Music Copyright & Neighboring Rights
Your music has multiple layers of rights — composition, master recording, and neighboring rights. We register, protect, and enforce all of them.
Do You Actually Need This?
Music rights are layered — composition, master, and neighboring rights each require separate registration. These four situations tell you where you are exposed.
You are a recording artist, producer, or session musician not registered with a PRO or neighboring rights society.
Performing rights organizations (SOCAN, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) collect public performance royalties for songwriters and publishers. Neighboring rights societies (CONNECT Music Licensing, SoundExchange, PPL) collect for recording artists and labels when master recordings are broadcast. Unregistered creators leave these royalties on the table permanently — they are not retroactively recoverable in most jurisdictions.
Your music is on streaming platforms but you have never registered for neighboring rights.
Streaming generates two types of royalties: mechanical royalties (for the composition) and master recording royalties (for the sound recording). In Canada, neighboring rights royalties from radio and satellite broadcast are collected by CONNECT Music Licensing. Without registration, these royalties are held and eventually redistributed to other rights holders.
You signed a recording contract without independent legal review.
Recording agreements routinely include 360 deals (capturing revenue from touring, merchandise, endorsements), unfavorable royalty rates for streaming, all-in recording fund structures that reduce your net royalties, and reversion clauses buried in schedules. A contract review before signing is always cheaper than a dispute after.
Someone is using your music without a license or attribution.
Music infringement — unauthorized use in ads, films, social media, or on-demand platforms — is actionable under copyright law in both the US and Canada. A registered copyright strengthens your enforcement position significantly, enabling claims for statutory damages and attorney's fees in US federal court.
What You Get
- Registration
PRO & Neighboring Rights Registration
Registration with the performing rights organization and neighboring rights society appropriate for your jurisdiction — SOCAN, CONNECT, ASCAP, BMI, SoundExchange — to start collecting royalties immediately.
- Copyright Registration
Music Copyright Registration
Copyright registration for musical compositions and sound recordings with the US Copyright Office (USCO) or the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) — establishing the official ownership record for enforcement.
- Contract Review
Recording & Publishing Deal Review
Legal review of recording agreements, publishing deals, and producer agreements — identifying unfavorable royalty structures, overly broad IP assignments, and provisions that limit your future earning potential.
- Enforcement
Music Infringement Enforcement
Enforcement actions for unauthorized use of your music — takedown notices, cease and desist letters, and demand letters for licensing fees or damages when your catalog is exploited without permission.
Flat Fee. No Surprises.
PRO Registration
From $750per society- Registration with 1 PRO or neighboring rights society
- Catalog submission
- Work registration
- Royalty setup guidance
- Recommended
Full Rights Setup
From $1,800complete registration- PRO + neighboring rights registration
- Copyright registration (US or Canada)
- Catalog organization
- Enforcement readiness checklist
Deal Review
From $1,500per agreement- Recording or publishing deal review
- Royalty structure analysis
- Key risk summary
- Negotiation recommendations
Your Questions Answered
Neighboring rights are the rights of recording artists and record labels in the sound recording — as distinct from the underlying composition owned by songwriters and publishers. When a master recording is broadcast on radio, TV, or satellite, neighboring rights royalties are generated. In Canada, these are collected by CONNECT Music Licensing; in the US, by SoundExchange for digital broadcasts.
SOCAN collects public performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and music publishers in Canada — royalties generated when the musical composition is publicly performed or broadcast. CONNECT Music Licensing collects neighboring rights royalties for recording artists and record labels — royalties generated when the sound recording (the master) is broadcast. Most artists need to register with both.
Yes. SOCAN registration handles royalty collection for public performance of the composition. Copyright Office registration (USCO or CIPO) establishes a formal ownership record for enforcement purposes — enabling copyright infringement lawsuits and, in the US, access to statutory damages. They serve different functions.
A 360 deal (or multiple rights deal) is a recording contract where the label takes a percentage of all of the artist's revenue streams — not just record sales and streaming, but also touring income, merchandise, endorsements, and sync licensing. These deals are standard at major labels and increasingly common at mid-tier labels. The scope of the 360 provisions varies widely and is heavily negotiable.
Streaming generates two types of royalties: (1) master recording royalties paid by the streaming platform to whoever owns the master — typically collected through your distributor; (2) mechanical royalties for the composition — collected in the US through a mechanical licensing organization (MLC) and in Canada through your music publisher or directly through the CMO. Both require registration to receive.
