Artist and Repertoire. The name comes from a time when the A&R's primary role was to connect singers/performers (the artist) to songs or songwriters (the repertoire) and find the perfect fit. This aspect of the job has progressively disappeared with the emergence of more singer/songwriters, such as Bob Dylan and the Beatles, who started to get involved in the writing process as well.
The process of converting audio stored in the Analog (signal-based) domain to the Digital (sample-based) domain, and vice versa. Typically this involves a signal passing from the computer out to analog gear and back into the computer.
becoming a member of a pay source or collection society and enlisting them to take care of one’s licensing, tracking, and song use protection. They are also responsible for licensing song rights on the client’s behalf and paying royalties to the songwriter.
(Album release cycle) includes every step in the creation of an album to the promotion before and after the release until the last show of its tour.
An Arranger organizes an already existing composition by hand in order to make it into a playable score.
An artist roster is a list of artists that are signed to a certain label. This includes established, as well as developing artists.
Controls the volume and the tone picked by the microphones
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PRODUCTIONBusiness Affairs clearance; verfication that the track(s) is completely cleared in terms of legalities
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TOURING & LIVE EVENTSBackline represents all necessary audio amplification equipment for bands including guitar, bass and keyboard amplifiers, drums, microphone stands, cables, etc.
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ATTORNEYThe exam that aspiring attorneys must pass after completing law school in order to begin their career as a lawyer.
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PUBLICITYA boilerplate is a short paragraph at the end of a press release that provides journalists with information on the associated company.
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BUSINESS MANAGERBonds - fixed-income instruments that represent a loan made by an investor to a borrower. Bonds traditionally pay a fixed interest rate (coupon) to debtholders
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BRAND PARTNERSHIPSA mutual agreement between two or more businesses or organizations.
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BRAND PARTNERSHIPSA tool used in brand partnership departments to gauge the interests and favorite products of an artist to then be taken into account for partnership deals.
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PROMOTIONOriginating from a time when Billboard Magazine had the practice of putting a bullet sign in front of chart entries that have quickly moved from one position to another. A bullet is an additional sign put in front of a song's name in the charts. This means that the song has gained forward momentum, either through positive radio adds (radio stations are adding your song to their list) or and increased rotation (the number of times a song is played in a day).
Collective Management Organizations, nonprofits that license, track, and collect mechanical and/or performance royalties and pay them out to the proper songwriters and/or publishers. Examples include GEMA in Germany and SACEM in France
Certified Public Accountant. A professional certification in accounting for licenced professionals that verifies the holder of the certificate meets necessary education and work requirements.
An instruction to the audience to do something (click a link, comment, etc.).
A more than an 18-month-old collection of released compositions that are owned by a music publisher through copyright. If a songwriter has not licensed their songs, they are then a part of the songwriter's catalog.
The percentage of people that click a link that you advertised.
Groups that are vital to the licensing and tracking of songs and enable royalty collection. They differ based on what type of royalty they collect, what type of organization they are, and where in the world they’re located. Types include: CMOs, PROs, MROs, and RAEs
Combining several musical takes into one, creating a “supertake” that has the best parts of each recording.
As a general matter, copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.
A document sent from music supervisors to sync departments describing what type of music they are actively looking for. It might include a scene description or details about the project.
Customer Relationship Management is a system that manages all your company's relationships and interactions with current and potential customers.
Digital Service Provider (DSP) is an online store (iTunes, Amazon Music, etc.) or streaming service (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, YouTube Music) that features digital albums and singles.
Direct to Consumer; for example, an artist having their own store to sell all merchandise as well as exclusive products (e.g. box set) directly to their fans as opposed to a retailer
A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a sample recording of an artist's music, distributed to disc jockeys, recording companies, etc., to demonstrate the merits of the song or performer.
An integrated computer-based recording system that commonly offers a number of production features such as advanced multitrack recording, editing and mixdown capabilities, MIDI sequencing, edit and score capabilities, and integration with hardware devices such as controllers, MIDI, and audio interface devices.
In the music industry, a manufacturing and distribution deal (commonly known as an M&D deal) refers to a standard contractual arrangement between a record label and a music distributor. Under an M&D deal, the distributor pays for the manufacturing costs of an album beginning with the pressing process, all the way through to the printing of the labels.
Drivers are one-page documents created by the label to showcase an artist's stats such as the number of streams and sales, or press updates. They are shared with radio stations to induce them into playing the song.
The acronym for electronic press kit. While press kits were originally composed of physical copies of vinyl and CDs, EPKs have recently become more popular due to the convenience of a completely digital format.
Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications
Fixed Percentage is a non-variable percentage, which means no matter what the income of the artist is, and/or if it’s being increased/decreased for any reason, the percentage that determines the income of the manager is not changing.
