBLICATION Defined by the Copyright Act as "the distribution of copies or phonorecords of a work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental lease or lending. The offering to distribute phonorecords to a group of persons for purposes of further distribution, public performance, or public display, constitutes publication." However, merely performing a new song in public doesn't "publish" it.
PUBLIC DOMAIN Refers to the status of a work having no copyright protection, and is available for unrestricted use by anyone.
PUBLISHER A person or company that publishes songs.
QUERY A letter of inquiry, usually to a music publisher or other industry representative, soliciting interest in one's song(s).
R&B Rhythm and blues.
RESIDUALS Payments for use of an artist's performance.
ROYALTY Money earned from the use of one's song or the sale of records, CD's, etc.
SAE Self-addressed envelope.
SASE Self-addressed stamped envelope.
SHOP To pitch songs to a variety of music publishers and other industry representatives.
SINGLE SONG AGREEMENT A contract between a publisher and a songwriter where the songwriter assigns copyright to the publisher in exchange for a percentage of royalty income.
SONGPLUGGER Someone who represents a songwriter in the promotion of uncut songs to record companies, music publishers, and others.
SONGSHARK An unethical individual who exploits songwriters.
SONGWRITER An individual who crafts songs through the creation of lyrics and music.
SPLIT PUBLISHING When the publishing rights in a song are held by more than one publisher.
STAFF SONGWRITER A songwriter who has an exclusive agreement with a publisher.
STATUTORY DAMAGES Money awarded to a copyright holder for infringement of copyrights.
SUB-PUBLISHING A contract between domestic and foreign publishers to handle the licensing and collection for songs in foreign territory.
UNSOLICITED Songs that have not been requested.
WORK MADE FOR HIRE This is a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his employment, and the employer is considered the author of the work.