Forms & Terms
The best time to sign this form is during a co-writing session.
Split letter
A song published prior to 1923 that is not protected by copyright laws and available for general use.
Public domain
A weekly or monthly sum of money paid to a staff songwriter by a publisher
A draw
The person behind the scenes pitching a songwriter's composition to producers, A&R reps, managers, and music supervisors
Song plugger
Work made by an employee of a corporation or someone commissioned to do a job under certain circumstances.
Work for hire
Which copyright registration form covers both the composition and the sound recording in cases where the songwriter is also the artist?
Form SR
When a songwriter unintentionally copies a song from their childhood hero.
Strict liability tort
A ______ is an article of trade or commerce, especially a product as distinguished from a service.
Commodity
A person who combines music and visual media, especially for TV and movies
Music supervisor
How you get your music to iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Google Play, Tidal, and 80+ other digital stores & streaming services?
Digital Distribution Company
What do you need in order to release a cover song legally?
Mechanical license
In order to prove copyright infringement, these two things must be established
Access and substantial similarity
A pre-payment of royalties
Advance
This person has 3 jobs: 1) get the music right, 2) Get the music out, 3) Make the songwriter successful
Creative director
This artist, featured in a Ted talk, has had wild success on both Kickstarter and Patreon
Amanda Palmer
When the mechanical rate for songs that are written by the artist will be 75% the statutory rate.
Controlled Composition Clause
When a musical style, groove, or chord progression is so common to a genre that using it cannot be copyright infringement.
Scènes à faire
A calculation that measures the gain or loss generated on an investment
Return on Investment (ROI)
Distributes mechanical licenses and collects royalties for cover songs.
Harry Fox Agency
A verbal agreement for the recording rights to a song
A 'hold'
Forcing publishers to accept less than full statutory mechanical royalty
Reduced royalty
What part of a song is NOT protected under copyright law?
The title
What is the statutory rate for digital downloads?
9.1 cents
The ONLY organization in the US that collects performance royalties for “non-interactive” digital sound records (i.e, digital radio...Pandora, Sirius XM, Beats 1, etc)
Sound Exchange
When a songwriter makes as much money as the highest-paid person on the project
Most Favored Nation