A unique sound effect technique that involves creating and “performing” everyday sounds for movies and television shows.
Gross Revenue is the amount of the Total Revenue of the artist minus the amount of the business-related expenses that are being made.
Interested Parties Information, a number received when a songwriter is affiliated with a pay source that identifies the songwriter and/or publisher and connects them with their songs to ensure proper royalty collection
Intellectual Property protects the "creations of the mind". This means anything considered valuable intellectual property, that is artistic, cultural, or scientific, and was created by a human. The four types of IP are patents, trademarks, copyrights, and registered designs. They give the creator an exclusive right over the use of their creation for a certain period of time.
Direct to Consumer; for example, an artist having their own store to sell all merchandise as well as exclusive products (e.g. box set) directly to their fans as opposed to a retailer
an alternative to signing a deal with a loan-out b signing to an independent company that in turn makes a deal with a record label
also known as a side letter, a document stating that if the artist's company does not deliver the recordingd, the artist will have to deliver the recordings directly to the record label and if the company does not perform under the deal the artist will be financially responsible.
Abbreviation for Juris Doctor. This is the most common law degree which prepares the recipient to practice law.
Abbreviation for Master of Laws. This degree can be pursued by someone who has already obtained a JD and passed the bar examination but wishes to further their education in a specific area of law.
The acronym for the Law School Admission Test. All aspiring attorneys must pass this exam upon graduation from college in order to be admitted to law school.
a disc that is cut once the music master is ready and is then shipped to the manufacturing plant to be used for manufacturing vinyl
A collection of pre-recorded music compositions for commercial use
Short pre-recorded samples used by radio stations as segues between songs that give listeners a brief station identifier or promo. Generally 20 seconds or less: “My name is Dua Lipa and you are listening to my new single Don't Start Now on BBC Radio 1”.
very similar to direct agreements; differences include: the parties involved are the record label and your company, your company agrees to supply your services and recordings, there are legal clauses in place confirming the rights of those services and recording deliveries, and the signage of an inducement letter.
Allows for communications between physical hardware and digital audio workstations.
Mechanical Rights Organization, a type of CMO that administers mechanical licenses and (depending on the entity) collects and pays out mechanical royalties to publishers. Examples include AMCOS in Australia and Harry Fox Agency (HFA) in the USA.
(Also called Master Use License) This is an agreement in which the owner of a copyrighted sound recording allows a music user – typically a producer or head of the music department – to use it for a new project.
Outlet or medium, which usually includes all types of communication that transmit information to people through radio, TV, or the internet.
Media buying is part of the paid marketing effort. After identifying the channels, both traditional and digital, relevant to the targeted audience, a media buyer can purchase space in those outlets to increase exposure and ROI.
Pre-pack of promotional material that provides information about the artist (introduction, releases, articles, etc.). An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is the best example. It usually acts as the resume for the artist, designed to provide information about the artist to labels, agents, talent buyers, and many more.
Metadata in the context of music is the information embedded in an audio file that is used to identify the content. If the song file itself is the data, the metadata would be the song title, artist name, track length, BPM, and genre.
Artistic process in which the audio is repeatedly played while adjustments in level, panning, EQ, effects, and other areas are made for each track and/or track grouping.
This clause ensures parity between the rights holders (publisher and master). It means the amount you pay the publisher should be the same as the one you pay to the master owner. If one quote is higher (either master or publisher), the fee should be raised or decreased to be equalized.
also called a label deal, the independent company (typically owned by a producer or record mogul) takes multiple artist's rights and recordings and supllies them to a distributor; many of these artists may not have been signed by the independent company.
A visual form of a musical work. It gives the performer the necessary instructions on how to perform a composition.
A non-disclosure agreement is a legally binding contract that establishes a confidential relationship with the people involved. The party or parties signing the agreement, agree that sensitive information they may obtain will not be made available to any others.
Process of arranging (assigning to different instruments) a musical composition for an orchestra.
Promotion and Distribution. A P&D deal usually involves the physical distribution of the physical products. It includes sales and distribution, or sometimes only distribution, to other retailers.
Published Price to Dealers is the record company's or distributor's price to retailers, usually the wholesale unit price of a recorded piece of work.
Abbreviation for Public Relations. It is related to keeping a certain image for the company or the artist. PR usually acts as a third party to help with the artist's image or reputation maintenance.
an acronym for Performing Right Organization. A PRO is an organization that makes sure that publishers and songwriters are paid for the use of their music by collecting royalities on behalf of the rights proprietor
a general term to identify any organization, society, or digital service provider that pays out royalties earned for the use of a song, including collection societies
a structured but short business presentation that describes the value of something and why your audience should invest in it
In the context of songwriting and audio production, a plug-in is a component of computer mixing software that manipulates, enhances, or adds to audio. For example, an EQ plugin adjusts frequencies to equalize the track and give it a balanced sound.
