{"id":2519,"date":"2026-08-27T08:45:52","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T03:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theblackturn.com\/blogs\/?p=2519"},"modified":"2026-08-20T03:01:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T21:31:33","slug":"who-owns-your-music-distribution-agreements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblackturn.com\/blogs\/who-owns-your-music-distribution-agreements\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Owns Your Music? Distribution Agreements Explained for Independent Artists (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

With a legitimate distributor, you own everything: the master recording, the composition, and every right attached to them. The distributor is a service provider delivering your files to platforms and collecting money on your behalf, not a rights holder. Where artists get into trouble is not ownership but control, because a distribution agreement can leave your ownership completely intact while restricting what you can practically do: exclusivity periods, term lengths, takedown fees, distributor-issued identifiers, or a subscription model that removes your catalogue when payment stops. Before signing anywhere, separate the two questions: what do I own, and what am I free to do with it?<\/b><\/p>\n

That is the summary. This article explains the rights involved in plain language and shows which clauses matter, because “you keep 100% of your rights” is true almost everywhere and tells you almost nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is general information, not legal advice. For anything substantial, have a music lawyer read the actual agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Four Things That Can Be Owned<\/b><\/h2>\n

Most confusion comes from treating “my song” as one object. Legally it is at least two, each with two sides:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Right<\/b><\/td>\nWhat It Covers<\/b><\/td>\nWho Usually Holds It<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Master recording<\/span><\/td>\nThe specific recorded audio<\/span><\/td>\nYou, if you paid for or made the recording<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Composition<\/span><\/td>\nThe melody and lyrics underneath it<\/span><\/td>\nThe writers<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recording rights (neighbouring)<\/span><\/td>\nIncome from the recording being played<\/span><\/td>\nYou, via your distributor’s collection<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Publishing rights<\/span><\/td>\nIncome from the composition being used<\/span><\/td>\nThe writers, via a publisher or PRO<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

A distributor deals almost entirely with the first and third. It delivers your master to platforms and collects the recording-side money. <\/span>It does not, and should not, take ownership of either the master or the composition.<\/b> How the money flows through these categories is covered in <\/span>music royalties explained<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Publishing is a separate arrangement entirely, and some distributors offer publishing administration as an optional add-on. That is a different service with its own percentage, and it should be a conscious choice rather than something bundled in silently.<\/span><\/p>\n

What “You Keep 100% of Your Rights” Actually Means<\/b><\/h2>\n

It means the distributor is not claiming ownership. That is genuinely important and genuinely standard among reputable services.<\/span><\/p>\n

What it does not tell you:<\/span><\/p>\n