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Summary
Songwriters create musical works that can carry economic rights. Understanding the rights, ownership and management arrangements helps explain how a work may be used and generate income.
When a songwriter creates an original musical composition, that work can generate economic value through different types of use.
This article introduces four useful areas of music use: reproduction, synchronization and adaptation, distribution, and public performance. These are a practical guide, not an exhaustive list of legal rights. Indonesian copyright law recognizes a broader set of economic rights.
One use can involve several rights. The composition and a particular recording also have separate rights, so the permissions needed depend on what is used, how it is used, and the applicable law.
Reproduction rights refer to the right to reproduce or make copies of an original musical composition.
Reproduction can occur in uses such as:
Copying a composition can involve reproduction rights, subject to the applicable law and its exceptions. The rights do not arise only when a work is used commercially.
Synchronization means pairing music with visual content. Adaptation means changing an existing work, for example by translating lyrics or creating a new arrangement. A sync permission does not automatically authorize adaptation; proposed changes need to be checked separately.
Examples include:
For these uses, check permission for the composition and, when using an existing recording, the recording itself. The party giving permission must control the relevant rights for the intended use.
Distribution concerns distributing a work or its copies, subject to the applicable law and its limits. A publisher can act only within the rights it owns or is authorized to administer.
Examples and important distinctions include:
Digital uses
Physical copies
Do not assume that uploading a recording through an aggregator clears all rights in the composition. Check the relevant platform arrangements, territory and intended use.
Performing rights generally concern public performance of musical works. Broadcasting and online communication may involve related but separately defined rights, depending on the legal system.
Examples include:
Collective management organizations may administer certain rights under their mandates. Their roles and repertoires vary by country and agreement.
A music publisher can document works, administer specified rights and income, and support licensing within its publishing agreement. The agreement should identify the works or shares, rights, territory, term and responsibilities covered.
Publishers and collective management organizations can have complementary roles. There is no universal rule assigning exactly three rights to publishers and one to collective management; the relevant mandates and agreements determine who does what.
Your songs can generate value through many different types of use. Knowing the economic rights attached to your works is one step toward understanding how your catalogue is managed and monetized.
Explore Songwriter Overview to learn about publishing with Massive Music. If you are considering a publishing agreement, ask which works, shares and rights it would cover.
Indonesian Copyright Law — Articles 1, 9, 64 and 80