Pre-pack of promotional material that provides information about the artist (introduction, releases, articles, etc.). An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is the best example. It usually acts as the resume for the artist, designed to provide information about the artist to labels, agents, talent buyers, and many more.
A written statement that offers media outlets a summary of news about an artist, such as an upcoming album release.
The deliberate and obvious placement of a branded product in the acquisition or use by an artist of high esteem, typically in a music video or advertisement.
promoters work on behalf of a venue to book events, manage contracts and payments, and work on marketing the show
Music and lyrics with no exclusive intellectual property rights. This applies to any musical work that has expired rights or any work that has been published in or before 1925 in the USA.
Rights Administrator Entity, for-profit, privately-owned agencies that collect mechanical and performance royalties. Examples include ICE Services in Europe and Music Reports (MRI) in the USA
Stands for Return on Investment. This is a performance measure that ratios financial investments to identify gains or losses and the efficiency of the investment.
A Radio Add means that a radio station has added your song to their playlist.
A form of non-compete clause prohibiting an artist from performing a concert in a defined radius around a city during a certain period of time prior to their scheduled performance.
agreements that exchange information between performing rights societies in different countries to account for and compensate clients for foreign performances (Note: this is not equivalent to registering songs directly with foreign societies)
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist, where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote.
a legal contract between a record label and a musician by which the musician is obliged to record a particular amount of songs for the label to publish
Also known as the board or desk, it allows the engineer to combine, control, and distribute the input and output signals of most, if not all, of the devices found in the control room (microphones, electronic instruments, effects devices, recording systems and other audio devices).
A release plan for singles or EPs. It includes the exact date of the release and the specific times of all releases worldwide. It is sent to different departments so they can be prepared to take the next steps.
A rollout often refers to a significant product release, which is frequently accompanied by a strong marketing campaign to generate consumer interest.
In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on the radio. We define rotation with two characteristics. The first is how often a song gets played: light (once every hour) or medium/heavy (multiple times an hour). The second is the time of day at which the song is playing. For example: during off-hours (9 pm-4 am) or high traffic hours (during the day, when people are on their way to work).
paymants received by individuals holding rights towards music pieces in exchange for the music being licensed.
Structured Query Language, referred to commonly as “sequel,” is a domain-specific language used in programming and designed for managing data held in a relational database management system or for stream processing in a relational data stream management system
Suggested Retail List Price. The approximate price charged by the retailer. Usually, SRLP is higher than PPD.
Finding potential artists with different methods, for example going to live events, listening on SoundCloud, or through word of mouth.
tradable financial instruments used to increase the level of capital of the film
Someone who writes their own songs, rather than receiving them from another songwriter or giving them to another artist. Singer-songwriters may collaborate with other writers, but they almost always play some part in creating the music they perform.
an independent company (typically owned by a producer or record mogul) takes the artist's rights and supplies them to a record label for distribution in return for a cut of royalties/advances. The independent company is making a deal with the distributor for one specific artist, and through the company may have signed more than one artist, this deal with the distributor only concerns the one artist.
Someone who not only writes but produces their own songs. Rather than simply coming up with a melody and lyrics, songwriter-producers accompany the creative process throughout the production stage.
The pressure level of a sound, measured in decibels (dB). In mastering, this equates to the level at which audio is heard back on a pair of monitors within a space. The optimal SPL Level is 83dB SPL, while the “threshold of pain” is 120 dB SPL.
The process of removing extraneous noises from audio, such as clicks, pops, plosives, or fret noise.
When measuring airplay on the radio, the number of times a song is played is measured in spins. Spins are very important for the label as they are one way to get a song to breakthrough. The more spins a song gets on the radio, the higher it will climb on the charts.
Meetings between a composer and film director. During those sessions, they will watch the movie together and decide on where to add music, as well as determine all the details.
The streaming era refers to the period where music consumer habits changed from buying CDs and physical copies to listening to music online through streaming platforms.
A speaker system used for listening back to audio, ideally in a room specifically designed with finely tuned acoustics.
An agreement between the owner of a copyrighted song and someone who wants to use it. It permits the user to use the song in a video format (Social Media, Video Games, Movies, TV Shows, etc.)
A label can hold a portion of the available tickets for specific concerts before they go on sale. They save these tickets directly with the booking agent to offer them to their partners later on.
Universal Product Code, a barcode, used to identify a particular product (e.g. single, album, multi-track single, etc.); the parent code to ISRC(s)
Content that has been submitted by users of a brand, basically any type of content (photos, videos, or posts) that was not made by the brand.
a concept that is widely used in the audit world meaning the quality of the asset is equal to it's cost and benefits
