<aside> 🎵

TL;DR: The music industry runs on a foundational distinction between three things:

• Compositions — the underlying song (melody, lyrics, structure)
• Recordings — a specific captured performance of that song
• Releases — a packaged product containing recordings

This isn't bureaucratic overhead. It's how copyright, royalties, and licensing actually work. Understanding this model is prerequisite to understanding everything else.

</aside>

The 3-Part Model

flowchart LR
    classDef comp fill:#fef3c7,stroke:#d97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#92400e
    classDef rec fill:#ede9fe,stroke:#7c3aed,stroke-width:2px,color:#5b21b6
    classDef rel fill:#d1fae5,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#065f46

    subgraph COMP[" "]
        C["📓 COMPOSITION<br/><b>© the song</b><br/><i>melody, lyrics, structure</i><br/>───────────<br/>ISWC • Writers • PRO"]
    end

    subgraph REC[" "]
        R["🔊 RECORDING<br/><b>℗ the master</b><br/><i>captured performance</i><br/>───────────<br/>ISRC • Artists • Label"]
    end

    subgraph REL[" "]
        L["💽 RELEASE<br/><b>the product</b><br/><i>packaged for distribution</i><br/>───────────<br/>UPC • Cover Art • Date"]
    end

    C ==>|"recorded as"| R
    R ==>|"packaged into"| L

    class C comp
    class R rec
    class L rel

<aside> 💡

The core chain: Composition (what you wrote) → Recording (what you captured) → Release (what you distribute). Each has its own copyright, identifier, and revenue streams.

</aside>

Why three things, not one?

When you "release a song," you're actually doing three distinct things:

1. You wrote a musical work (the composition)
2. You recorded a performance of that work (the master)
3. You packaged and distributed that recording (the release)

These feel like one thing because they often happen together. But legally and commercially, they're separate — and treating them as separate unlocks clarity that treating them as one never can.

The composition: what you wrote

<aside> 📓

A composition is the underlying musical work — the melody, harmony, lyrics, and structure. It exists the moment you write it, before any recording.

Who owns it: Songwriters and publishers

Identifier: ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code)

Copyright symbol: © (copyright in the musical work)

Royalty streams: Performance royalties (PRO), mechanical royalties, sync fees (composition side)

</aside>

If you write a song alone, you own 100% of the composition. If you co-write, you split ownership (and that split should be documented).

The composition is what gets registered with your PRO. It's what earns you money when your song plays on the radio, streams on Spotify, or gets covered by another artist.

The recording: what you captured

<aside> 🔊

A recording is a specific captured performance of a composition. The same song can have multiple recordings — studio version, live version, acoustic version, remix, cover by another artist.

Who owns it: Artists, labels, or whoever funded the recording

Identifier: ISRC (International Standard Recording Code)

Copyright symbol: ℗ (copyright in the sound recording)

Royalty streams: Streaming revenue, SoundExchange/neighboring rights, sync fees (master side)

</aside>